The debate between hiking shoes vs. boots is nothing new. It’s one of those enduring arguments that seems to have been going on forever. You know, like whether skis are better than snowboards and all that (spoiler: They are).
In this complete guide to hiking shoes vs. boots, we’ll run through all the ins and outs of each type of hiking footwear, detailing the pros of those extra uppers, the cons of going light and nimble, and everything in between.
We’ll take a look at what it is we ask of our hiking footwear and compare what gear is better suited to what terrain, finishing off with my two cents on whether it’s hiking boots, hiking shoes, or trail runners that make the cut. Ready? Let’s go…
Before we dive into the debate, let’s take a moment to lay out exactly what it is you’re looking for from hiking footwear in the first place.
Most people agree that there are four main pillars to good hiking footwea