What Makes a Good Hiking Boot

The best hiking boots on the market are going to be ones that are both lightweight and comfortable. If you are having trouble on you hiking trip because your feet are wet and heavy than you have the wrong hiking boot. The boot needs to have good support for your feet to cushion the stress put on your ankles, legs and back so make sure that you pick the best hiking boot based on the type of hiking that you are going to do, because different types of hiking will have their own best hiking boot.

Your Boots Should Give You Confidence

If you have chosen the best hiking boot you will feel more comfortable in taking steps that are trickier than you used to. Your hiking boot should feel like you almost have nothing on your feet and you should be able to step in comfort. Make sure that you have good grip support for those wet and slippery areas because your boot has to be able to withstand the outdoors. On complex hiking trails this is really important as you can avoid serious injury by having proper boots.

The best hiking boot is also based on how durable they can be as well, so you want a good solid boot that can last many hiking expeditions, not just a couple of trips. It is almost impossible to outline the best hiking boot on the market, because of the different types of terrain. Here is a quick list of the various attributes your boot should have:

lightweight

durable

good value

waterproof

sturdy (durable and sturdy are different, it needs to be lightweight enough that it isnt a burden to your walking speed/rhythm, but strong enough that it wont break, tear, or get destroyed by the constant smashing around while your hiking)

great grip

foot/ankle support

Why You Need a Good Hiking Boot

The main factor is you will already be carrying a lot of weight on your legs and ankles. You will have a backpack with all your needs on your back and you will additionally have your own weight to support also depending on how much equipment you have, you could find a lot of stress placed on other parts of your body. If your boots are heavy, then they are not the best hiking boot for you because it just means you will need to support that much more weight.

Ben Brook is webmaster of http://www.hike.pccga.com which features many more articles and resources to do with hiking and outdoor life.

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