The Best Hiking Shoes for Women of 2025

Whether you’re trekking through alpine trails, crossing rocky riverbeds, or exploring desert terrain, the right pair of hiking shoes makes all the difference. The best hiking shoes for women have come a long way in terms of fit, function, and style, offering lightweight support, durable protection, and trail-ready traction without sacrificing comfort.

Lead testers Micah Ling and Chris Kassar, avid hikers and trail runners, tested the top-performing models for every kind of adventure, from casual day hikes to multi-day backpacking trips. We pushed the limits of each shoe in rugged conditions in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, Wyoming’s Teton Range, and the steep, slick rock of eastern Utah. They’ve seen varied weather conditions, including snow, rain, wind, and more than a bit of sunshine. We’ve considered such details as waterproofing, weight, breathability, tread, fit, materials, and overall comfort. 

The Adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2 Low won our overall favorite award because it’s cushioned, durable, breathable, and has awesome grip. The Merrell Moab 3, our best budget option, is ideal if you’re looking for a comfortable, durable hiking shoe with a reasonable price tag. Whether you’re a thru-hiker planning to cover thousands of miles or a casual stroller, we have an ideal hiking shoe for your needs.

Editor’s Note: We updated this guide on May 11, 2025, by adding a new versatile favorite, the Salomon X Ultra 5 GTX, and a super comfy trail runner for hiking, the La Sportiva Prodigio.

Other Women’s Hiking Shoes To Take You There

Our top picks above are perfect for hitting the trail in most scenarios, but there are certainly other options we’ve tested and enjoyed as well. Check out the alternatives below before choosing the one right for you.

Women’s Hiking Shoes Comparison Chart

How We Tested Women’s Hiking Shoes

Our Expert Testers

Lead tester Micah Ling is no stranger to many miles in the mountains and the desert. She lives in a mountain town in southern Colorado, right in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains. As a regular contributor to several national outdoor publications, Ling spends as much free time as possible playing on the trail and is always thinking up a new challenge or goal. In 2022, a major magazine commissioned her to tackle as many close-to-home trails as possible in one summer. After covering thousands of miles and climbing several 14,000-foot peaks, Ling felt like she knew her backyard intimately. She also spends a fair amount of time trail running, mountain biking, and camping with her husband and pup.  

Editor Chris Kassar, an avid hiker, runner, and mountaineer, stepped in (and out on the trail) to help test many of these hiking shoes for women. Chris lives in Jackson, WY, and can often be found scrambling up a peak in Grand Teton National Park or hiking with her pup on National Forest trails, both ideal places to put shoes through the wringer.

Testing Grounds & Process

We launched our first look at the best women’s hiking shoes in spring of 2024, with six pairs. Since then, we’ve expanded our selection to bring you the picks you see today. We not only took these shoes out for various distances and on different kinds of terrain, but we also put them through the ringer when it came to weather conditions. There are certainly test perks to living in the mountains year-round.

Besides the backyard playground of mountain trails, we also have regular weekend access to Utah, New Mexico, Montana, Idaho, and Arizona. We took variety seriously in these tests since we recognize that most of you don’t buy hiking shoes for just one type of setting. We want shoes that allow us to go on all kinds of adventures in all kinds of places. 

To get a real feel for how all of these women’s hiking shoes performed in various settings, we considered weatherproof components, traction, comfort, support, and durability. We also didn’t ignore aesthetic features — how the shoes looked on our feet, and how they made us feel. Although looks aren’t everything, we know it’s important to feel stylish and have the option to easily go from trail to tavern. 

If you want to round out your kit for your next hiking adventure, check out our guide to the best women’s hiking pants, the best hiking socks, and the best down jackets for women. If you’re looking for different types of hiking footwear, check out our guide to the best hiking shoes and the best hiking boots for women.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Hiking Shoes for Women

Fit

In the cycling industry, women-specific bikes got a reputation of “shrink it and pink it,” meaning they were just men’s bikes made smaller and with “girl colors.” But there’s a lot more to making a quality women’s-specific product, especially when it comes to shoe fit. The main reason to buy a women’s hiking shoe is the fit. Many women have narrower heels than men, and many women have smaller and narrower feet overall than men.

But again, it’s not just about size. It’s also common for women to have a higher arch. Women’s-specific hiking shoes are all built with these dynamic differences in mind. Hiking shoes for women aren’t just smaller and in more feminine colors (whatever that means), they’re actually built to fit a woman’s foot better. 

Not all women have small, narrow feet or high arches. Plenty of women have wide feet, large feet, or flat feet. The length, width, and volume vary across each shoe brand. Some hiking shoes have a wider toe box area, and some run narrow throughout the heel. Each has its own version of construction that will work with some feet but not with others. 

Why Hiking Shoes?

A hiking shoe is typically low-cut, less rigid, and often more comfortable than higher or bulkier options. It can incorporate more synthetic materials, which make it more breathable and easier to move in. These days, hiking shoes tend to have many similar features to their trail-running cousins.

Many are inspired by running shoes in terms of comfort and feel, such as the Hoka Speedgoat 6, the Adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2, and the Altra Lone Peak 9. These shoes offer the same rugged tread but are paired with a more flexible upper and more breathable materials.  

Higher, sturdier footwear tends to be the go-to pick for traveling big miles, especially if you plan to carry a lot of weight, but a heavier-weight option like the La Sportiva Akasha II works with a heavy pack. But don’t assume hiking shoes can’t stand up against harsh conditions. Shoes such as the La Sportiva GTX can still perform well through various weather conditions, creek crossings, and all-day adventures.   

In general, hiking shoes are a great choice if you’re looking to hike a little faster, want something a little lighter on your feet, and prefer a little more minimalist feel. Hiking shoes can also be used for trail running, are easier to pack for trips, and do better in warmer climates where breathability can make or break your day. 

Breathability

If breathability is essential — as in, you’re going to be in warm weather with less threat of snow and rain—hiking shoes are the way to go. That’s because hiking shoes tend to be made with breathable upper materials.

Certainly, hiking in the Merrell Moab Speed 2 or the Hoka Speedgoat 6, with a mesh, breathable upper, will make you feel lighter and faster on the trails. If you want an extremely breathable option or expect to spend a ton of time walking in the water, take a peek at our guide to the Best Hiking Sandals for Women.

Stability

Stability is all about how the shoe feels underfoot. Cushioning, heel-to-toe drop, outsole materials, lugs, and ankle height affect your stability. The Merrell Moab 3, Danner Trail 2650, and the Adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2 are examples of shoes with good stability. Most people want a hiking shoe that feels stable on varied terrain, even when carrying a heavy pack, but not so overbuilt that they can’t move fast when they want to. 

Key Parts of a Hiking Shoe

Tread or Outsole

The underside of the hiking shoe is the outsole or tread — the surface that comes into contact with the ground. The outsole is made of rubber and is usually made by a different brand from the shoe company. Vibram has recently cornered the market with their outsoles, but Adidas partners with Continental, the same brand that makes tires.

Each outsole has a lug pattern that helps with traction in all kinds of conditions. While it might seem like the bigger the lugs, the better, just like tire treads, that’s not necessarily true. For example, the Cloudhorizons from On has an awesome rubber outsole with a lug pattern for traction and stability on loose debris and wet surfaces.  Hiking shoes with shallower lugs work best on fairly flat or easy-to-moderately steep trails. They’re ideal for pavement, dirt, grass, crushed gravel, and fallen leaves. Moderate lugs offer the best traction on moderately steep trails with looser surfaces like mud, gravel, or scree. If you’re backpacking or mountaineering, you’ll want shoes with deeper lugs.

The heel often also has its own special tread or “brake” system in the back of the shoe, beneath the heel, that helps provide traction. The La Sportiva Spire GTX has an “impact brake system” on the heel, made especially to avoid falls in slick conditions. This heel brake also called the heel shelf, is where there’s a shelf in the back beneath the heel of the foot that helps provide traction, too.

Midsole

When you think of midsoles, you think of cushion and comfort. This is the area between the upper, which goes over the top of your foot, and the outsole. The midsole plays the biggest role in how your hiking shoes feel. It is where the shock absorption happens and where the protection is between you and the ground. 

Some people like a closer-to-the-ground feel, like the Altra Lone peak 9, and others like lots of cushioning, like the Hoka Speedgoat 6, between them and the rocks. It’s all about preference. The midsole materials are typically EVA, which is plush and lightweight, or polyurethane, which is more dense. EVA tends to break down faster and costs less.

Upper

The upper is the area that covers the top of the foot and attaches to the materials beneath the foot, including the midsole and outsole. Upper materials can vary greatly, from rigid and waterproof to flexible mesh. 

Sometimes, upper materials include leather or suede and are resistant to weather, such as the Merrell Moab 3, and sometimes, they are synthetic and light, such as the Hoka Speedgoat 6. Upper materials are what determine its breathability. Any upper materials that are designed to be waterproof will automatically be less breathable. 

Support

There is a diverse range of foot types, and individuals have varying preferences when it comes to arch support and the overall feel of hiking shoes. For instance, the Merrell Moab 3 offers zonal arch and heel support tailored for those with high arches. These shoes are designed with a focus on support, as the arches play a significant role in supporting our body weight during hikes.
On the other hand, the Altra Lone Peak 9’s zero-drop design (meaning that the height of the heel and forefoot is the same) provides consistent cushioning throughout. This design aims to promote more natural foot movement and enhance foot strength; however, it might not be suitable for everyone and could require some acclimatization time.

Price & Value

Hiking shoes, unlike their all-leather, high-top counterparts, are generally quite affordable, typically costing no more than $200. Waterproof uppers, added traction, or extra cushioning typically increase the price tag. So, be sure to choose based on the type of hiking you typically do and your priorities.

Budget

The Merrell Moab 3 ($120) is the least expensive shoe we tested and our top pick for the best budget hiking shoe. It’s reliable, reasonably priced, and stable. But, it’s also a bit chunky and does not provide waterproof protection. The Merrell Moab Speed 2 ($140) is a lighter, more breathable option for $20 more.

Mid-Tier

Most of the shoes on this list cost $140-180, and our favorite shoes fall in this tier. If this is your price range then you have some tough choices to make. Our top overall pick, the Adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2 ($160) has the lightweight feel of a trail runner with the stability of a higher and more supportive option.  

If you’re looking for a shoe that offers a lot of cushioning and durability, then take a look at the Hoka Speedgoat 6 ($155). The Altra Lone Peak 9 ($140) is a zero-drop shoe with a wide forefoot so your toes can spread out, but it may take some getting used to if you’re new to zero-drop.

Premium

The La Sportiva Spire GTX ($209) and the On Cloudhorizon Waterproof ($190) are the most expensive shoes on the list. They’re rugged, stable, completely waterproof, and deliver added traction, so if you’ll be pushing the limits in terms of terrain or conditions, the extra money is worth it. Plus, the On Cloudhorizon shoes were the most comfortable for the longest of all the hiking shoes for women we tested. Happy feet are priceless if you ask us.

Frequently Asked Questions