Choosing the Right Hiking Footwear for You

Heidi Jewell, senior account manager for the Denver-based marketing agency VOCO Creative, spent her early career working as a magazine editor and web series producer in Nashville, Tennessee. When she’s not busy handling various marketing campaigns, Heidi Jewell enjoys hiking near her Denver home.

For serious hikers, proper footwear is essential. The process of choosing the right hiking footwear starts with figuring out what type of hiking you plan on doing most of the time. For shorter hikes along well-defined trails, you may be best suited for a hiking shoes. This type of footwear is perfect for hikers carrying minimal weight and it offers increased flexibility.

Meanwhile, hiking boots are ideal for trekking along rougher terrain or carrying a heavy load. Most hiking boots offer more support than hiking shoes and they often feature a stiffer, higher-cut design. Backpacking boots are even more supportive and are designed to protect your ankles and feet while carrying heavy loads across multiple days.

Once you know the type of footwear you need, you can start looking into materials. Many hiking shoes are only available in nylon or another synthetic material. They can include a lot of mesh to promote ventilation during summer days or offer waterproofing for rainy conditions. However, they can be less durable than some other footwear materials.

Since hiking boots are more sturdy, they are available in split-grain and full-grain leather. Full-grain leather is extremely durable and can handle a wider range of weather conditions. Unfortunately, it is less breathable and is heavier than other materials. If you are looking for hybrid between full-grain leather and synthetic material, you can try split-grain leather. This material is more water-resistant than synthetics, but less durable than full-grain footwear.

Heidi Jewell (Denver)
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