It used to be that hiking meant wearing hiking boots, office meant wearing office clothes. Nowadays, we’re wearing yoga pants to the office and sweat pants to get groceries. Umm, what does this have to do with hiking? That the hiking look has changed and that you’re probably seeing a lot of other types of shoes on the trails and not just your typical hiking boot. Each person has his own preferences and needs when he’s out on a hike. In general, however, longer hikes with heavier packs involve more supportive and rigid hiking boots for women. Day hikes, on the other hand, could be enjoyed comfortably with light hiking shoes and increasingly more common, trail running shoes. However, there are plenty of long distance hikers who also prefer trail running shoes. Although we can’t tell you which type of footwear best suits your hiking needs, we can tell you our favorite ones for womens hiking boots, low-ankle hiking shoes, and trail running shoes.
Women’s Hiking boots have a high cut to give you the ankle support needed for long treks with heavy packs on off-trail terrain that entails lots of rocks, roots, and streams. They also have stiffer midsoles compared to the low-ankle hiking shoes and trail running shoes for extra protection and to absorb the impact especially if you’re carrying a ton and walking lengthy distances. So, if you’re looking for something a bit heavy duty a rough long haul, we’ve listed our top 7 favorite high-cut hiking boots for women to help get you started.
Mystery Solved!
The Best Women’s Hiking Boots are:
Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid GTX Women
Why we love it?
- Maintains Salomon's running shoe comfort in an all-day hiking boot
- Zero break-in time
- Cushion-galore and foot-cradling gives out-of-this-world comfort
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Top 7 Products
Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid GTX Women |
KEEN Targhee III Mid WP Women |
Merrell Moab 2 Mid WP Women |
Lowa Renegade GTX Mid Women |
La Sportiva Nucleo High GTX Women |
Vasque Breeze III Mid GTX Women |
Salomon Quest Prime GTX Women |
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| Price | 164.95$ View On Amazon | 149.95$ View On Amazon | 122.57$ View On Amazon | 239.90$ View On Amazon | 199.00$ View On Amazon | 129.93$ View On REI | 141.73$ View On REI |
| Overall Rating | 8.3 | 8.5 | 9 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.5 | 8.3 |
| Pros | Great for feet of all dimensions , Zero break-in time, Lots of cushioning and heel support, Breathable , Internal membrane and fit promotes blister-free feet, Quick-drying internal lining, Toe protection, High traction, Easy to put on | Great for wide feet, Little to no break-in time, Waterproof, Breathable , Internal membrane and fit promotes blister-free feet, Fit and design prevents toe hammering when going downhill, High traction | Wide toe box, Little break-in time required, Great for narrow and wide feet because of lacing system, Soft cushioning, Arch support, Has a slight heel for optimal spine posture | Waterproof, Very comfortable, Zero break-in, High traction, Snug but wide fit, Breathable, Lightweight, Lowa is official sponsor of the American Hiking Guide Association (AHGA), Made in Europe | Very comfortable, No break-in required, Winner of 2017 Gear of the Year by Outside magazine, Gore-Tex Surround membrane with Nano-cell technology for breathability and waterproofness, Very stable, Snug-fitting, Vibram Impact brake system for extra high traction | Very comfortable, No break-in required, Winner of 2017 Gear of the Year by Outside magazine, Gore-Tex Surround membrane with Nano-cell technology for breathability and waterproofness, Very stable, Snug-fitting, Vibram Impact brake system for extra high traction | Durable, Sturdy, Waterproof, Superb traction, Trusty Salomon fit, Tons of cushioning in footbed and midsole, Very protective for feet, Lots of ankle support |
| Cons | Waterproofness could be iffy | Noticeable differences in cushioning and durability from previous version may disappoint Targhee II fans | Waterproofness may be iffy, Not as flexible, Laces come undone often | Shorter lifetime | Shorter lifetime, Decreased ankle support | Shorter lifetime, Decreased ankle support | Heavy, Requires some break-in time, Stiffer than others |
| Bottom Line | This pair makes you think you’re wearing soft running shoes but still gives you all that support, stability, and protection you hiking-boot-ers are looking for. Get ready for oh-my-god comfort on your next long hike. | If you’re new to the Keen Targhee WP Mid, you may just fall in love. But if you’ve fallen in love with the previous version, this version could make you long for your old flame. | Picky feet? This is a great shoe particularly if you appreciate arch support and a wide toe box. Plus, you’ll get tons of cushioning for comfort all day long. | Some women say that these Renegades are their feet’s soulmate. Many claim they are the best boot ever. And others swear love till death do them part. You’ll love these shoe, too. But be prepared to buy another pair soon because they can get worn out quickly. | These pair of women’s waterproof hiking boots are so comfortable the minute you wear them, you’ll want to always wear them everywhere. The problem is the shorter lifetime in these boots and the required care needed to extend the lifetime as much as possible. | If you don’t mind the break-in time and a little toying with the laces sometimes, this pair of women’s hiking boots may turn you into a Vasque Breeze girl because of its cushy comfort and lightweight feel plus its sticky frog-like traction. | This is not your regular heavy pair of hiking boot, it’s cuter, cushier, and softer on the inside. But still has that umph in stability and protection. It’s just a bummer to deal with the break-in time. |
| Comfort | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Traction | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Breathability | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Durability | 8 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 |
2. KEEN Targhee III Mid WP Women
Comfort
Traction
Breathability
Durability
Best offers
Pros
- Great for wide feet
- Little to no break-in time
- Waterproof
- Breathable
- Internal membrane and fit promotes blister-free feet
- Fit and design prevents toe hammering when going downhill
- High traction
Cons
- Noticeable differences in cushioning and durability from previous version may disappoint Targhee II fans
Women are raving about the out-of-the-box comfort the Keen Targhee III Mid WP Hiking Boots provide along with the performance for long hikes in hot or rainy weather, on rocky or muddy trails. The well-known comfort of Keen shoes is embodied in these waterproof and sturdy women’s hiking boots built for stability and support.
3. Merrell Moab 2 Mid WP Women
Comfort
Traction
Breathability
Durability
Best offers
Pros
- Wide toe box
- Little break-in time required
- Great for narrow and wide feet because of lacing system
- Soft cushioning
- Arch support
- Has a slight heel for optimal spine posture
Cons
- Waterproofness may be iffy
- Not as flexible
- Laces come undone often
What comes to mind when you hear ‘Moab’? Maybe something like the desert? Maybe something indigenous? ‘Moab’ means MOTHER OF ALL BOOTS. Bam. The peeps at Merrell aren’t modest about naming one of their most popular mid waterproof women’s hiking boot the Moab.
4. Lowa Renegade GTX Mid Women
Comfort
Traction
Breathability
Durability
Best offers
Pros
- Waterproof
- Very comfortable
- Zero break-in
- High traction
- Snug but wide fit
- Breathable
- Lightweight
- Lowa is official sponsor of the American Hiking Guide Association (AHGA)
- Made in Europe
Cons
- Shorter lifetime
This pair of women’s hiking boots made Editor’s Choice 25th Anniversary Hall of Fame in Backpacker magazine 2018. Serious stuff. A classic Lowa boot renowned for its comfort, the Renegade offers that blister-free, zero-break-in, can-walk-forever-anywhere feeling that makes it a roaring hit.
5. La Sportiva Nucleo High GTX Women
Comfort
Traction
Breathability
Durability
Best offers
Pros
- Very comfortable
- No break-in required
- Winner of 2017 Gear of the Year by Outside magazine
- Gore-Tex Surround membrane with Nano-cell technology for breathability and waterproofness
- Very stable
- Snug-fitting
- Vibram Impact brake system for extra high traction
Cons
- Shorter lifetime
- Decreased ankle support
There’s good reason these pair of women’s hiking boots were awarded the Gear of the Year by Outside magazine. You’ll be imagining you had pillows wrapped around your feet when you wear the La Sportiva Nucleo High GTX. Superb traction combined with soft cushiness may win your award, too.
6. Vasque Breeze III Mid GTX Women
Comfort
Traction
Breathability
Durability
Best offers
Pros
- Very comfortable
- No break-in required
- Winner of 2017 Gear of the Year by Outside magazine
- Gore-Tex Surround membrane with Nano-cell technology for breathability and waterproofness
- Very stable
- Snug-fitting
- Vibram Impact brake system for extra high traction
Cons
- Shorter lifetime
- Decreased ankle support
The Vasque Breeze may be your dream pair of women’s hiking boots because of the lightness, comfort, and stability it is legendary for but is now more breathable and with a stickier outsole.
7. Salomon Quest Prime GTX Women
Comfort
Traction
Breathability
Durability
Best offers
Pros
- Durable
- Sturdy
- Waterproof
- Superb traction
- Trusty Salomon fit
- Tons of cushioning in footbed and midsole
- Very protective for feet
- Lots of ankle support
Cons
- Heavy
- Requires some break-in time
- Stiffer than others
This pair of hardcore hiking boots offers serious sturdiness and protection for all day heavy-duty hiking on all kinds of terrain, wet or dry. Fans of classic sturdy hiking boots will appreciate the Salomon fit and the cushioning of these boots, plus, they’re cute. Very important.
Criteria for Our Women's Hiking Boots Considerations
Comfort and break-in time
Honestly, we prefer trail running shoes to go hiking now. They are more comfortable, lighter, softer, and give better response. But we know plenty of hikers who need or prefer hiking boots over trail running shoes. It’s fair, hiking boots are made for hiking. So we’ve researched the best women’s hiking boots out there primarily based on comfort.
Uncomfortable boots just wouldn’t make sense would it? The boot had to give that oh-my-god-best-shoe-ever feel, otherwise we tossed it out of the ranking. So all these boots listed here have that. We didn’t like hiking boots for women that required too much break-in time. A little was okay, it’s expected from the particularly stiffer hiking boots that are really durable and meant for heavy loads.
But we highly ranked the ones that felt good on the first day out even after many miles and elevation gain. Fit also played a huge role in assessing whether the boots ranked highly in comfort. The boots we selected all have the right internal material and design to make the fit feel like it was perfect for your feet.
Traction
Nothing feels worse than going downhill with a heavy pack and worrying about slippery surfaces. So we liked women’s hiking boots that offered superb traction, like that sticky, got-gum-under-my-shoe traction. This way we had peace of mind knowing that you won’t have to worry about ice skating on your hike. Superb traction comes from the superior rubber material used for the outsoles combined with the design of the lugs.
Breathability
Waterproof hiking boots can run into breathability issues if they’re made with material that doesn’t breathe well. Some boots are even made with ventilation ports that let air through but not water. We selected womens hiking boots that had minimal breathability issues but are still waterproof.
Durability
We know that some hikers love it when their pair of women’s hiking boots last them 10 years. Although it’s a nice plus, we considered pairs in our ranking that would last one or two hiking seasons. It’s not because the boots were made of poor quality, but it was because with use and the way the boots are designed, for example, having areas with comfortable soft mesh, it was only natural that wear and tear would appear sooner.
In fact, trail running shoes, which are the most comfortable of the three hiking footwear we go over, can last a few hundred miles, depending on how hard and where you run. So we decided that a good boot could last a couple seasons and it would still be considered a good boot for us.
And what do you think? Let us know in the comments!