How to Choose Hiking Boots

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With a remarkable weight-to-cushion ratio, the men's HOKA Kaha 2 GTX hiking boots are cushioned, durable and adventurous for peak performance with peak plushness.
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View the HOKA Kaha Product LineView all HOKA Men's Day Hiking BootsBest Use | Hiking |
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Footwear Height | Over-the-ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Waterproof | Yes |
Type of Waterproofing | GORE-TEX waterproof booties/waterproof leather |
Upper | Nubuck leather |
Midsole | 2-density CMEVA (rubberized EVA) |
Outsole | Vibram Megagrip rubber |
Weight (Pair) | 2 lbs. 5.6 oz. |
Gender | Men's |
Sustainability | Contains recycled materials Contains leather from a tannery rated by the Leather Working Group (LWG) |
5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 13.5 | 14 | 14 Wide | 15 | 15 Wide | |
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U.S. Men's | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.6 | 13 | 13.5 | 14 | 14 Wide | 15 | 15 Wide |
UK | 4.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 |
EU | 37.3 | 38 | 38.6 | 39.3 | 40 | 40.6 | 41.3 | 42 | 42.6 | 43.3 | 44 | 44.6 | 45.3 | 46 | 46.6 | 47.3 | 48 | 48.6 | 49.3 | 49.3 | 50.6 | 50.6 |
Foot Length (in.) | 9.06 | 9.2 | 9.4 | 9.56 | 9.7 | 9.875 | 10.1 | 10.2 | 10.4 | 10.5 | 10.7 | 10.9 | 11.1 | 11.2 | 11.375 | 11.6 | 11.7 | 11.9 | 12 | 12 | 12.4 | 12.4 |
Measurements are stated in inches.
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This boot is great for light trails and even light jogging. Ideal for wet or muddy trails. Seems too soft for jagged terrain. These are great for work as far as delivery jobs go!
INTRO: Hoka? Me? I never would've thought I would get such hiking boots. I'm glad I did! Look, I generally purchase inexpensive footwear. I don't like spending a lot of money on shoes. However, I do know quality. This time I told myself to do something different. I went big! I took these out for first time in May/June 2024. I hiked in a place located in Fontana, CA. The mountain started off easy. Elevation grew quickly! The terrain went from hard dirt to a rugged, steep, zig-zag incline. Some parts were narrow with overgrown brush, while other parts were so rocky and tough. The Hoka Kaha 2s were performing so amazingly. No break in period. I just put them on and headed out. I did NOT "baby" the shoes. I hiked as if I was using any of my other hiking boots. Keep in mind, I'm just an occasional hiker. THE ASCENT: Going up, I had to position my feet in so many ways to get through the terrain. The boots supported me the whole way. The softness. The firmness. The perfection. That's my description. The shoes have some great grip. They left nice and deep footprints. My feet didn't feel as if they were sliding around inside. I didn't experience any hot spots whatsoever. I tied them once and didn't have to make any adjustments. When I got to the flat peak of the mountain, My feet relaxed, but nothing bothered me. My heels were fine. The top of my feet were fine. My toes were fine. My ankles didn't feel any issues. Bliss was experienced at the top. THE DESCENT: so, I got the shoes just a half size larger than I normally wear. Boy, was that a good idea. Most of my shoes are 10 1/2. I decided to get 11s. That bit of extra room definitely helped as I went down the treacherous trail. Loose gravel and slippery sandy parts of the trail really challenged me. My feet weren't shifting around inside. The front of the foot area was wide, as I usually have issues with narrow boots. As the ascent, I didn't experience any hot spots during the descent. Some parts were so steep that I had no other choice than to "run" down hill. The shoes surprised me a lot! WATERPROOF: There wasn't much water on this trail. I did come across some wet/muddy spots. There wasn't enough for a valid approval in that part of the performance, but I'm pretty confident there won't be issues when they are put to the test. CONCLUSION: The pictures I posted are not of the peak of the mountain. We went to the very top. The whole time my feet felt great. When I got back to the parking lot, my feet felt just fine. I used to flat boots. The deaign in drop with these shoes didn't bother me at all. I had ZERO ISSUES with the CRAZY LOOKING exterior design of the shoes. In fact, I believe what Hoka claims about them to be true. If you have a wide foot, I recommend these. If you have a nareow foot, I recommend these as well. I HIGHLY recommend you go to a store a try them out. Through this hike, I used a tree branch as a hiking staff/stick. I wore an 18L Teton Sports backpack filled with multiple water bottles and many snacks. I also carried a knife, first aid kit for 2, gloves, sweater, slippers, etc. My pack wasn't heavy. I don't know how the shoes would perform if backcountry backpacking...yet! That being said, I didn't go small and go home. I WENT BIG AND WENT OUTSIDE! -Rudy
The Hoka Kahas powered me through all 100 miles of the Wonderland trail! I had serious doubts about using a high stack, softish boot, with minimal tread, but I decided to take a chance because I needed some relief for my old bones from carrying a heavy backpack up/down mountains. They actually proved to be VERY stable, not squishy at all, while eating up jagged rocks. The wide base was awesome. The flared heel allowed me bounce down hills. My feet loved them at the end of each day. The tread held up well, even on stretches of sharp volcanic rock, but granted most of the wonderland is a dirt path. I would say these are 300-500 miles boots depending on your weight and terrain. I am 6foot, 205 lbs and carry a 30lbs pack. The leather was protective and solid.
Vibram tread delaminated after three days of hiking. Purchased these shoes at REI in Bozeman MT for hiking trip to Scotland. After three days of hiking in Scotland, the Vibram tread started to delaminate and come off. Looks like Hoka used a defective epoxy in the manufacturing process.
After a couple of ‘break in’ walks to verify the size was right took these on a couple of actual hikes into the mountains. Rocky, New Hampshire….after 2 hikes, 12 miles, toe cap is off and holes all over the platform. These are not going to last another week. I was quite loyal to another brand and this was a miss. Comfortable, yes…a rough, ready reliable shoe, no. I’ll be heading back to REI with these.
These things were by my favorite of everything I tried on over the course of an hour at the store. Fit my foot great, felt like a natural stride. I even liked them my first two times out for shorter 3-4 mile hikes. As soon as I tried a longer hike I regret my purchase. The tongues would bunch up no matter how I tied or re-tied them. Tons of rocks and skree got in and I had to stop frequently to dump them out, tie and re-tie. Absolutely no faith in their durability either, there are multiple holes forming already in the rubber parts of the sole. I have fewer than 20 miles on these things. Glad for REI’s return policy as these were a $250 swing and a miss.
I hiked in these boots several times on a recent trip to Costa Rica. They were extremely comfortable and easily handled the various conditions in which they were used. They kept dry in the rain, provided terrific traction when descending and helped maintain footing on loose rocks. No break-in was necessary; the soft nubuck leather conformed to my feet like gloves. I had my last pair of hiking boots for over 10 years, but based my experience with these so far, Hoka would be the first brand I would try when I'm ready for my next ones.
Tread came off with less than 100 miles. I would not buy these. It's past 1 year so REI would not take a return.
Great pair of hiking boots, but they miss the mark on the basics. It's normal for our feet to swell, especially on thru-hikes. For me, they never broke in. The material never stretched enough to take on my normal feet swelling. These Do not come in wide, which usually isn't an issue if the footbed is naturally wide. In this case these are a little wider; however, they aren't wide enough to accommodate long treks. I have personally spoke with Hoka and they told me they don't sell enough wides to accommodate for a few who need the wide boots. My feet start to swell after 15 miles. Everyone is different. By day two I can hardly tolerate these boots. For short hikes I'd say these are great. They look great too.
I am on my feet all day, (10 hours), at work and ONLY wear Hoka's. So, when I saw they made these boots I bought them. So far. nice boots. I spent a day wearing them around the house. Nice fit and comfortable. Then I took them into the Rocky Mountains. I live to hike, backpack and camp in the mountains. It was snowy and wet. The boots did the job keeping my feet warm, dry and comfortable. They are waterproof! Lots of water and snow, no issues. PLEASE keep in mind there is a huge difference between waterproofing. BOOTIES vs Membrane. If you truly want waterproof pay the extra money and buy the boots with waterproofing booties!!