Topic: The Best Women’s Hiking Shoes of 2023 (Read 32 times)
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Thru-hikers have been singing the praises of Altra Lone Peaks for years, and for good reasons. The Lone Peak is one of the most co*fortable trail runners out there. Its wide base (especially the toe box) allows for foot growth and minimizes blisters. It also supports a midfoot or forefoot strike, with all the acco*panying ergonomic benefits.
But the Altra Lone Peak is not the shoe for everyone. Its growing dominance on trail is leading to problems. Morgan Brosnihan, a doctor of physical therapy who primarily treats thru-hikers says, in large part due to its popularity, she sees people having more trouble with this shoe than any other. If you are a natural heel striker with limited ankle and toe flexibility, you should avoid this shoe. Start your hike with another trail runner on this list. Even if you do have the strike pattern and foot flexibility to take on this shoe, be sure to exercise your foot and lower legs in it heavily (with a loaded pack) before starting out on trail. Calf strength is essential to avoiding injuries with a shoe like the Altra Lone Peak.
Brosnihan also noted that the Altra Lone Peaks have a shorter life span than other trail runners out there. While several options on this list can make it out to 500 miles, this shoe is really only good for up to 300. The Altra Lone Peak Hiker features an ankle collar and won the most co*fortable award in The Best Hiking Boots for Women. —Laura Lancaster
Read the Outdoor Life gear team’s review of the Altra Lone Peak 6 to learn more
This trail runner is the perfect bridge from a hiking boot to a lightweight hiking shoe. The wide toebox allows for excellent toe splay favoring stability and balance on rocky terrain. It breathes easy and the thick lugs and cushioning outsoles make for a an extremely co*fortable trail runner out of the box. If you’re interested in a minimalist shoe, but concerned about making the jump, this shoe can also be a transition between a hybrid show like the Danner and a zero drop shoe like the Altra or Vivobarefoot. Its lower stack height and heel drop is just minimalist enough to ease your feet and gait into new footwear while the heel lock keeps you feeling secure. There is no wide option, but the toebox has a good amount of room.
If you’re frequenting talus fields or scree-filled slopes, you might run into durability issues. I did 100 miles above alpine in these shoes and came home to rip one on a dirt trail day hike. While I certainly put this shoe through the wringer, it was only 5 months old and in the vicinity of 200 miles. It shouldn’t have damage to the extent noticeable in the photo. However, the Topo team did replace my pair after the rip and the replacement is still my go-to shoe.
It can be tough to transition from the durability and secure fit of a heavier hiking boot or hiking shoe to lightweight trail runners, which aren’t always built for the heavy loads some backpackers carry. In preparation for an upco*ing thru-hike, one tester took the Danner Trail Campo 2650 GTX on a series of day hikes that totaled fifty miles around Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky. She found that the integrated tongue of the shoe improved the overall fit, locking her heel into place and giving her the stability she was accustomed to from hiking shoes. Strategically placed leather panels on the upper also helped protect her toes and Achilles area, while the ventilation in the Gore-Tex kept her feet from overheating.
But they were more akin to trail runners when it came to co*fort, “I did not have to break them in at all—they felt great on the first hike,” she reported. —Laura Lancaster
Most minimalist trail runners are breezy, barely-there affairs, with only the thinnest membrane between your feet and the ground. And while that works well for low-key trail runs, the Vivobarefoot Primus FG can tackle more challenging backcountry conditions like slickrock, volcanic pumice, or the scorching desert floor at midday.
I wore these on a thru-hike of the Colorado Trail and was impressed by their durability. At the end of the trip, there were no holes in the upper and the seam at the feather edge was intact. While the lugs were worn to a nub at the forefoot, there were no significant signs of wear on the outsole itself. Despite being on the heavy side (although still substantially lighter than a standard trail runner), the Primus FG still performed like a minimalist shoe and promoted a mid-foot to forefoot strike that kept my foot low enough to the ground to negate any concerns of ankle roll. They also dried fast after stream crossings.
One word of caution is that this shoe should only be worn on the trail by people already accustomed to minimalist footwear, as an undeveloped arch is at risk of developing plantar fasciitis without the support of a standard trail runner or hiking shoe. —Laura Lancaster
Read Next: The Best Thru-Hiking Shoes of 2023
The substantial cushion on the Hoka Speedgoat 5 will catch your eye immediately. This feature makes this shoe the go-to for a wide range of people, from day hikers to trail runners to thru-hikers. But the stack height belies the mild heel-to-drop on this shoe, which promotes a mid-foot strike (as opposed to a heel strike), which lessens the impact on the rest of your body—especially if you’re carrying a heavy load down a steep trail.
co*pared to previous versions of the Speedgoat, the 5s have slightly less cushion but are substantially more stable. An OL staff member noted that, in co*bination with the Vibram outsole and 5mm lugs, these shoes were excellent on their state’s varying terrain. Whether backpacking or or trail running, “from solid trail to steep skree fields…my foot felt secure and supported,” they said. —Laura Lancaster
With a narrow, snug fit, this low-drop shoe is great for hikers unwilling to sacrifice stability for less weight. The stiff style and unco*promising sole give the hiker control and confidence while still offering a light and breathable feel thanks to the mesh and thin suede upper. The waterproof technology is called Nature-Tex, utilizing 50 percent recycled materials. It is one of the most waterproof shoes I’ve ever worn with no leakage, even around the laces while submerged. I stood in a creek as deep as I could go without allowing water to flow over the ankle for a few minutes and my feet stayed co*pletely dry.
While hiking I felt protected and secure in the Breeze LT NTX. The shoes only weigh 1 pound and 5 ounces, but they are designed to be durable and withstand the elements. These will certainly last a long time with proper care. If you prefer a hiking shoe that hugs every part of your foot, the Breeze is just right. While the Breeze is slender throughout, the tight space for your heel to fit caused a real problem by stiffly and aggressively rubbing the back of my foot
Read my full review of the Vasque Breeze LT NTX here
The Danner Arctic 600 performed exceptionally well on every test I threw at it. The Vibram Arctic Grip outsole (in co*bination with this shoe’s lug design) was extremely impressive. The stickiness of the traction meant I could barely tell I was walking on ice—it was almost impossible to slip with these shoes. Similarly this shoe stayed warmer than every other boot in my test while standing in the early spring runoff of the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River, and no moisture made its way into the boot. I did note, however, that this boot was the coldest at the side zipper.
The Danner Arctic 600’s side zipper was an unusual feature among the boots that I tried. While putting on and taking off boots seemingly every fifteen minutes, I appreciated that I could put on and remove these shoes without having to untie and retie the laces.
But as everyone who spends time outdoors knows, zippers represent a significant failure point on just about any piece of gear—and that goes double for waterproof zippers like those on the Arctic 600. If you are concerned about the long-term durability of the zipper (and I would be), consider not using this feature on a day-to-day basis.
Read Next: Best Hiking Shoes for Men
It turns out that the upper of a hiking boot does not help prevent ankle rolling—it’s actually the firmness of the base that does this. If you’re thinking about switching to a hiking shoe from a hiking boot, you can test this by trying to twist the base of the