How to Choose Hiking Boots

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Fly over trails in the waterproof, breathable women's REI Co-op Flash hiking boots that are comfy right out of the box. REI-exclusive technologies create fast-and-light boots—with a lighter footprint.
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View the REI Co-op Flash Product LineView all REI Co-op Women's Day Hiking BootsBest Use | Hiking |
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Footwear Height | Over-the-ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Waterproof | Yes |
Type of Waterproofing | HydroWall™ waterproof/breathable membrane using 75% recycled polyester |
Upper | 99% recycled PET polyester FirmaKnit™; 30% recycled thermoplastic urethane (TPU) overlay |
Midsole | TerraLoft™ EVA using 10% algae-based BLOOM® foam |
Support | Molded nylon midfoot shank |
Outsole | TerraGrip™ rubber (20% recycled) |
Vegan | Yes |
Weight (Pair) | 1 lb. 13 oz. |
Gender | Women's |
Sustainability | Contains recycled materials From a Climate Label Certified brand |
6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | |
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U.S. Women's | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 |
UK | 4 | 4.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 |
EU | 37 | 37.5 | 38 | 38.5 | 39 | 40 | 40.5 | 41 | 42 | 42.5 | 43 |
From feedback to field testing, all of our gear is dialed-in by REI Co-op members. Their adventures informed every stitch and detail—making for better, longer-lasting gear.
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I bought these for my mom in March 2022. I can’t believe how quickly they fell apart. She wears them often but has had other hiking boots in the past last years. These started fallling apart two months ago and now we are here. Definitely not the best quality.
I bought these boots to wear for day hiking. After only 10 uses, the left boot had developed a hole on the inner flex point of the ball of the foot. They were super comfortable when I bought them, but I now get a blister from the hole every time I wear them. This is a defective product. The cost was >$10 per time I could wear the boots. REI's customer service was not helpful considering the defective quality of the item. This may be the poorest quality item I have ever purchased from REI in more than 20 years.
I expected great things from these hiking boots but unfortunately, they have fallen apart in less than a year. The waterproofing only lasted about 2 weeks before my feet were soaked with the smallest amount of rain. They were pretty comfortable but their construction makes it feel like you're walking up a hill and the backwards protruding tread didn't do anything for me. I bought them in May and used them about 3x a week until I couldn't walk in them anymore (around December). For the price, these boots aren't worth it.
Pleased with reasonably priced lightweight boot - that said, I would rate the boots 4 1/2 as some improvement in boot top overlapping tongue (not fully protective in sense of padding) and replace top grommets with hooks and use thicker laces. I use thickest merino wool socks and wear largest sized boots available. I’m trying to maintain foot health and joint health after 6 decades of pushing my body in outdoors activities. Much of time, I confess, I’m on home treadmill and change shoes frequently to prevent overuse of aging damaged “infrastructure” (better than saying “arthritis”). Miss Rockies but moving more, much more than my peers. REI is my toy store.
First, I have loved these for all the hikes I have done this season. I’ve put around 100 miles on them so far between day hikes & 1 backpacking trip. I looked at the bottoms when I was taking them off last weekend and the tread is almost gone in some spots. I am so bummed! I’m hiking in them one last time today then I’ll be in for something different. They have been great though! Zero blisters, my feet have felt perfect, good ankle support. If it wasn’t for this, I’d buy another pair!
The fabric around the tongue rubbed against the soft part in front of my ankles and gave me blisters, so I used my hands to rub the tongue until it softened. After that, I used very thick socks to take them on walks, and I would say after four days of constant wear they were ready to be taken out for trail use. Took them with me on vacation to Hawaii to combat the mud. They handled the terrain perfectly, gripped well, and were plenty comfortable, although a bit hot from being in direct sun for hours, but that would happen with any shoes in high 80° F. Overall, I really like the shoes, and they're pretty stylish as far as hiking boots go.
Went to the store to find the right fit. Tried REI waterproof hiking boots and they were one of the many that felt good. I usually wear 7-7.5, bought 7.5 to make sure they will fit with thick socks. In the beginning I felt like arch area is too high( the pad was cutting into my foot). I still decided to give this boots a try because they felt better than other boots. They are well made, waterproof, with the thick sole: ideal for difficult hikes on rocks, tree roots. I wore them 3 times and I have no regrets buying them. Also my feet are wide and kind of flat. This boots have perfect toe box: not squeezed/flattened on the top like other brand I tried. I highly recommend this boots!
Initial impressions: Really comfortable when I first put them on, more cushion than I was expecting, and not as rigid or heavy as most boots. On the trail (~100 miles logged) I've used them on day hikes (3 to 12 miles) on fire road trails in the Santa Monica mountains, day hikes in a couple inches of snow in the Eastern Sierra (with and without microspikes), and on a short backpacking trip (30 miles, 40 lb pack ) in the Eastern Sierra. They have great tread and were pretty sticky when hiking down smooth rock. Even with wet soles I never felt like I was going to slip. They were really comfortable going uphill and have a good amount of ankle support. I usually have trouble with getting blisters on my heels and no issues with these boots. On fireroad trails, they were great for up to ~6 miles and then the sole of my forefoot started to get sore. While on more typical trails, no issues. Even when hiking with a large pack I didn't have any issues with forefoot soreness. Also, when hiking on rocky terrain I didn't feel any sharpness of the rocks through the sole. The toe box was not as spacious as an Altra, but still felt a little more roomy than a typical hiking boot. In the snow I didn't have any issues with wetting; my feet stayed nice and dry. In terms of breathability, they felt good up to around 70F, but beyond that they started to get a little warm. Currently, the boots still look brand new; no wear on the soles or uppers. On the road: There are definitely boots. I would not want to walk very far in these on the road/sidewalk.
I purchased these boots hoping to not have to replace any time soon, but the tread is almost completely worn off after about 17 months. I hike regularly, but not excessively. Incredibly disappointed at having to replace these already. I've had far less expensive boots that have lasted significantly longer.
Comfortable out of the box! Wore these throughout our hiking trip to the Dolomites in Italy. They are extremely comfortable, light weight, stable, good ankle support. The price was great - got them on sale. Nice color! I usually hike in more heavy duty leather boots (hiking in NH Whites), so will see how long they last, but so far so good.