Best Walking Shoes – Our Favourites

Each of the products we’ve included in this guide have been featured in our Outdoor 100 or Green Gear Guide series. For the latest, check out our Outdoor 100 2022/23 and our Green Gear Guide.

• AKU Rock DFS GTX – Best Walking Shoe
• Danner Trail 2650
• CimAlp Drop Control – Best Value Walking Shoe
• Adidas Terrex Free Hiker
• Arc’teryx Norvan SL GTX
• Salewa Alp Trainer 2 Gore-Tex
• The North Face Vectiv Exploris Futurelight
• Altra Lone Peak 5.0
• Black Diamond Technician
• Merrell MQM 3 GTX

There’s also good support at the back of the heel thanks to what Danner call their EXO Heel System. This also serves to pocket your heel and prevents it sliding about.

Other things we dig include the quality suede leather and the Vibram outsole with multi-directional lugs for a bit of grip on dusty or muddy trails.

Full Specifications

Also available in a women’s version / EVA footbed / TPU shank / waterproof option available / mesh-lined / Vibram 460 outsole / removable ortholite footbed / 8mm heel-toe drop.

Read our full Danner Trail 2650 walking shoe review

Adidas Terrex Free Hiker

Price: £170
Weight: 382g
Best for: Fast hiking
Key attributes: Lightweight, well-cushioned

The Free Hiker is arguably one of the biggest releases from Adidas Terrex this season; a hiking boot that features their trademark running technology – Boost. Boost is essentially a foam-based midsole that offers large amounts of cushioning with quite a springy feeling whilst you’re walking. It makes for an impressive amount of comfort on the trails that you’ll be thankful of after a few miles in your legs.

Also underfoot, you’ve got a Continental rubber outsole with 5mm lugs that wouldn’t look out of place on a trail running shoe. It’s these lugs that give some great traction over the trails. Another similarity to a trail shoe is the weight of the Free Hiker – 382g – something that you’re again going to appreciate as you start logging those miles.

Full Specifications

Sizes 5 – 14 (UK) / available in men’s and women’s / Primeknit upper with abrasion-resistant weldings / Continental rubber outsole / Boost midsole / midsole drop: 10 mm (heel 33 mm / forefoot 23 mm) / moulded TPU toe cap / heel cap for stability on the heel.

Selected for the Outdoor 100 2020/21 – take a closer look at the Adidas Terrex Free Hiker here

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Arc’teryx Norvan SL GTX

Price: £130
Weight: 235g
Best for: Approach, fell running
Key attributes: Lightweight

As the SL in their name points out, these are some super, super light shoes. They’re actually primarily designed as shoes for climbers who want to run between their climbs, or run rather than walk on their approach to a wall. In fact, there’s a little loop on the back of them so you can clip them onto your harness.

As is the case with many of the other shoes on this page, while these might be designed primarily for running, they’ll still suit hikers, particularly those who are conscious of keeping their gram-count down wherever possible.

One of the most interesting things about the Norvan SL is that it uses Vibram’s new Litebase technology. This sees a 40-50% reduction in rubber thickness when compared to standard Vibram soles, which in turn results in a 25-30% decrease in the overall weight of the shoe, and all without  any difference in the lug depth or thickness.

Full Specifications

Available for men and women and in half sizes / TPU plate at the forefoot / Vibram MegaGrip outsole with Litebase / 3.5mm lugs / 7mm drop / mesh upper.

Salewa Alp Trainer 2 Gore-tex

Price: £160
Weight: 370g (women’s)
Best for: Hiking and trekking
Key attributes: durable construction, quality materials, comfortable build

Light but protective and supportive, grippy over a variety of terrain and comfortable over long distances too, whether it’s a morning of scrambling or a whole day on a trail, the Alp Trainer 2 is right at home in whatever situation.

The Alp Trainer 2 comes armed with all the features you’d expect from a walking shoe, such as a grippy and robust Vibram outsole and waterproofing courtesy of a Gore-tex liner. At 964g per pair, they’re lighter than much of the competition, making them a solid choice for adventurous peak baggers, scramblers, hut-to-hut hikers and long-distance trekkers.

The women’s version of this is made with a women’s specific last designed to properly cater for female feet. A men’s fit is also available and there’s a mid cut variation for those who prefer a higher ankle.

Full Specifications

Available in men’s and women’s versions / reinforced rand / Flex Collar / Gore-tex membrane / Vibram sole / Eva foam midsole / heel stack height 30 mm / toe stack height 20 mm.

Read our full Salewa Alp Trainer 2 Gore-Tex review

Inov-8 Trailroc G280

Price: £140
Weight: 280g (per shoe)
Best for: Trail running
Key attributes: Durable, lightweight

This is a shoe for trail, mountain and fell running in hard and rocky terrain. It features a super-durable graphene-based outsole with 4mm chevron shaped lugs for traction. The midsole features a full length lightweight shank to provide a little bit of rock for energy return and to block out any sharp and hard stuff underfoot. The upper has a tough, durable and structured feel to it but without making the Trailroc feel heavy or too stiff and constricting. It’s mostly mesh with plenty of PU lamination and a protective toe bumper.

Full Specifications

Available for men and women and in half sizes / 8mm drop / 6mm footbed / 4mm lug depth / Power Flow midsole / 20mm heel / 12mm forefoot / Meta Plate shank / Tri-C Sticky sole compound.

Selected for the Outdoor 100 2020/21 – read our full Inov-8 Trailroc G280 trail shoe review

Altra Lone Peak 5.0 

Price: £130
Weight: 301g
Best for: Thru-hiking and trail running
Key attributes: Wide toe box, ‘barefoot’ design

The thing about the Altra Lone Peak series that perhaps makes it so endearing to trail runners its shape. It features a close-fitting heel and midfoot but then it also has what you could say is an unusually large toe box. It looks almost laughably big but it really comes into its own on days with big mileage, where your feet will start to swell a touch and splay out.   

The Lone Peak 5.0 is a neutral shoe in that there’s no ‘drop’ – meaning there’s no slope or offset from the heel to the toe. Running in this, you’ll therefore find that it promotes a mid to forefoot landing, thus reducing the amount of pressure and shock going into your heels.

The stack height is still pretty high though. In fact at 28mm it’s the thickest midsole that we’ve seen so far within the Lone Peak’s lineage. The midsole has been swapped too, now featuring an Altra EGO foam for better longevity and responsiveness, whilst the outsole has slightly wider lug patterning for better mud-shedding abilities.  

The main thing to note about the upper on the Lone Peak 5.0 is that it comes with laser perforated holes to promote drainage. Similarly handy details include TPU reinforcements at the toes and around the heel for protection, a little finger tab to help pull the shoes on and off, and then, as on previous versions, there are hoops and Velcro for attaching mini gaiters. 

Full Specifications

Close-fitting heal and midfoot / large toe box / no drop / mid to forefoot landing / 28mm stack height / Altra EGO foam midsole / hidden mesh sole unit for foot protection / 4mm chevron lug patterns / laser perforated holes in the upper / TPU reinforcements at the toes and heel / finger tab / hoops and Velcro attachments.

Chosen for our Outdoor 100 2021/22. Read our full Altra Lone Peak 5.0 review.

Black Diamond Technician Approach Shoe

Price: £130
Weight: 340g (per shoe)
Best for: Approach, scrambling
Key attributes: Supportive, durable

This is a fairly serious approach shoe, one that leans heavily towards climbing. It’s the kind of shoe that you’d want for those approaches that are short but serious; where you need something very precise for edging but also need underfoot protection for scrambling, along with a bit of cushioning underfoot for the sections where you’re walking on rocky trails.

At 340g per shoe the Technician Approach is very lightweight for its category. That’s largely due to its thin upper which is made from what Black Diamond call EnduraKnit. This isn’t to say it’s flimsy up top though. You could still expect it to shrug off any rough rock, and you’ve also got that solid toe bumper and PU rand to help with longevity as well. What’s particularly impressive about the toe bumper is that it’s shaped to give a clear line of sight for precise foot placement. It also tucks underneath the EVA in the midsole to add a bit of extra stiffness.

Full Specifications

Sizes men’s UK 5-13, women’s UK 3-8.5 / One piece EnduroKnit upper / BlackLabel-Mountain rubber outsole / Rubber toe protection / EVA midsole for stiffness and comfort / Graduated fit system / Lightweight, moulded TPU midfoot strap and lace lock

Selected for our Outdoor 100 2020/21. Read our full Black Diamond Technician approach shoe review

Merrell MQM 3 GORE-TEX

Price: £130
Weight: 640g
Best for: Fast Hiking
Key attributes: Locked-in fit, recycled materials, GTX membrane, Vibram sole

Merrell have developed a new iteration of their classic walking shoe, 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 hiking boot. New changes include a refined, more locked-in fit and a sole that was developed as part of an exclusive collaboration between Merrell and Vibram.

The upper is thin but made from durable materials and there’s padding where you need it, including on the tongue and around the heel. TPU overlays give a bit of added protection to the walls of the shoe, particularly around the toe. The Gore-tex membrane extends throughout the upper and links with the tongue via gussets, so there’s all-round waterproof protection.

The sole unit contains a nylon shank under the arch of the foot and a rock plate, so there’s plenty of protection from sharp rocks and roots. Merrell’s proprietary foam brings cushioning and shock absorption to proceedings too, but not so much that it causes a loss of that ‘feel’ for the trail underfoot either.

The rubber sole, on the other hand, uses a compound is called Vibram TC5+ and it’s designed to give you traction on all levels of surface and in all conditions – though it will have its limitations on things like super slimy or icy rock.

Full Specifications

Padding on tongue and heel / TPU overlays on upper / Gore-Tex membrane / nylon shank and rock plate in sole / cushioning and shock absorption from Merrell foam / Vibram TC5+ rubber sole / lug depth: 5mm / forward facing chevrons on ball of foot (upward traction) / backward facing chevrons on heel (backward traction) / 100% recycled mesh lining, lacing and sections of webbing / 50% recycled removable EVA footbed.

Read our full Merrell MQM 3 GTX review. 

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