Everything You Need to Know about Hiking Footwear (But Were Too Afraid to Ask)

You are standing in front of a wall of shoes, with dozens of varieties before you, each short description below the shoe in question touting the various benefits of the cut, grip pattern and breathability of the shoe. And the options are many. Almost too many.

High-cut boots, low-cut boots, trail runners, trail runners with Gore-Tex, cross trainers, approach shoes, hiking sandals (wait, you can hike in sandals?!), gah! At some point or another, you've probably been there, and it's enough to leave anyone scratching their head – or worse – leaving the store empty handed and more confused than when you walked in.

After an experience like the one above, some people have only gone backpacking in their tried and true boots from the Boy Scouting era not knowing that times have changed. I am very pleased to say that you no longer need six years to properly break in a boot.

So I'm here to help try and break down the options for you.

TRADITIONAL HIKING BOOTS

First off, let's look at the cut. There are high-cut boots and low-cut boots.

HIGH-CUT BOOTS

These are the traditional style of boots, and resemble what most people think of when it comes to hiking and backpacking footwear. They are the tried and true. There are many wonderful things about this style of boot but they're not perfect.

What They're Great For:

High-cut boots are awesome for variable conditions on the trail. If you are in for a day full of mud, rain, snow, and dew, then high-cut boots are they way to go. They'll help keep your feet dry when the trail is nasty. In cold conditions, they help keep your feet warm and comfortable.

They are designed to provide a high degree of ankle support. If you are worried about twisted ankles, a beefy, high-cut boot is recommended.

As a rough guideline, I recommend a high-cut boot for anyone who plans on carrying more than 40 pounds of pack weight. The additional pack weight makes hikers more vulnerable to twisted ankles and having the extra support can be key for preventing injuries.

What They're Not-So-Great For:

High-cut boots do have drawbacks. They tend to keep feet warmer, sometimes too warm. If you are hiking in warm environments, this can lead to overly sweaty feet. Extra moisture in your boots is bad, and tends to lead to blisters. And if you are wearing the boots for many consecutive days, that moisture can lead to fungal problems. No bueno.

Also, if the boots do end up getting wet, especially inside, they can take forever to dry. If a trail has a lot of deep water (above the ankle) or a river crossing, then you will have to take your boots off every time, which can be extremely annoying and time consuming.

LOW-CUT BOOTS

Low-cut boots are lighter, more nimble versions of the high-cut boot. Many boot manufacturers have identical designs across their high-cut and low-cut boots, and offer the variety to give people more choosing power for what works for them.

Low-cut boots still have the sturdy soles, and often have Gore-Tex or waterproof options, but are more nimble. They tend to allow for more air flow and can feel more comfortable than their high-cut brothers. But they also allow more moisture to enter from the outside. Stepping in a mud puddle can be fine in the high-cut boots, but can ruin the next few hours in a low-cut boot.

Low-cut boots tend to be a little more comfortable when you're doing increased mileage and reduce the friction points around your ankle, usually leaving hikers feeling more liberated. Low-cut boots are great for drier trails and/or if you are going for high-mileage days.

TRAIL RUNNING SHOES

Trail runners, like these from Altra or Terrex, have become very popular for hikers too. I myself have fallen in love with this lightweight option.

Trail runners have become the go-to footwear of choice for thru-hikers, who are constantly looking to cut weight and be more efficient. Trail runners, because they are designed for running, are extremely lightweight. They often have only a thin layer of fabric connected to a soft, cushiony sole.

There are many benefits to hiking in trail runners: they are extremely comfortable, the likelihood of blisters are much lower than their bulkier counterparts, they dry out fast when wet, and they're often cheaper.

Like anything, there are trade-offs. Trail runners tend to leave your feet more vulnerable. While they dry fast, the thin fabric allows moisture to get inside very easily. There's almost no ankle support. So if you are carrying a heavy load, your ankles are more vulnerable to an injury. They are also much less durable. I've had pairs of trail runners fall apart after a single week of backpacking. They just aren't designed for the intense beating a backpacking trip can bring, especially on sharp (think volcanic) rocks.

If you are in extremely wet environments, where water is unavoidable, trail runners are fantastic options. The water drains out of them very quickly and there's minimal material to hold water, which keeps them from getting too heavy. And at the end of the day, trail runners tend to dry out before putting on more miles the following day.

I used these for my backpacking trip through Buckskin Gulch, where every few hundred meters I was wading through deep mud and water, or hiking in a canyon where the river was the trail. And they were perfect. In fact, anything but trail runners in a place like this would be, in my humble opinion, very dumb.

APPROACH SHOES

Often worn by climbers and guides, approach shoes are a bit of a specialty type of footwear. But they're not just for outdoor professionals, they can make for a great pair of comfortable, nimble hiking shoes for anybody.

Approach shoes are literally a cross between a hiking shoe and a climbing shoe. They are called approach shoes because they are often what climbers wear when approaching a climbing objective. They can be used to climb and scramble up boulders, and if you're Alex Honnold, even casually wear them on climbing grades that I can't dream of climbing.

Approach shoes have a climbing-grade rubber sole, which makes them very tacky and grippy. Like climbing shoes, they also have edges made for delicate foot placements on small ledges of rock. But they don't have the climbing shoe fit that feels like you dipped your foot in molten rubber. They are much more casual than a climbing shoe and are plenty durable to hike long miles in.

Approach shoes don't typically have Gore-Tex/waterproofing, so they're not great for wet hikes. Nor do they have the ankle support of a high-cut boot, so they're not great if you're backpacking with heavy loads.

But for day hiking and low-weight backpacking, especially if scrambling rocks is your jam, then approach shoes are my absolute favorite. I wear them almost every day. I'm wearing them right now.

HIKING SANDALS

Chacos became popularized in the boating and rafting community. A single strap of webbing, or fabric, attached to a burly sole, makes for a great hiking sandal.

The niche community paved the way for Chacos to become popular for all sorts of outdoorsy people, myself included.

Because there's minimal fabric, getting wet doesn't matter, which is why they're great for boats. But you can also really actually hike in them, which makes them the best piece of footwear if you ever raft the Grand Canyon and want to do all the side hikes.

As a plus, the "Chaco tan" is a beautiful thing.

However, the unique webbing or strap design makes feet vulnerable to blisters. Your toes are exposed, so if you kick a cactus or have a rock roll onto your foot, you're gonna have a bad day.

I love wearing Chacos, especially in the desert. I hate wearing boots when it's blazing hot, and a pair of Chacos makes me feel like I'm at the beach. I'm cool and relaxed.

These are also great for casual river hiking. But because your toes are exposed, they are not great if it is bouldery or if your feet are constantly slipping into mossy, slippery, off-angle-knee-deep-underwater river rocks, if you know-what-I-mean?

I also have a personal rule not to do hikes longer than six miles in Chacos. Any longer than six miles and my feet are going to be a very specific and strange version of blister-filled hell.

CROSS TRAINERS

Like almost anything for hiking and backpacking, there is virtue in minimalism. And the best piece of gear just might be the thing you already have. Most people have a pair of cross trainers-like general shoe from Foot Locker. There is absolutely nothing wrong with saving some money and wearing the shoes you've already got.

While they don't specialize in anything, cross trainers are great for casual hikers. Sometimes there's this stupid pressure in the outdoor world to have the latest, most technical piece of gear for hyper-specific uses. And if you have a lot of disposable income, by all means - go right ahead. But if you're like most of us, and budget is a big concern, then please don't overly concern yourself with spending $200 on a pair of boots you might only use for a few weekends.

That pair of New Balance shoes you wear to the gym will do just fine. The main thing is getting out on the trail.

What's your hiking style? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!