Best Hiking Boot Brands
Hiking boots are one of the most important outdoor purchases you’ll ever make and therefore buying a pair of hiking boots is never easy. Furthermore, hiking boots vary greatly in quality, weight, traction and breathability and you should of course consider these things before making a purchase. Here we selected the five best hiking boot brands to make things a little easier for you. The brands listed in this article set themselves apart from the competition by using high-quality materials and having decades of experience in creating top-notch hiking footwear. Hiking boots from these brands are not inexpensive but they are a good investment due to their durability and performance level. Besides from hiking boots, these brands also make great backpacking and mountaineering footwear.
Before you decide on a product, check out our Guide to Hiking Footwear to learn more about different types of hiking footwear and the materials they are made of. There we also explain how to choose the right type of hiking footwear for your needs.
Best Hiking Boot Brands:
Lowa
Lowa
Founded: 1923
Headquarters: Germany
Type of Footwear:
- Hiking
- Trekking
- Backpacking
- Mountaineering
- Hunting
- Tactical
- Rock climbing
Popular Products: Renegade Mid GTX (hiking), Camino EVO GTX (hiking), Cadin II GTX (mountaineering).
Lowa has exclusively been making footwear since 1923 and therefore it is no surprise that their hiking boots are of the finest quality. Lowa hiking boots utilize high-quality materials and are in general lighter than competitive hiking boots. Despite being lightweight, they provide good support, cushioning and durability – not least because Lowa only utilizes polyurethane midsoles which offer much better performance than the more commonly used EVA midsoles. Speaking of quality, Lowa also produces boots exclusively in Europe, unlike many other brands which have moved production to Asia where the quality control is more questionable. Lowa has been popular in Europe ever since its inception and now it seems that it’s also gaining traction in North America and other big markets.
Zamberlan
Zamberlan
Founded: 1929
Headquarters: Italy
Type of Footwear:
- Hiking
- Trekking
- Backpacking
- Mountaineering
- Hunting
Popular Products: Vioz (mountaineering), Tofane (mountaineering), Trail Lite EVO GTX (hiking).
Zamberlan started producing footwear in 1929 and was one of the first brands to use rubber soles (back then, soles were usually made of leather). In the next 50 years Zamberlan grew exponentially and became known in various markets, including Japan, the United Kingdom and of course Italy. In 1985 Zamberlan patented the Hydrobloc leather (water-resistant but breathable leather) and in 1986 it launched the first women’s specific hiking boot – note that at the time hiking gear was designed exclusively for men. Today, Zamberlan makes high-quality hiking, trekking and mountaineering boots – many of them are still produced in Italy with the highest level of precision.
La Sportiva
La Sportiva
Founded: 1928
Headquarters: Italy
Type of Footwear:
- Hiking
- Trekking
- Backpacking
- Mountaineering
- Trail Running
Popular Products: Nepal Cube GTX (mountaineering), Nucleo (hiking), Ultra Raptor II Mid GTX (hiking).
La Sportiva is especially known for making top-notch mountaineering boots for extreme ascents (their boots are often used for climbing Mount Everest and similar mountains) but they do also make great hiking boots. La Sportiva hiking boots are lightweight, made of high-quality materials and utilize innovative technologies. La Sportiva was one of the first outdoor footwear brands that utilized the Gore-Tex Surround technology which provides outstanding breathability while keeping the boot waterproof. Today La Sportiva also makes outdoor apparel, but remains most renowned for its technical outdoor footwear.
Salomon
Salomon
Founded: 1947
Headquarters: France
Type of Footwear:
- Hiking
- Trekking
- Backpacking
- Mountaineering
- Running
Popular Products: X Ultra 4 Mid (hiking), Quest 4 Gore-Tex (hiking), Speedcross 5 (trail running).
Salomon was established in 1947 but only made ski bindings for the first 30 years. Later they expanded their line to include ski boots and skis, and finally launched a line of hiking shoes in 1992. Salomon was first acquired by Adidas in 1997 and then sold in 2005 to the Finnish Amer Sports which also owns Acteryx and Suunto. As Salomon has been a part of big corporations for the last 25 years their products lack a bit of charm which products from the other hiking boot manufacturers mentioned here have in abundance. However, Salomon hiking footwear has a great price-to-quality ratio and is therefore a good option for those who don’t want to spend too much money on their gear. Besides from hiking boots, Salomon naturally also makes great skiing gear and apparel – in accordance with the original heritage of the brand.
Merrell
Merrell
Founded: 1981
Headquarters: Michigan, USA
Type of Footwear:
- Hiking
- Trekking
- Backpacking
- Trail Running
- Casual
Popular Products: Moab 3 (hiking), Zion Peak (hiking).
The first Merrell hiking boot was launched in 1983 and the brand quickly gained traction. However, Merrell was acquired by the Finnish shoe manufacturer brand Karhu already in 1987 and in the following decade the sales skyrocketed. In 1997 Karhu sold Merrell to Wolverine World Wide and since then, the company has focused on lightweight hiking shoes. Today Merrell makes high-quality and affordable hiking footwear which is sold all over the world. The most popular hiking boots from Merrell are the Moab hiking boots which are available in a low mid and high version.
Scarpa Zodiac
Scarpa
Founded: 1930
Headquarters: Italy
Type of Footwear:
- Hiking
- Trekking
- Backpacking
- Mountaineering
- Rock climbing
Popular Products: Mont Blanc Pro (mountaineering), Zodiac Plus (hiking), Crux II (approach).
Scarpa is a legendary Italian brand which specializes in climbing, hiking and mountaineering footwear. Scarpa also makes top-notch skiing boots. The company was established in 1930 in the town of Asolo. In the sixties the company enters USA, Canada, Australia and United Kingdom markets and becomes known world-wide for producing top-notch leather mountaineering footwear and ski boots. In the next decades Scarpa footwear is often used for Himalayan expeditions, including for climbing + 8000 meters high mountains. Scarpa has also expanded into making climbing shoes and lightweight hiking boots and shoes.
Useful and descriptive information that provides access to more information and where to purchase the products.
Thanks for positive feedback!
Lowa manufactures not exclusively in Germany; they have plants in Slovakia (where the pictured Renegade ismanufactured), and Italy, where they produce their mountaineering footwear and occasionally produce some of their traditionally German made models.
Yes, you are right. Thanks for your feedback. I just fixed the error 🙂
Please also indicate which brands make boots with replaceable soles. For example , my current hiking boots are made by Lowa, which have replaceable soles. Previously, I used boots made by Salomon. The soles wore out in less than a year. I contacted Salomon to get a warranty replacement, but they refused. The soles on my Salomon boots are not replaceable. Therefore I had to throw those Salomons away because they didn’t last long at all.
No information if any brands are vegan
Hi Christine. If you read our Guide to Hiking Footwear you will see that the only non-vegan part of a hiking boot nowadays is the upper – which can just as easily be made of synthetic materials. I thus dare to say that most hiking boot brands offer products both with and without leather. The lighter the boot, the more likely it is that it is entirely synthetic.
Vegan – really!
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Thank you for the praise! We try our best 🙂