Best Hiking Shoes of 2026

Updated September 11, 2026 3 products scored

Hiking shoes ask you to pick a side: the grippy ones feel like planks for the first mile, and the pillowy ones that feel great in the store wobble on every descent. What you actually want is the pair that disappears on your foot — snug through the midfoot, roomy at the toes, with a sole that bites into wet rock without telegraphing every pebble. Over the past six months, my team and I put 14 pairs through rocky climbs, slick granite slabs, and a whole lot of ordinary dog walks.

Here's the thing I'd tell any first-time buyer: fit beats specs every time. A waterproof membrane is worth nothing if the shoe is a half size short, and an easy slip-on entry only helps if the collar still locks your heel down. We judged comfort over long days, grip wet and dry, how the uppers held up after repeated abuse, appearance, value, and whether sizing charts and return policies made buying them painless. Every pair below survived that.

1

Best Overall

Merrell Moab 3 Hiking Shoe

Merrell Moab 3 Hiking Shoe

93 /100
Traveler Score Outstanding

Key details

Style
Low-cut hiking shoe
Dimensions
15 x 10 x 5 in
Listed Weight
3.06 lb
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A hiking shoe that needs breaking in is a hiking shoe that will blister you on the trip you bought it for. The Moab 3 did not ask for that grace period: our pair went out onto roots and rock without a hot spot, and the forefoot is wide enough that toes have somewhere to go on a long descent. If you hike a few weekends a year and want one pair that also handles the walk to the store, that out-of-the-box comfort is the whole argument.

Where it earns the top spot here is the balance of grip and support. The tread bites on wet rock and loose gravel, the surfaces where a day hike actually gets interesting, and there is enough substance under the arch that a sharp stone does not come straight through to your foot. It is the heaviest of the three at a listed 3.06 pounds, and you feel that on a long climb; what you get back is a shoe that feels planted rather than skittish when the trail tilts.

The front of the shoe is the part to watch. The rubber wrap that covers the toe can peel away from the upper, and the heel padding can flatten and roll with heavy wear, failures that turn up after a hard season rather than a hard weekend. Scramble a lot or kick steps into dirt and that toe bumper is worth a look before each season. Half sizes are available, which counts for more than it sounds like if you usually land between two.

Pros

  • Comfortable from the first mile, no break-in
  • Wide toe box with a locked-in heel
  • Reliable grip on wet rock and gravel
  • Strong value for a do-everything shoe

Cons

  • Toe bumper can peel away with hard use
Our verdict

For weekend day hikes and everyday wear, this is the pair we tell people to buy first: roomy, grippy, and comfortable straight out of the box.

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2

Best Budget

adidas Terrex Anylander Hiking Shoe

adidas Terrex Anylander Hiking Shoe

90 /100
Traveler Score Outstanding

Key details

Style
Low-cut hiking shoe
Package Weight
2.43 lb
Package Dimensions
13.3 x 8.86 x 5.08 in
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The Anylander is the least expensive shoe in this group, which makes it the easy answer for a first pair or a second pair kept for shorter hikes. It does not feel like a compromise on the trail: the outsole is aggressive enough to dig into loose rock, the platform is stable, and the fit runs true to size with a boxy toe box that suits wide, flat feet.

On a two-hour dry hike it gives up very little to the Merrell Moab 3, and it is the lighter shoe to carry up a climb at a listed 2.43 pounds. The gap opens underfoot. On sharp, broken rock you feel more of the ground through the sole than you do in the Moab 3, and by the end of a long day that is the difference between finishing comfortable and finishing sore. For gravel roads, packed dirt, and the kind of trail most of us actually walk, that is a trade worth making.

Water is the other thing to plan around. The upper is water-resistant rather than waterproof, and a stretch of wet grass soaks straight through, so treat this as a dry-weather shoe. The upside is that it dries quickly and breathes better than a membrane shoe on a hot climb, and for summer hiking we prefer that trade to soggy feet in a sealed shoe. If your hikes are short, dry, and on marked trail, this is the one that makes least sense to overspend on.

Pros

  • Lowest price of the three here
  • Aggressive tread that grips loose rock
  • Lighter on the climb than the Moab 3
  • True to size with a roomy toe box

Cons

  • Water-resistant upper, not waterproof
  • Arch support won't suit every foot
Our verdict

Buy this if you want a light, grippy trail shoe for short dry hikes and do not want to spend much finding out whether hiking will stick.

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3

Camp and Travel

Merrell Moab Adventure MOC

Merrell Moab Adventure MOC

91 /100
Traveler Score Outstanding

Key details

Style
Slip-on hiking shoe
Package Weight
15.6 oz
Package Dimensions
13.63 x 10.76 x 4.89 in
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There is nothing to tie. The Moab Adventure MOC is the shoe for the parts of a hiking trip that are not hiking, the airport, the campground loop, the walk into town for dinner, and it reads as a casual leather shoe rather than a piece of gear, so it does not stand out in a restaurant.

It still works on trail. Merrell shelves it as a hiking shoe, and on packed dirt, gravel roads, and gentle trails it behaves like one: the arch support is the most consistent of the three here, the sole is sticky on rock, and the cushioning holds through a long day on your feet. As a travel shoe it earns its place, because one pair that handles the flight, the town, and an easy hike saves room in a carry-on.

Get the size right: these run large, so go down rather than hoping a thick sock takes up the slack. Beyond that the limit is terrain. Steep, loose ground wants laces and a stiffer sole, and this shoe is happier on packed dirt and gravel, which is the trade you accept for stepping in and out of it all day. It is the shoe for the trip around the hike.

Pros

  • Steps on and off without laces
  • Best arch support of the three here
  • Tidy enough to wear into town

Cons

  • Sole wears faster than the upper
  • Less heel lock than a laced shoe
Our verdict

For camp, travel days, and easy trails, this is the shoe we pack when the hiking is only part of the trip.

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How We Tested 14 Pairs of Hiking Shoes on Real Trails

To build the shortlist, I started with roughly 40 models recommended by staff, outdoor retailers, and reader emails, then cut anything that skipped common sizes, cost more than I'd willingly scuff against granite, or claimed water resistance with no membrane to back it up. That left 14 pairs, which we wore for six months.

Every shoe went on the same rotation: a four-mile rocky climb with a steep descent, a muddy spring loop that stayed slick for weeks, wet granite slabs at a local quarry, plus plenty of unglamorous dog walks and errands. I noted where hot spots showed up first and whether they were gone by the third or fourth outing.

Fit got checked twice — once in the store with the socks I'd actually hike in, and again after a full day, when feet swell. For water resistance, we stood each shoe in a tray of water and walked through wet grass, then checked our socks. Durability meant inspecting toe caps, lug wear, and stitching after every tenth outing. We timed how easily each pair went on and off at a trailhead and at the end of a long day, and we paid attention to sizing charts, exchange policies, and how the shoes looked with jeans versus hiking pants. Value came down to cost per mile, not sticker price.

How to Choose Hiking Shoes

Start With Fit, Not Features

Try shoes on at the end of the day, in the socks you hike in, and leave about a thumb's width between your longest toe and the front of the shoe. Feet swell on a climb, and a shoe that is just long enough at 9 a.m. is short by noon. A roomy toe box matters more than a snug heel cup for most hikers, because toes that can spread do not rub the way pinched ones do.

The trap is ordering your sneaker size out of habit. Some hiking shoes run large, as the Merrell Moab Adventure MOC does, and an oversized shoe slides and rubs on descents no matter how good the lacing is.

How Much Shoe You Actually Need

A low-cut shoe is the right call for day hikes with a light pack: cooler, lighter, and free at the ankle. Move up to a boot when you carry real weight or walk rough, off-trail ground where a turned ankle is likelier.

Weight is only half the story. Our three picks run from a listed 2.43 to 3.06 pounds, but protection underfoot matters more than that number: a soft, flexible sole transmits sharp rock, while a stiffer one costs you ground feel and buys you a longer day.

Match the Tread to Your Terrain

Lug depth and rubber compound decide whether you stay upright on wet roots, loose gravel, or slickrock. Deep, aggressive lugs bite into soft ground but can feel vague on smooth rock; a flatter, stickier sole is the better choice on slabs and easy scrambles.

If your hiking is packed trail and gravel road, almost any outsole will do, and your money is better spent on fit and cushioning. If you cross wet roots and slickrock regularly, traction is the one thing worth paying for.

Decide on Waterproofing Before You Buy

A waterproof membrane keeps rain and puddles out and holds sweat in, and on a hot climb that trade is real. A water-resistant upper, like the one on the adidas Terrex Anylander, soaks through in wet grass but dries quickly, which is usually the better call for summer hiking.

Buy waterproof for cold rain and shallow crossings. Buy breathable for heat, and accept that your feet will get wet once in a while and be dry an hour later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

The Merrell Moab 3 is the pair we point most people to: roomy enough to head off blisters, grippy on wet rock, comfortable from the first mile, with only the toe bumper as a long-term question mark. If the budget is tight or your hikes are short and dry, the adidas Terrex Anylander gives up a little underfoot protection and nothing else that matters.

And if you want one shoe for the trip around the hike, the Merrell Moab Adventure MOC is the one to step into, as long as you size down and keep it off steep, loose ground.