How To Choose Hiking Boots

Hiking boots

Mid and high-cut hiking boots are your best bet when you’re heading into technical terrain with heavier loads. These are your multi-day backcountry workhorses. They’re built with generous support around your ankle and above your heel to alleviate the stress that comes with carrying everything you need to survive in the wild. Some come with deep, thick lugs that provide more grip, while others are spaced to shed mud more easily. However, these features — plus a stiffer sole — inevitably increase weight and break-in time.

You also have the option of synthetic or full-grain leather outers, and waterproof linings. Waterproofness is a must in New Zealand’s temperate conditions and in some parts of Australia. But whether you opt for one outer over the other will depend on a combination of what you want to spend and how much you’re going to care for your gear. As a rule of thumb, synthetic outers break in easier. But when it’s cared for properly, full grain leather can last much longer.

For more serious adventures across alpine terrain, you may want to consider even stiffer mountaineering boots with crampon-compatible soles.

Trail runners

Compared to traditional running shoes, trail runners offer a little more heel support and deeper lugs (bumps that provide traction) to ensure you can move quickly over uneven terrain without slipping. Being the lightest of your options, they’re generally the most flexible too. That’s great if you’re not carrying much and don’t require a stiff sole, but it’s not ideal if you’re heading out with a large, heavy pack for hours on end.

For example, some ultralight backpackers swear by the versatility of lower cut shoes, and trail runners dry much faster after river crossings than hiking boots. On the flipside, if you require more ankle support and are carrying a pack larger than 50L, you should consider sturdier footwear.

- Our pick: Salomon Supercross Blast Trail Running Shoes (men’s and women’s)

How to lace hiking boots

Shoes are a little more self-explanatory, and a number of new trail runners come with bungee-style laces, so we’re focusing on boots here.

The loops on either side of them are designed so you can cross the laces as you would on any other shoe, but you can also use them to create specific knots that lock your heel further, provide relief from toe pain, and skip areas that might be prone to getting sore. There are plenty you can find online, but here’s a simple one that’s great to keep your heel from slipping.

The surgeon’s knot

• Start by pulling the slack from your laces to hold them snug over the top of your foot.
• Find the two pairs of lace hooks closest to where your foot flexes forward by lifting your heel with your toes on the ground.
• Tie two individual surgeon’s knots at each pair of hooks by wrapping your laces around each other twice and pulling them tight. After each knot, run the laces directly through the next loop to lock the tension in.
• After tying both knots, finish lacing as you normally would.