Topic
Walking boots
All-round boots for footpaths, fells and moorland. Most are B0 or a soft B1: flexible enough for long days, supportive enough for rough ground.
- Typical rating
- B0 to B1
- Typical weight
- 1,000 to 1,500 g a pair
A walking boot is a balance of stiffness, ankle support and weight. Flexible B0 boots feel like trainers on good paths; stiffer B1 boots spread the load on rocky, steep and pathless ground and accept a C1 crampon in winter.
Leather boots last longer and mould to the foot; fabric boots with a membrane are lighter and quicker to break in. Weights are quoted per pair or per boot, and for a set size (often UK 8), so compare like with like.
Check your rating against crampons with the boot and crampon matcher, and your size with the size converter.
Common mistakes
- Buying a stiff B2 boot for summer footpaths: it is heavy and tiring on easy ground.
- Comparing a weight per boot with a weight per pair.
- Ordering your trainer size without checking toe room in walking socks.
Guides on this topic
- 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.Comparison
- 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.Guide
- How to choose walking bootsChoose walking boots step by step: ground first, then rating, cut, upper, membrane, fit and weight. A practical guide for first-time buyers in the UK.How-to
- How much should walking boots weigh?Typical grams per pair from walking shoes to B2 mountain boots, why weight on your feet matters over a long day and how to read the weights in Amazon listings.Guide
- What boots do you need for Kilimanjaro?Warmth on summit night, scree on the descent, days of trekking and break-in before you fly: the boot features that matter for Kilimanjaro and what to pack.Guide
Buying guides on this topic
- Best walking boots with ankle supportSix high and mid cut walking boots from Lowa, Scarpa, La Sportiva, Meindl and Mammut compared by listed cut, upper, membrane and outsole for rough ground.Buying guide
- Best lightweight walking bootsSix lighter mid walking boots from Scarpa, Lowa, La Sportiva and Salewa compared by listed weight, upper, membrane and outsole, with the trade-offs stated.Buying guide
- Best walking boots for UK hills and footpathsSeven leather and fabric walking boots from Lowa, Meindl, Scarpa, Hanwag, Salomon, Berghaus and Salewa compared by upper, membrane, sole and lining.Buying guide
- Best walking boots under £250Eight established walking boots from Salomon, Lowa, Scarpa, Salewa, La Sportiva, Berghaus and Meindl compared by upper, membrane, outsole and lining.Buying guide