How to Choose Hiking Footwear

Select the appropriate boots or shoes based on your planned activity. Mountaineering boots must be much heavier and more substantial than day-hiking boots. Learn about the materials used in hiking footwear. Do you need heavy, waterproof materials or lighter-weight, breathable ones? Consider how boot construction will affect your activity. Get your feet measured properly and then try on the boots with the appropriate socks. Take a test walk on a flat surface and then an incline and check for any slippage or discomfort.

• Lightweight hiking—These boots (and trail shoes) are designed for day hiking and very short overnight trips only. They stress comfort, cushioning and breathability. As a result, they are less supportive and durable than the options below.
  
  
• Midweight hiking/backpacking—These boots are designed for on- and off-trail hiking with light to moderate backpacking loads. They are more durable and supportive than lightweight hiking boots, but they are still intended primarily for short to moderate trips over easy to moderate terrain.
  
  
• Extended backpacking/mountaineering—These boots are designed for on- and off-trail hiking with moderate to heavy backpacking loads. They are designed with multi-day trips in mind. Durable and supportive, they provide a high degree of ankle and foot protection. Some of these models are designed specifically for rough terrain with heavy backpacking loads. They offer the very best in durability, support and protection. Some are stiff enough to accept crampons for snow/ice travel.

• Nylon mesh and split-grain leather—Nylon and split-grain leather boots are lightweight and breathable, which makes them perfect for warm to moderate weather use and short to moderate backpacking trips. They tend to be softer on your feet, they take less time to break in, and they are almost always lighter than full-grain leather boots. They also cost less. Unfortunately, nylon/split-grain boots tend to be less water resistant than full-grain leather boots (although styles that feature waterproof liners can be just as watertight, if not more so).
• Full-grain leather—Full-grain leather is extremely water resistant, durable and supportive (more so than split-grain leather or nylon). It's used primarily in backpacking boots designed for extended trips, heavy loads and hard terrain. Not as lightweight or breathable as nylon/split grain combinations, but it typically lasts far longer. Full-grain leather usually requires a break-in period.
• Waterproof barriers—Lightweight, waterproof barriers (like Gore-Tex®) are built into many hiking boots to enhance their water resistance. These barriers are available in a variety of boot styles, from lightweight hikers to extended backpacking models. Waterproof performance depends upon the type of barrier used, the materials protecting it and how well the boots are taken care of. If cared for correctly, these waterproof barriers often last longer than the boots themselves.

• Waterproof leather—This is leather that's been treated to be waterproof. It's great stuff to have, but remember —leaks may still occur, if the boot pieces are not put together well.
• Waterproof (or watertight) construction—This refers to construction techniques designed to keep leaks out (like seam-sealing, special stitches and precise designs). Water-tight construction is typically combined with waterproofed materials.
• Waterproof liners—These are the special waterproof barriers described above that are built right into the boot to protect you from whatever leaks make it through the boot materials. These liners typically do a great job of keeping you dry. But remember, Gore-Tex and others waterproof liners don't last forever.

• Stitching—Durable, reliable, can be undone to replace the sole once it has worn down. Different techniques (Littleway, Norwegian) result in different strengths and stiffnesses.
• Cementing—Faster and less expensive than stitching, resulting in lower boot prices. It hasn't always been reliable, but most modern methods produce durable, lost-lasting bonds (depending upon the process and specific glue used). Most cemented boots can now be resoled just like traditional stitch-down models.