Best Vegan Walking Shoe
Merrell MQM Flex 3 GTX
Price: £89.95
Weight: 788g
Vegan credentials: Merrell says “Vegan friendly, uses 0% animal products”
Best for: General hiking, day hikes
What we Liked: Waterproof, lightweight, comfy
What we didn’t like: The long term durability remains to be seen
The MQM here stands for ‘Moving Quickly in the Mountains’ – and that’s exactly what you’re expected to do with these vegan boots. Designed to combine all of the best features of a trail running trainer and a traditional hiking boot into one fast, light and protective boot, the Merrell MQM Flex 3 Mid GTX is an upgrade of one of Merrell’s best-selling boots. It’s waterproof, comfy, supportive and grippy, with just the right amount of cushion. The uppers are pretty durable and the tread is excellent.
Read our full review of the shoe version of the Merrell MQM Flex 2 GTX review
Buy The Updated Merrell MQM 3 Mid GTX: £89.94 at Absolute-snow.co.uk
Best Lightweight Vegan Walking Boot
Inov-8 Roclite G 345 GTX V2
Price: £93
Weight: 690g
Vegan credentials: Inov-8 says “All of our shoes that do not include leather and/or suede are vegan”
Best for: Mountain hiking, long-distance trails
What we liked: Graphene grip, super-comfy, lightweight
What we didn’t like: The uppers are on the flimsy side
Ultra-lightweight, super-comfy straight out of the box, and featuring unrivalled traction, the Inov-8 Roclite G 345 GTX from Lake District-based brand Inov-8 is a an excellent mid boot for those who like to move fast, light and nimbly in the mountains. Its biggest selling point is the use of graphene – the world’s strongest material – in the outsole, providing top-notch grip over mixed terrain. You also get a Gore-Tex waterproof membrane to keep your feet dry and a ‘powerflow’ midsole for a cushioned ride.
Read our full Inov-8 Roclite G 345 GTX (V1) review.
Buy The Inov-8 Roclite G 345 GTX V2: £93 at Ellis-brigham.com
Best Vegan Mountaineering Boot
Arc’teryx Acrux LT GTX
Price: £350
Weight: 1,100g
Vegan credentials: Arc’teryx says “neither materials nor adhesives are animal-based”
Best for: Alpine hiking, scrambling and mountaineering
What we liked: Ankle support, protection, durability
What we didn’t like: Quite expensive, take a bit of breaking in
The Arc’teryx Acrux LT is a sleek and streamlined climbing and mountaineering boot that is perfect for three-season alpine use. In our tests, we found it offered precision and feel on steep rock and ice, with plenty of heel-to-toe stiffness, enabling the Acrux LTs to be paired with C2 crampons.
The upper is made from an ultralight woven polyester fabric called ‘SuperFabric’. This looks and feels a lot like ballistic nylon and, similarly, is designed to be flexible but exceptionally abrasion resistant.
This boot is not directly marketed as vegan, but Arc’teryx told us: “The Acrux LT GTX is considered to be vegan, no materials nor adhesives used on this particular model are animal-based products.”
Read our full Arc’teryx Acrux LT review.
Buy The Arc’teryx Acrux LT GTX: £350 at Arcteryx.com
Best Value Vegan Hiking Boot
Keen NXIS Evo
Price: £105.70
Weight: 429g
Best for: Light trails
What we liked: Comfortable fit, good weatherproofing, lightweight
What we didn’t like: Lack of long term durability
What we really liked about these during our tests was their comfortable fit. As it typical of Keen boots, they have a loose toe box that allows a bit of wiggle room, but they also don’t fall short on protection and support. Like many of the boots on this page, these are best suited to three-season hikes and on terrain that isn’t too technical or challenging. They do offer protection from wet weather and we found that they can capably block out sharp stuff underfoot, but the walls of the uppers are on the thin side. At 4mm in depth, the lugs provide enough grip on light to medium trails, but we found they did fall short on very steep and muddy slopes.
Keen make a few other vegan-friendly boots and shoes, including the Terradora, the Uneek and the Newport H2.
Read our full Keen NXIS Evo review.
Buy The Keen NXIS Evo: £105.70 at Amazon.co.uk
Craghoppers Adflex
Price: £82.50
Weight: 355g
Vegan Credentials: Craghoppers say “this style is 100% synthetic”
Best for: Long-distance hiking, an all-rounder hiking shoe
What we liked: Recycled materials, mouldable footbed, very comfy
What we didn’t like: Feels a little thin on the upper
During our tests, we found the Craghoppers Adflex to be a great all-rounder hiking shoe, with a very good price point. We tested the women’s version in Ireland this month in the Dartry Mountains of Leitrim, and around the trails and shorelines of Fermanagh, and found that it held up very well.
Featuring 100% waterproof AquaDry fabrics, an impressively mouldable build, and some secure Ghillie lacing, there’s a whole bunch of cool features here. In particular we like the NosiLife insect repellant treatment and can see it working well in the likes of the Scottish Highlands when facing the pesky Scottish Midge.
OM tester Jazz Noble said: “The ADAPT EVA midsole combined with a foam Arneflex insole made for some very comfy hikes. You can really feel the shoe moulding to your foot the moment you start using it. The outsole felt light and bouncy too, with a solid amount of protection from rocky terrain underneath. I used it in some pretty wet conditions in the north of Ireland and it felt very secure on slippy surfaces.”
“Craghoppers have made a good effort on sustainability here too, with a nice amount of recycled content all throughout the boot. They’re actually vegan-friendly too. I’m intrigued to see if it holds up to the test of time as the upper is thinner than my usual choice of boot. That being said, there is a hardy-feeling toe cap for some reassurance. I’d also recommend sizing up as they run a little small.” Stay tuned for updates as we continue our testing.
Buy The Craghoppers Lady Adflex Boots: £82.50 at Decathlon.co.uk
Lowa Trek Evo Mid
Price: £190
Weight: 570g
Best for: Three-season hiking and backpacking
What we liked: The fact it can be resoled, grip and protection
What we didn’t like: Nothing
This is an excellent boot that really impressed us in our tests. In fact, it made it into our list of the best walking boots full stop (vegan or not). One great aspect about it is that it has a two zone lacing system, letting you tweak the fit at the forefoot and at the top of the ankle to get a really precise and secure fit. We also liked the overall balance between durability, protection and breathability and the grippy rubber compound and the lug design which offers trail running shoe-like bite.
As well as being fully vegan, these boots are also free from PFCs and, perhaps best of all, they’re designed so that they can be resoled if and when the outsole’s grip wears out – that’s something you don’t often tend to see with modern, fully synthetic boots.
Read our full Lowa Trek Evo review.
Buy The Lowa Trek Evo Mid: £190 at Amazon.co.uk
La Sportiva Trango Trek GTX
Price: £188
Weight: 820g
Vegan credentials: La Sportiva says it has boots “without any animal components…for vegan customers”
Best for: Winter, mountaineering, technical hiking
What we liked: Sturdy, durable, supportive
What we didn’t like: Quite expensive
Designed for rugged, rocky adventures, this boot is sturdy, durable and very protective. Just like the Arc’teryx Acrux Lt, this is a true mountaineering vegan boot. It has a waterproof Gore-Tex lining that will keep your feet dry, even if you’re plodding through a river, marshes, or the heavens have opened above you and an abrasion-resistant polyester has been used on the upper alongside a patented TPU Thermo Tech Application, ensuring superb durability. This is a three-season option that has been built to take scrapes, to grip on rocks, and to take the wear and tear that the wild can throw your way. The Vibram Mulaz outsole has a technical edging platform and aggressive rear lugs which offer fantastic grip and traction and will mean you won’t have to worry about your step nearly as much as in a lesser boot.
Read our full La Sportiva Trango Trek GTX review.
Buy The La Sportiva Trango Trek GTX: £188 at Absolute-snow.co.uk
Haglöfs L.I.M Proof Mid
Price: £89.95
Weight: 385g
Vegan Credentials: Proof Eco, fluorocarbon free and bluesign® approved membrane, recycled lining, climate neutral company
Best for: Trail walking, three-season hiking, city life
What we liked: Ultralightweight, waterproof
What we didn’t like: Slightly flimsy upper and loose support at ankle
This is a hiking boot that’s designed with fast and light adventures in mind, with the core essentials focussed and the materials refined to bring that gramme-count as low down the scale as possible. As we’ve come to expect from Haglöfs, there are some admirable eco aspects to it as well.
The upper is relatively thin, with mainly just a breathable mesh with TPU reinforcements and foam padding around the ankle. Then of course there’s the waterproof membrane, which is Haglöfs’ own Proof Eco, a fabric that’s made either from recycled or bluesign approved materials that are completely free from the environmentally hazardous PFCs often used for waterproof footwear. The outsole is much like the kind of one you’d find on a trail running shoe, with 4mm multi-directions lugs and a fairly sticky rubber compound bringing a decent bit of grip to proceedings.
Selected for our Outdoor 100 – Read our full Haglöfs L.I.M. Mid Proof Eco review.
Buy The Haglöfs L.I.M Proof Mid Boot: £89.95 at Absolute-snow.co.uk
Merrell Moab Speed GTX
Price: £69.99
Weight: 315g
Vegan Credentials: Recycled and vegan-friendly materials throughout
Best for: Trail hiking, three-season use
What we liked: Good eco aspects, light but sturdy
What we didn’t like: Nothing
This shoe from Merrell is designed for those who prefer to feel light-footed and agile on the trail. It’s a hybrid-type trainer, one with the comfort of a running shoe or sneaker but the protection of a walking shoe. At just 315g, it’s 130g lighter than the previous Moab, but during our tests, we’ve found it just as stable, comfortable and protective.
Most impressive, however, are Merrell’s new sustainability efforts, aiming to lower the overall impact of their products on the environment. They’ve swapped out a bunch of materials for recycled ones including the laces and the mesh lining, for instance, which use a material produced from recycled plastic bottles. The footbed additionally uses a 50% recycled top sheet material and the Vibram sole is made from a minimum of 30% recycled rubber.
Selected for our Green Gear Guide – Read our full Merrell Moab Speed GTX review.
Buy The Merrell Moab Speed GTX Shoes: £69.99 at Sportsshoes.com
Salomon Outpulse Mid GTX
Price: £69.99
Weight: 380g
Best for: Light trails
What we liked: Very light and nimble, good weatherproofing
What we didn’t like: Not much foot protection or ankle support
We’re currently in the process of double checking this is fully vegan (we’ll update this when we hear back from Salomon), however to the naked eye it appears it’s at least free from animal derived textiles. The upper is made from a stretchy synthetic mesh backed by a Gore-tex waterproof membrane and there’s a small TPU coating at the toes to add a bit of robustness there.
In our tests, we found these to be light, nimble and great for hikes in warm weather. They also have a casual look so these have potential both on and off the hill. Those who like a solid and protective boot might want to look elsewhere as they have quite a bit of flex and relaxed feel and fit.
Read our full Salomon Outpulse review.
Buy The Salomon Outpulse Mid GTX: £69.99 at Sportsshoes.com
On Cloudrock 2
Price: £166
Weight: 405g
Best for: Three-season hiking and casual wear
What we like: Lightweight, breathable, comfortable
What we don’t like: Some lack of durability and the sole is prone to clogging
What’s most notable about these when you first try them on is the feel of the ‘clouds’ on the outsole. These are essentially hollow rubber pods that are designed to closely respond to the wearer’s own stride and gait. These create a noticeably springy feel and make your step feel nice and smooth and while the initial feeling stands out, you do quickly get used to it. Their downside, we found, is that the pods can end up getting clogged up with dirt and debris. OK, most shoe soles end up attracting muck, but these seem to attract just that bit more. They’re also quite light and, while this might suit those who like to feel fleet footed, it does also mean that these aren’t the most hardy durable of boots out there.
Still, from our tests, these were comfortable, grippy on a range of surfaces, waterproof and breathable. They’re a little on the cold side for deep winter days, but they suit three-season hiking well.
They’re free from leather and other animal products – you can count on them being entirely vegan.
Read our full review of the original On Cloudrock.
Buy The On Cloudrock 2: £166 at Alpinetrek.co.uk
The original version of this article was written by James Forrest. Recent updates have been made by Will Renwick.
