Hiking Boots

Boots for carrying a load over rough ground

Hiking boots differ from trainers in three ways that matter on a hill: a stiffer sole that resists twisting on stone, a cuff that supports the ankle, and a tread cut to bite into soft ground. The range covers leather and suede uppers, mid-height cuffs and models cut on a women's last as well as a men's. Fit decides comfort far more than the material printed on the box.

How should a walking boot fit?

With a thumb's width of room in front of the toes when standing, and no lift at the heel when walking uphill. Feet swell over a day on the trail, so a boot tried in the morning and judged snug will be tight by mid-afternoon. Trying boots late in the day, wearing the sock that will actually be used, and walking a slope rather than a flat shop floor gives an honest answer. Anyone comparing shapes will find the same lasts across the wider walking boots range.

Leather or suede?

• Full grain leather: heavier, slower to break in, and the choice that lasts longest under rock and heather once it has moulded to the foot.
• Suede and fabric: lighter and comfortable from the first walk, quicker to soak in prolonged rain, faster to dry afterwards.
• Cuff height: a mid cuff steadies the ankle under a pack, a lower cut gives freer movement on dry paths.
• Sole stiffness: flex the boot by hand, since a sole that bends easily tires the foot on scree and a rigid one feels clumsy on a towpath.

The full picture, including lighter shoes for dry days, is gathered in walking & hiking boots.

Are hiking boots warm enough for winter?

Three-season boots are built to breathe, and breathing means letting heat out. Standing still in frost, on a summit or beside a camera, is where insulated construction earns its place, and that is a different category of footwear. Thicker socks are not the answer, because compressing a sock inside a boot removes the air that does the insulating and cuts circulation at the same time. Cold-weather construction sits in the winter boots range for anyone walking through a British January.

How are new boots broken in?

Gradually and on flat ground. Wearing them around the house for a few evenings, then on short local walks, lets leather take the shape of the foot before a full day with a pack. Hot spots that appear during those walks show exactly where a blister will form later, and a strip of tape applied before the pain starts prevents it. Lacing tightly over the instep and loosely over the toes stops the heel lifting without crushing the forefoot.

What care keeps them going?

Mud brushed off while damp, laces removed, and a slow dry away from radiators, since direct heat cracks leather and unglues soles. Newspaper inside draws moisture out faster than a heater ever will. Leather takes a wax or cream once dry to stay supple, fabric and suede take a spray reproofer to restore water repellency. Insoles lifted out after every wet day dry the inside of the boot rather than trapping damp under the foot.