How do you choose the right pair of hiking shoes?

Good hiking shoes shouldn’t cause pain or discomfort — they should be comfortable, supportive, and suited to your activity. Whether you're into hiking, trekking, approach walks or mountaineering, your shoes are the essential link between your body and the terrain.

1. Your activity 

One day hike

For day hikes, short treks (1–3 days), approach walks or via ferrata, go for low-cut or mid-cut flexible shoes. They’re lightweight, comfortable, and offer just enough support and grip for varied terrain.

These aren't regular sneakers — they often feature Vibram soles, toe caps, and waterproof membranes.

Use trekking poles with low or flexible mid-cut shoes for better balance and comfort, especially when carrying a pack.

Multi days hikes

For longer trips with heavy loads over rough terrain, choose high-cut, more rigid boots. They provide better ankle support, stronger protection, and are built to last.

They often include toe bumpers, heel reinforcement, and side protection for roots and rocks.

Mountaineering

For technical climbs, heavy gear or snowy conditions, go for rigid mountaineering boots.

These boots usually include insulation, a waterproof membrane, and crampon-compatible soles.

Winter hikes

For cold-weather hikes or snowshoeing, choose insulated winter hiking boots.

Unlike snow boots, they’re designed for active walking, offering good foot hold and a natural roll-off when walking on snow.

2. Choose the right boot height

Hiking Sandals

Great for hot or humid weather, hiking sandals offer excellent breathability with soles that still provide good grip.

Some models include toe protection, others focus more on comfort and ventilation.

Low-Cut Hiking Shoes

Lightweight and offering unmatched freedom of movement, low-cut shoes have become increasingly popular. Originally designed for short hikes, they gained popularity with the rise of approach shoes.

Approach shoes are made for access hikes to climbing routes, bouldering, or via ferrata. A hybrid between hiking boots and climbing shoes, they feature a rigid sole, precise fit, low lacing, and grip zones for better traction on rock.

Many now use them for mountain hiking, and brands offer low-cut models with stiff soles for this purpose. They’re also the go-to choice for trail running.

High-Cut Hiking Boots

Heavier than low-cut shoes, high-cut boots offer superior ankle protection on rough terrain. They shield against roots, rocks, and branches, and provide strong support to help prevent ankle injuries.

Ideal for long hikes with heavy backpacks, they’re also recommended for occasional hikers who need extra ankle stability.

mid-height hiking shoes

Mid-height shoes, or mids, are the perfect middle ground between low-cut and high-cut boots.

They are lightweight while offering better ankle support than low-cut shoes.
For short to medium-length hikes.

3. Your feet

Choose your shoes based on the shape of your feet to avoid blisters and pain. 

Pour bien choisir la taille : 

> When going uphill, your heel shouldn’t lift too much

> When going downhill, the instep should stop your foot, not your toes

Blisters can also come from socks that are too warm. feet heat up and swell during hikes, so choose breathable socks and keep a pair for winter and another for summer.

Poorly supported feet can cause pain in the foot, knee, hips, or back, because the body compensates for instability. depending on your arch type (normal, low, or high), replace the original insole with a supportive one.

Choose hiking socks that are both technical and comfortable.

4. The Solde

The sole provides the grip between your shoes and the ground, making it a key factor. Brands invest heavily in sole design and high-quality rubber materials.

multidirectional lugs help with uphill traction on dry, wet, loose, or compact terrain, while deeper lugs aid braking on descents. The deeper the lugs, the better the grip.

Vibram soles are the most common reference, but others like salomon’s contagrip are also very effective.

5. Waterproofing and breathability

Hiking shoes must balance breathability to prevent overheating and waterproofing to protect against rain, snow, or morning dew.

Gore-tex membrane remains the gold standard for waterproofing and breathability, with a resistance above 10,000 schmerber. Other high-performance membranes exist, such as sympatex.

If you hike in very hot conditions or in dry climates, choose shoes without gore-tex lining. Otherwise, your feet may get wetter inside due to sweat. The key is to let your feet breathe during breaks and dry them in the open air.

6. Lightweight

Saving 100 grams per shoe adds up over thousands of steps! lightweight shoes reduce fatigue and increase comfort, even in mountaineering.

Generally, low-cut shoes weigh under 400 g, and mountaineering boots under 1000 g.

Lightweight footwear helps you move faster and protects your legs.

7. Choose the right size

Now that you’ve identified the best type of footwear for your main activity, it’s time to talk about something crucial : shoe size.

To avoid discomfort or injury, it’s generally recommended to choose 1/3 to a full size larger than your usual size.

If your toes touch the front of the shoe, it’s too small — don’t insist, choose a bigger size.

Most brands provide detailed size guides to help you find the right fit (EU / UK / US conversions) :

Guide de taille MILLET - Guide de taille SALOMON - Guide de taille MEINDL - Guide de taille LA SPORTIVA - Guide des tailles SCARPA - Guide des tailles SALEWA -Guide des tailles KAYLAND - Guide des tailles ASOLO - Guide des tailles LOWA - Guide des tailles DOLOMITE - Guide des tailles KEEN

How to try on hiking boots?
The best option is to try them on in a specialist store, like Montaz in La Ravoire (73).

Browse our top mountain footwear selection from the most trusted outdoor brands at Montaz.com

La Sportiva, Lowa, Tecnica, Meindl, Merrel, Millet, Dolomite, Asolo, Salewa, Salomon, Scarpa, Trezeta, Galibier, Aku, Garmont, Garsport, Kayland, et Keen