The best men’s walking boots 2025, tried and tested by an expert

This classic walking boot comes in two colour options: brown and dark grey. That should tell you a lot of what you need to know. This style foregoes bright designs and fancy features in favour of an old-school aesthetic, robust build and solid all-round performance.

That’s not to say it doesn’t have everything you need. The boot boasts out-the-box comfort, a Gore-Tex membrane for flawless waterproofing and a thick, grippy vibram outsole that is ready for any terrain. It just doesn’t have any unnecessary extras, which I liked.

The nubuck rubber upper and reinforced rubber toes mean it is double the weight of rivals from Inov-8 and Columbia, so it might be one to swerve for shorter, faster hikes. But I found I could wear it all day and emerge with comfortable, fatigue-free feet, which is why this is now my go-to for longer, more challenging adventures.

Given Inov-8 is a Lake District-based brand so you’d wager the team knows its way around a steep hill or two. This shoe is living proof.

Featuring an updated anatomical fit that narrows at the heel for a locked in fit, then widens at the forefoot to allow your toes some welcome wiggle room, the boot was brilliantly comfortable from the off. Crucially, it remained this way for the remainder of my weekend walking holiday, leaving my feet feeling fresh and blissfully free of blisters.

It weighs just 425g and has a spongy, responsive midsole, feeling more like a running shoe than a classic walking boot at times. But the roclite still serves up the support, waterproofing and grip needed for a day of hard hiking, courtesy of effective hoof-shaped lugs.

A Gore-Tex waterproof membrane keeps puddles at bay, and only for the hardest of hikes would I be tempted to sub them out for a slightly more supported and protective high-top boot like the Berghaus option below.

My only note: they fit slightly on the smaller side, length-wise, so if in doubt it could be worth ordering half a size up.

These mid-reach boots boast a very chunky silhouette and beefy outsole, which I really appreciated, especially when I was trudging across cold, hard frosty moorland paths. However, for a big, rugged boot, they were lightweight and it’s easy to forget you’re wearing them after a few metres of setting off.

I didn’t need to worry about waterproofing, which was excellent and, even with big, thick winter hiking socks on, breathability throughout the shoe was good.

The toe box was roomy enough to make the shoe comfortable, but not so roomy you need to double-layer socks, and the heel fits nice and snugly, helping to avoid blisters. On the outside, there’s plenty of protection from the upper, and that big bumper that surrounds the base of the shoe means you can stride out without worrying about ground-level collisions.

It’s a familiar scene: you fancy a quick jaunt, only to take longer lacing up your boots than you do actually walking. That’s not a problem with the Adidas terrex skychaser – and that’s why I love this pair so much.

The shoe (also available in a mid boot) has “speedlaces” – a bungee that takes seconds to fasten and loosen – which allowed me to slip in and ensure a secure fit in seconds. This was also a popular feature with my impatient dog.

Once on, the shoe felt like an all-terrain tank, ploughing through puddles and muddy paths with ease. Adidas promises to combine “the responsive feel of trail running shoes with the support and durability of hiking shoes”, and while I felt the skychaser was a tad too clunky to live up to the former, it certainly delivered the latter.

More surprising yet, they even received a few compliments from sartorially-minded people in my life, which is a rarity for me and my wardrobe.

I found the speedlaces felt marginally less secure than the eyelets of a classic walking boot, but for the tie they saved me on shorter walks I believe this was a worthy trade to make.

If you want a pair of walking boots to score maximum style points, I wouldn’t buy them from Merrell – this is subjective, of course. However, if you want a pair of walking boots for function, the brand’s website is one of the first places I would look.

My first wear of the moab speed 2 mid GTX made it feel like I had owned the shoe for years, with the upper accepting my foot like an old friend. The padded collar and tongue give a plush trainer-esque fit, while the foam midsole offered a responsive ride which I really appreciated on longer hikes.

But despite being lightweight and springy, it still has all the support features you would want from a walking boot. The FlexPlate in the outsole provides a good balance of flexibility and rigidity, allowing me to tackle both easy dog walks and more technical routes in comfort.

Beyond this, the Gore-Tex waterproofing works a treat, the boot fits true to size and the heel locks in place securely to prevent any rubbing. In short: there’s very little not to like.

I’ve worn barefoot shoes before for the gym and casual walks, but I always thought I needed something more sturdy under my feet for longer hikes. Yet to my surprise, when I wore the scrambler trail mid to climb Sugar Loaf in the Brecon Beacons, I fell in love.

My favourite part was being able to feel the trail beneath my feet. The outsole offered enough protection from jagged rocks to prevent any pain, but still allowed my feet to move naturally throughout the walk. This helped with grip and balance.

The shoe doesn’t feel as hardy as classic boots like the Danner and Berghaus entries below, but I’ve covered a fair few miles in my pair and I’ve had no problems with durability to date. The upper is lightweight and breathable, and the waterproof XeroTex membrane around the base of the upper proved puddle-proof when the heavens opened above Abergavenny.

Tightening the shoe to suit my fairly narrow feet, there was some slight wrinkling of the upper material at the base of the laces, but this was my only gripe.

If your average heavy leather walking boot is a dependable saloon, this is a sporty hatchback. Both will get you from A to B, but the journey is going to be faster (and more fun) in the konos TRS.

This is what I found when I wore a pair for a walking holiday in Devon. Thanks to the stack of springy midsole foam, I felt remarkably light on my feet while tackling a 10km stretch of the South West Coast Path, and the boot kept my feet dry even when I was caught by a lapping wave during a beachy interlude.

Better yet, the padded heel and tongue, twinned with its ergonomic shape, made this shoe one of the most comfortable options on test.

Add in the fact that it’s also among the most affordable and you have an excellent option for fast-paced short to mid-length hikes.

This is a truly versatile boot for ambitious walkers and hikers, capable of taking you from the lower approach routes all the way to the via ferrata, if you’re feeling ambitious. The combination of a Hydrobloc treatment on the suede upper and Gore-Tex lining means you can guarantee waterproofing, and for a big boot I was particularly impressed with how tailored and snug it was, thanks to a lacing pattern that reaches almost all the way down to the toe of the boot.

The Vibram Pepe sole system with Megagrip compound ensures greater grip on different types of terrain, and the dual density EVA wedge midsole guarantees cushioning and stability.

Despite being heavy on features, the shoe keeps the weight down and protection is guaranteed from the high cut upper that secured the ankle. Also, the fact the whole boot is surrounded with a rubber/PU band increases the durability and means this shoe will be with you for many seasons to come.

Danner has always produced boots that look really good, without compromising performance on the trail, and it has excelled with this design. Its supremely comfortable full-grain leather upper looks great right out of the box, and feels even better the more broken-in the boots become.

The Gore-Tex waterproof barrier is supremely effective at keeping out water, while remaining breathable, and the boot isn’t all that weighty (566g per shoe) given its robust leather upper and no-nonsense vibram outsole.

It can’t compare to the running trainer-esque responsiveness of some of the other options on this list for featherweight credentials, but for hard hikes this sturdy boot offers a supportive feel which hardcore ramblers will love.

Whatever terrain you’re covering, this boot will keep your feet feeling fresh and protected. It’s undeniably expensive, but from the bombproof feel and lack of wear after a few weeks of use, I’d wager you won’t be having to replace it in a hurry.

This boot made an excellent first impression – it looks great. As I laced it up, I was impressed with how incredibly comfortable it felt. The boot has an almost customised feel and quickly moulded to my foot, leaving no room for rubbing while still enabling me to move my toes for balance.

The foam compound used in the midsole worked to create a natural roll from heel to toe, which helped when my legs were getting tired. The outsole, meanwhile, was excellent at keeping me grounded and absorbing the blows from tougher terrain and rock.

Plus, the Gore-Tex lining did its job brilliantly in wetter sections, without leaving me with two steaming feet when the sun finally decided to make an appearance.

Most walking boots don’t look like they used to, and in many cases that’s no bad thing. With developments in materials, a weighty leather frame is no longer a prerequisite, and this Arc’Teryx boot is a prime example of this new age.

The Cordura upper is lightweight and incredibly durable, emerging unscathed from a wet and windy walk along part of the South West Coast Path. It also kept my feet largely dry, with the Gore-Tex layer and gusseted tongue fending off water from long, dewy grass.

The grip afforded to me by the lugs on the vibram outsole was never in doubt, whether I was covering hard trails, grassy verges or boggy “paths”. However, I did find the shoe has a narrow fit, and would have liked some more space around my forefoot, even after I had loosened the laces.

As with anything by Arc’Teryx, the price point is high, but if you’re after a set of stylish-yet-sturdy walking boots (and you have narrow feet) this is a very solid option.

These low-cut shoes are made for speed and comfort. They performed especially well on my wet walks thanks to their three layers of protection, including an effective membrane, seam sealing throughout the shoe and a water-repellent treatment on the upper.

The chunky silhouette and thick midsole provide plenty of protection, and held my foot higher to minimise stumbles and collisions with boulders and rocks.

The mesh ankle collar was comfortable and offered good protection, and there’s a complex lug pattern on the outsole. This provided efficient traction, while ensuring I didn’t end up with lots of mud stuck to the bottom of my boot.