Top-Reviewed Footwear for Hiking, Backpacking, and More

Proper, comfortable footwear can make the difference between outdoor adventure and outdoor agony. Save yourself the blisters. Find our top hiking, backpacking, and climbing shoes and boots, plus trail runners, sandals, and water shoes below.

Browse thousands of independent footwear reviews and ratings by real hikers, backpackers, mountaineers, climbers, paddlers, and trail runners to select appropriate, dependable, field-tested shoes for your next trip. And don’t forget the wicking socks, gaiters, insoles, and booties. Your dogs will thank and reward you.

Mountaineering Boots

Backpacking Boots

Hiking Boots

Trail Shoes

Approach Shoes

Trail Running Shoes

Barefoot / Minimal Shoes

Climbing Shoes

Sandals

Water Shoes

Winter Boots

Booties

Ski Boots

Socks

Insoles

Winter Traction

Gaiters and Overboots

Reviews and product information will point you to quality outdoor footwear, but ultimately the most important aspect is a good fit. Here are some tips to help you properly fit hiking and backpacking boots:

• Try on boots at the end of the day, when your feet are their largest.

• Wear the socks and any insoles or inserts you would normally use with the boots.

• One of your feet is probably larger than the other. Size boots to the larger foot. Better to have one shoe a little loose than the other too tight.

• Walk around in the boots for at least 15 minutes.

• Toes should have a little room to wiggle, and shouldn't jam into the toe box.

• Heels should feel firmly in place with no heel slippage.

• Walk up and down an incline to check for heel slippage on the uphill and any toe jamming on the downhill.

• Try different styles and widths. You may be a different size in different brands.

• Women typically should consider footwear that's built on a women's last, instead of models sized down from a men's last (but everyone is different, buy the shoes that fit you).

• Boots should feel like they fit initially. Don't rely on breaking them in to make them fit. If they don't fit now, they won't stretch to fit later.

• While you want to pick a boot that fits from the start, you can tweak boots with custom orthotics and insoles (to fill up extra space), professional stretching of the boot (to add space), and different lacing techniques (to reduce foot movement).

• No matter how well they fit, don't forget to break in your boots around the house or on some easy day hikes before you embark on that weeklong backpacking trip.

Need more help? Read our Guide to Outdoor Footwear and The Wet Foot Test: Find Your Foot Type.

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