Walking boots and shoes
Boots for fells and footpaths: stiffness, membrane and fit.
Leather or fabric, B0 or B1, mid cut or low, and which size to order. Boots compared on stiffness rating, membrane, ankle height and weight per pair from the makers' own specifications.
Our top picks
All buying guides- Best approach shoes for scrambling
La Sportiva TX4 Evo GTX: suede, for rock and wet slabs
Suede · Rubber · Gore-Tex
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link - Best walking boots with ankle support
Lowa Tibet Evo GTX: calf-height leather trekking boot
Calf height · Leather · Gore-Tex
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link - Best leather walking boots for long life
Zamberlan Vioz Lux GTX RR: leather lined, Gore-Tex
Leather · Leather · Rubber
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link - Best lightweight walking boots
Scarpa Rush TRK GTX: suede mid boot, 555 g listed
555 g · Suede · Gore-Tex
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link
Boot and crampon matcher
Open the matcher →B1: Stiffened boot
Stiffened sole, no welts. Winter hill walking on snowy paths and easy slopes.
C1Suits
Flexible crampon
Strap bindings over the toe and round the ankle.
Typical use: winter walking
C2Not suited
Semi-rigid crampon
Semi-automatic: toe strap or cradle with a heel clip.
Typical use: winter mountaineering
C3Not suited
Rigid crampon
Automatic step-in: toe bail with a heel clip.
Typical use: technical climbing
Ratings are a retailer and maker convention, not a formal standard. Check the boot maker's crampon guidance.
Topics
Every kind of boot on the site, plus fit, brands and care, at a glance.
- Walking bootsAll-round walking boots for footpaths, fells and moorland, compared by stiffness, cut, membrane and weight.5 guides · 4 buying guides
- Waterproof bootsGore-Tex and leather boots for wet British hills, with men's and women's lasts compared side by side.3 guides · 3 buying guides
- B1 and B2 bootsStiffer boots for winter hills, scrambles and crampons, explained through the UK B and C rating system.3 guides · 0 buying guides
- Walking and approach shoesLow-cut walking shoes and sticky-soled approach shoes for dry trails, rocky paths and summer scrambles.4 guides · 2 buying guides
- Boot brands and rangesMeindl, Lowa, Scarpa and Salomon line-ups explained, so you can pick the right model within each range.5 guides · 4 buying guides
- Fit and sizingUK, EU and US sizes, toe room, wide fits, lacing and the fit problems that cause blisters and heel lift.8 guides · 1 buying guide
- Care, socks and repairBreaking in, cleaning, reproofing, drying and resoling boots, plus the socks and insoles that go inside them.9 guides · 1 buying guide
Calculators
Which crampons suit which boots, and your size in UK, EU, US and Mondopoint.
Common problems
Heel lift, black toenails, leaking boots and soles that wear out: causes and fixes.
- Wet feet in waterproof bootsWet feet in waterproof boots: wetted-out leather, worn membranes, water over the cuff and sweat that looks like a leak. Simple tests and the fix for each cause.
- Toes hurt on descentsWhy toes hit the front of walking boots on descents: length, heel hold and lacing. The checks to make before blaming the boot, and what to look for next time.
- Boots smellWhy walking boots start to smell and how to freshen them: washing insoles, full drying, rinsing the lining, merino socks and what not to put inside a membrane boot.
- Heel lifts in bootsWhy your heel lifts in walking boots and what to change: lacing, socks, heel grips, insoles, break-in and when the boot is simply the wrong last for your foot.
- Blisters after walksFriction, moisture and fit behind walking boot blisters: socks, lacing, break-in and what the place on your foot says about the likely cause and the fix.
Comparisons
- Waterproof or non-waterproof walking boots?When a Gore-Tex membrane helps in British weather and when it just traps sweat. Summer, winter and bog-trotting cases, plus a leather boot with and without one.
- Walking boots vs walking shoes: which do you need?Walking boots or walking shoes for UK paths? Ground, season, pack weight and wet grass decide it. A simple chooser with a boot and shoe compared side by side.
- Walking boots vs hiking boots: is there a difference?Walking boots and hiking boots are mostly the same thing in British and American English. The differences that matter are cut, stiffness and B rating.
- Trail running shoes vs hiking boots for walkingTrail running shoes or hiking boots for UK walking? Weight, drying time, wet feet, protection and support compared for bog and rock, and who should keep boots.
- Scarpa vs La Sportiva bootsTwo Italian makers compared by last width, sizing quirks and their walking, approach and mountain models, with four listings set side by side.
- Merrell vs Salomon walking bootsCushioned, roomy Merrell against snug, athletic Salomon: fit, feel and where each brand's waterproof walking boots fit UK walking, with four models compared.
Buying guides
Focused guides to one type of boot each, compared on what the listings state.
- Best approach shoes for scrambling
- Best walking boots with ankle support
- Best leather walking boots for long life
- Best lightweight walking boots
- Best walking boots you can resole
- Best walking boots for wide feet
- Best walking boots for UK hills and footpaths
- Best walking boots under £250
- Best walking shoes for hill paths
- Best waterproof walking boots for men
- Best waterproof walking boots for women
- Lowa walking boots range explained
- Meindl walking boots compared
- Salomon hiking boots compared
- Scarpa walking boots compared
Guides & advice
- What size walking boots should you buy?The thumb's-width rule, measuring feet in the evening with walking socks, when half a size up helps and how to check boot size at home before you walk in them.
- What are approach shoes and who needs them?Sticky rubber, toe rands and lacing to the toe: what approach shoes are for, where they beat walking boots on British rock and where they do not.
- Do you need walking boots for Snowdon?Footwear for Yr Wyddfa path by path: Llanberis, Pyg, Miners and Crib Goch, in summer and winter, and when walking shoes are enough and when boots are wiser.
- Walking boot size chart: UK, EU, US and MondopointFoot length in mm against UK, EU and US walking boot sizes, the common conversion rules behind them and why each brand's chart still differs a little.
- Walking boot ratings B0 to B3 explainedThe UK B and C rating ladder in one table: boot flex, typical use and crampon fit for B0, B1, B2 and B3, and why ratings are a guide rather than a standard.
- Walking boot insoles: when an upgrade helpsStock footbeds against aftermarket insoles for arch shape and volume: what each does, how insoles change boot fit, and how to size and trim them properly.