hiking shoes reviews

Oboz Sawtooth X Mid Waterproof boots.

Review: Oboz Sawtooth X Mid Waterproof Boots

Hiking and Backpacking Boots
Oboz Sawtooth X Mid Waterproof
$175, 2 lbs. 7 oz. (US men’s size 9)
Sizes: men’s 7-15, women’s 5-12
moosejaw.com

Between the days of backpacking 11 to 12 miles with up to about 7,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain and loss, the seven miles of steep and loose off-trail hiking, the need to carry eight pounds or more of water weight at times, and of course, the heat, one might speculate that our six-day backpacking trip to Utah Flats and Clear Creek in the Grand Canyon was no more than an elaborate ruse to put hiking boots to a severe test. (Some of my companions went so far as to suggest a plot to inflict physical suffering on them. Yea, whatever.) But after all was said and done, the Oboz Sawtooth X Mid Waterproof shined through all the canyon (and I) hurled at them. Here’s why.

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Hoka One One TenNine Hike Gore-Tex boots.

Review: Hoka One One TenNine Hike Gore-Tex Boots

Hiking and Backpacking Boots
Hoka One One TenNine Hike Gore-Tex
$275, 2 lbs. 2 oz. (US men’s 9)
Sizes: US men’s 7-14, women’s 5-11, standard and wide sizes
backcountry.com

Lacing up the Hoka One One TenNine Hike Gore-Tex boots for the first time felt a little like suiting up for a moon walk—if moon boots feel exceptionally cushy, light, supportive, and surprisingly stable, given their oversized platform. Although I’ll probably never walk on the moon, after wearing these boots on a four-day, 45-mile backpacking trip in Yosemite, I’ll definitely hike many more miles of trails in them.

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Danner Trail 2650 Mesh hiking shoes.

Review: Danner Trail 2650 Hiking Shoes

Hiking Shoes
Danner Trail 2650 Mesh
$190, 1 lb. 7.5 oz. (US men’s 9)
Sizes: men’s S-XL, women’s XS-XL
backcountry.com

Want one pair of hiking shoes that do it all? Join the club. And maybe also check out Danner’s Trail 2650. Having knocked off some trail miles in the mesh version of these very light hikers, from brutal desert heat (which can do terrible things to feet) to a trail strewn with wet, slippery, large rocks (which can demand terrible things of shoes), I’m convinced that many dayhikers and lightweight backpackers would find quite a lot to admire about these shoes.

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Hoka One One Speedgoat 4 trail-running shoes.

Review: Hoka One One Speedgoat 4 and Speedgoat Mid 2 GTX

Trail Running/Hiking Shoes Hoka One One Speedgoat 4 $145, 1 lb. 4 oz. (US men’s 9) Sizes: US men’s 7-15, women’s 5-11 backcountry.com Hoka One One Speedgoat Mid 2 GTX $170, 1 lb. 10 oz. (US men’s 9) Sizes: US men’s 7-15, women’s 5-11 backcountry.com Comfort can prove an elusive quarry with footwear, especially for dayhikers and trail runners who …

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Scarpa Mescalito hiking shoes.

Review: Scarpa Mescalito Hiking Shoes

Hiking/Approach Shoes Scarpa Mescalito $169, 1 lb. 13 oz. (men’s US 9/Euro 42) Sizes: men’s US 7-14/Euro 40-48, women’s US 5-10/Euro 36-42 rei.com Sometimes a piece of gear seems better every time you use it. That’s what happened to me with these low-cut hiking shoes. From dayhikes on the slickrock and sandy trails of Zion to the packed dirt and …

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