The Best Hiking Boots for Women
Whether you're a seasoned hiker or totally new to the trails, any hiker knows that the type of women’s hiking boots that you lace up before a hike is vital to loving the journey it takes in order to see the end result, which is often a stunning overlook that's totally worth the trek.
With hundreds of different brands of boots for women to browse through with each promising a new level of comfort, it can be difficult to shop for the most comfortable hiking boots for women when you need to upgrade your hiking gear for a forthcoming trip.
And while you could choose hiking shoes instead, the best hiking boots for women offer extra support around the ankle, a more robust construction, and frequently have more stable soles. This makes them the ideal choice for long hikes or multi-day trips.
What You Need to Know About Hiking Boots
Picking out the best hiking boots for women is a matchmaking process. Your fantasy hiking boots need to sync with how – as well as where - you hike. Before you go down on one knee, propose and tie the knot, though, you also need to be sure they’re a perfect fit.
Uppers
Full-grain leather offers superb durability and abrasion resistance in addition to very good water resistance. It’s most commonly used in backpacking hiking boots for women that are built for protracted trips, heavy loads, and rough terrain. Full-grain leather is not as light or – alternatively – as breathable as nylon/split-grain leather combinations. Sufficient break-in time is required before beginning an extended trip.
Split-grain leather is frequently paired with nylon or nylon mesh in order to create a lightweight hiking boot for women that offers superior breathability. Split-grain leather "splits away" the tougher inner part of the cowhide from the smooth exterior of the hiking boot. The advantage is lower cost, however, the downside is less resistance to water and abrasion (although many of these hiking boots include waterproof liners).
Nubuck leather is full-grain leather that makes up a lot of hiking boots uppers. It has been buffed so that it resembles suede. It is extremely durable and resists water and abrasion. This makes it a great material for waterproof hiking boots for women. It’s also pretty flexible, yet it too requires plenty of time to break in before a long hike.
Midsoles
The midsole provides cushioning, buffers your feet from shock and essentially defines a hiking boot’s stiffness. Stiff hiking boots for women might not sound like a good thing however for long hikes on rocky, bumpy terrain they can mean greater comfort as well as stability. A stiff boot for women won’t allow your foot to wear out by wrapping around every single rock or tree root which you step on. The most commonly used midsole materials are EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) as well as polyurethane.
Outsoles
Rubber is used on all outsoles of all hiking boots for women. Additives – for example, carbon - are occasionally added to backpacking or mountaineering hiking boots for women in order to boost hardness. Hard outsoles improve durability but can also feel slick if you go off-trail.
Lug Pattern
Lugs are traction-giving bumps on the outsole of waterproof hiking boots for women. Deeper and thicker lugs are utilized on backpacking and mountaineering boots in order to improve grip. Widely spaced lugs provide good traction and also shed mud more easily.
Heel Brake
The heel brake is the clearly defined heel zone that is distinct from the forefoot and arch. It reduces your chance of sliding when you are making steep descents.
Additional elements
Vegan-friendly hiking boots for women and shoes are made without any animal ingredients or byproducts.
Things to consider when you’re about to purchase women’s hiking boots
The single most important piece of gear which you need for hiking is well-fitting hiking boots. The most essential feature of any pair of hiking boots for women is that they comfortably fit your feet.
Your foot shape, ankle stability – as well as past injuries - all play into how much cushioning you need in your midsole, if you can use a low-cut hiker or should lace-up ankle support, and which brands of hiking boots for women you'll enjoy most as everyone's fit focuses on the various types of widths and shapes of feet.
Cut of the boot
A low-cut hiking boot for women will provide the best range of motion while hiking but will leave your ankle bone exposed to the elements. Popular low-cut options for hiking are trail runners which are made from a blend of synthetic, lightweight materials and allow for flexion as well as ease of movement.
Water resistance
Hiking boots for women - and shoes – that are billed as “waterproof” feature uppers which are constructed with waterproof/breathable membranes (such as Gore-Tex® or eVent®) in order to keep feet dry in wet conditions. The downside is that the reduced breathability, which is created by a membrane (compared to the ventilating mesh used on some non-waterproof shoes), may encourage your feet to sweat on summer days.
Boot weight
Polyester, nylon – as well as so-called "synthetic leather" - are all frequently found in modern hiking boots. They are lighter as opposed to leather, break-in more rapidly, dry faster, and also usually cost less. Downside: They may show wear sooner owing to the fact that there is more stitching on the outside of the boot.
Fit
The best hiking boots for women should fit snug everywhere, tight nowhere, and also offer room in order to wiggle your toes. Try them on at the close of the day (after your feet swell) as well as with the socks you plan to wear.
Breathability
The term ‘breathability’ refers to the hiking boot’s ability to let water vapor from your sweat escape while – at the same time - preventing water from external elements from getting inside. If your feet feel clammy after a hike, then your boots probably aren’t very breathable.
Best hiking boots to buy online
Don't underestimate your shoes — they're one of the most vital pieces of hiking gear. This means that having the correct pair is essential for your safety and comfort throughout a hike. Here are some of the best hiking boots for women to buy online.
Monty
The unisex Monty is a tribute to the classic light hikers of the ’80s. This was always one of our most favorite styles so we were saddened to see this silhouette dying out. A number of years ago, we chose to resurrect this classic style. It has been one of our most popular styles to date.
Monty Hi
Our Monty Hi range has many great features including high-quality oiled suede coupled with DWR coating, ballistic ripstop nylon panels as well as antique brass eyelets and speed hooks.
Monty Hi FG
This special edition, superior, fully waterproof Monty Hi is one of the brand new additions to our range! It comes in full-grain leather panels on 100% gum rubber Ridgemont lugged sole.
Monty Lo
Among other features, the Monty Lo features bespoke Ridgemont 100% rubber lugged soles for superior traction and grip with impact-absorbing eva midsole and Ridgemont heel clip for extra stability.
Outback
The Outback range goes well from the hiking trails to your coffee date.
Outback II
The Outback II is one of our most flexible styles. It's been in the line from day one and, in addition, has been tried and tested successfully on numerous trails and hikes on all continents around the globe.
Heritage
The Heritage is a fantastic-looking, lightweight waterproof hiking boot which is comfortable to wear from city sidewalks to mountain trails, as well as everywhere in between.
If one of the hiking boots for women, that we’ve described above, sounds appealing – and you’ll like to have a closer look, why not check out our catalog here.