Hiking Boot Review: Which Boot Is Best?

The following hiking boot review is for the best boot I have found so far, and you may not have heard of it...

There are hundreds of different hiking boots available. Some boots are good while others simply put... are not.

In this hiking boot review I'm going to tell you about some footwear that I've found to be the best after more than a bit of research, enjoy... :-)

As you may already know, I like high quality camping gear and hiking equipment that works, and works well. I don't like fiddling with gear that "kind-of-works" or is "Ok". I like gear that makes you marvel at the amount of thought that went into it. Stuff that's designed by people who "get it", and take pride in what they do. That's the gear you keep and don't like to be without.

The best hiking boots I've found are the Montrail Torre GTX for women or the Montrail Torre GTX for men. These boots offer Gore-tex® to keep your feet dry in extremely wet conditions. In other words, unless you step in a stream that goes over the top of your boot or unless it's raining hard enough to stream down your legs and into your boots, your feet should stay pretty dry except for a little sweat. As you probably know, campers and hikers don't perspire. ;-)

Although if you do all your hiking in the desert or where it never rains, you probably don't need Gore-tex®. If you do hike through streams, in the rain, or where the weather can turn bad though, Gore-tex® can be an important feature to help keep your feet healthy. If in doubt I'd go with the Gore-tex®.

As with most hiking boots, unless you're looking to punish yourself for some strange reason, (isn't that what a hiking boot review is supposed to help you avoid ;-) ) you'll want to break yours in before any major trips or extended hikes. If you can wear them to work or walk around the neighborhood a few miles a day for a couple of weeks before your trip you should be fine. Although some people swear they're comfortable out of the box, that will vary from person to person, so to be safe plan on a break-in period.

It says a lot when someone buys the same shoe again or gets a second pair as a "back-up". The Montrail Torre GTX is that kind of boot. As is the Chameleon from Merrell hiking shoes.

The Montrail Torre GTX provides good arch support, it's designed for multi-day hikes with a heavy backpack so support shouldn't be an issue. Leather construction takes abuse better than fabric boots so you'll have them around for quite awhile too. To sum it up...

Pros: Great comfortable boots that may inspire you to invest in a second pair for you and your favorite hiker. Gore-tex® water resistance and Vibram® traction. Leather uppers should last a good long while.

Cons: The leather can scuff a little easily, but unless you're going to wear them with a suit, this probably won't be a problem. :-)

I know some people are a little nervous about ordering boots without trying them on first. While every person is entitled to their opinion, I've ordered more than a few pairs of hiking boots and shoes through the mail, definitely more than I've bought from a regular brick and mortar shoe store lately.

The biggest reason for this is that there's a much bigger selection available than I can find in brick and mortar stores. To me driving around to several different stores that may or may not have what I want is a hassle. And so far it's worked out great.

What if I have a return, won't it cost more to ship it both ways?

For the most part, no. My favorite online shoe store is Zappos.. They offer free shipping both ways (if you need it) and excellent, and I mean excellent customer service. I ordered 3 pairs of footwear at 7:00 p.m. on a Friday night and had the shoes, quicker than promised, before noon on Monday. That's less than one business day! Needless to say, I recommend them, they're outstanding.

Their site also tells whether other customers thought the footwear fit true to size, width, and level of support, which helps you get the right boot the first time. Check them out.

I hope you found this hiking boot review helpful. Oh, by the way, if you liked the hiking boot review but want more information about what to look for, have a look at the hiking boots page.