How To Select Hiking Boots

Hiking boots are the foundation of hiking gear. If you get the wrong fit, weight or design, you will hurt and hate what should be a good experience. Since you can't try on boots sold over the Internet, you will have to try on boots in a sports or shoe store. Boots are built around a "last" or hard model of an imaginary perfect fit for each shoe size, but lasts are not all the same. If you find a particular company that has shoes that seem to fit you best, try different models by that company rather than picking a model from another company you like the look of but that doesn't quite fit best. After determining how much you can spend, start looking at shoes from the ground up.

Step 1

Look at the soles of the boots. More space between the hard composition rubber lug soles are better for grass and dirt hiking, while more and softer rubber with less space between lugs are better for rock climbing and hiking.

Step 2

Compare the weights of the boots you are considering. Super-lightweight one pound boots are at one end of the spectrum, while heavy five-pounders are at the other. If you are a light-duty day hiker, you can choose lighter boots, while heavier going, backpacking hikers will want a medium- to heavyweight boot. An all-purpose hiking boot will be in between at about 2 1/2 to three pounds. Just remember that every extra pound, over the 2,000 steps per mile, adds a ton of lifting to your hike.

Step 3

Count the seams and number of stitches per seam. The more seams where upper boot material, usually leather, is stitched, the more possibility of leakage. The more stitches per seam, the stronger and more watertight. Single-stitched seams are too cheaply made. At least a double stitch, preferably three stitches per seam, should be present.

Step 4

Choose rough-out upper top-grain leather as most abrasion-resistant. Smooth-out leather uppers look better when new, but age faster and show scratches and scuffs more.

Step 5

Compare whether the boots have quick-lace hooks, eyelet sneaker-type lacing or D-rings. Eyelets allow the best tightening and fit, but take the longest to lace. Quick-lace hooks as implied lace quickest with the least stability and security of lacing. D-rings are a good middle ground and a combination of D-ring lower laces with upper quick-lace hooks is a good combination to pick.

Step 6

Select which company or companies seem to have the closest "last" mold to your foot in whatever design boot. Wear uncomfortable shoes with thick socks to the shoe store to simulate what your feet will be like in hiking mode. Try on different sizes, designs and makers' boots. The fit should be such that when your foot is shoved forward in the boot you can get one finger between your heal and the back of the boot. Side-to-side width should be snug, but neither sloppy nor tight.