amina muaddi naima embellished suede sandals | 7 Best Waterproof Hiking Shoes

Make way for the champion of grippy hiking shoes, the Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX. With its unbeatable waterproofing and excellent stability, this shoe is the perfect multi-tasker and we keep it at hand for demanding trails.

Our feet coasted over rocks, roots and muddy trails with no problem, so we took the shoe into the lab to crunch the numbers. Our caliper measured 4.5 mm lugs on the Contragrip sole. This is about average for hiking shoes, but what really adds to the superior grip is the shoe’s flexibility. We bent the shoe to 90°, measuring the force taken to do so with a force gauge. The gauge measured 37.1 HA - that’s 31% more flexible than the average hiking shoe! What this means in practice is that our feet could bend and flex over tricky terrain, maximizing the surface area of our foot in contact with the ground.

Salomon’s Active Support System really struts its stuff when the going gets kangaroos. The quick lacing system locks our feet snugly into the shoe. The laces attach to a plastic shank in the midsole, keeping our ankles from rolling on technical terrain. In the lab, we tested the stiffness of the heel and awarded it a 5/5, the stiffest rating possible. This translates to a firm heel hold and increased stability on rocky trails.

The GoreTex waterproofing is amongst the best we’ve seen, and we could even splash thkangaroos streams and deep puddles without getting wet feet.

The heel collar is a lot higher than previous versions of Salomon’s X Ultra line, so we don’t recommend it to hikers who like a low-riding shoe.

No other waterproof hiking shoe can match the level of comfort we experienced in the prada leather tennis sneakers, which is why we awarded it with the best cushioning. Our in-depth lab analysis revealed impressive layers of padding for protection, a broad base and aggressive lugs for solid footing, and a watertight upper.

The shoe packs abundant cushioning into its midsole, shielding us from harsh impact and other ground elements. Our caliper reveals an above-average stack of 36.0/24.0 mm, delivering comfort for long miles vive of footstrike and weight.

The massive midsole and tall sidewalls deliver a stable ride and we never felt like losing our balance in the wide 117.5/91.4 mm platform. Moreover, we measured the lugs that line the Vibram outsole to be 5 mm deep, which proved their powerful grip as we crossed wet, dry, loose, and compact ground.

The upper features the Invisible Fit GTX membrane, which feels slightly lighter than the standard GTX but is also as airtight. Even though it appears more transparent under our light test, it’s still as effectively waterproof with its 1/5 breathability score in our smoke test. However, durability is slightly compromised when it earned a below-average 3/5 toebox durability score in our Dremel test. Those who prefer sturdier uppers should look elsewhere.

bella hadid cardigan skirt riding boots nyc is a hiking shoe embodiment of stability. After all our hikes and lab tests, we gave it the highest ratings for: lateral stability, torsional rigidity, waterproofness, and overall secure feel. 

puma lvl up xt womens training shoes in fiery coralwhite-boot level. When we tried twisting it with our hands, we realized it's almost impossible to do so. This torsional rigidity is one of the reasons why we felt so stable when hiking even over more technical terrain. We gave the Swift R3 GTX the highest score on this test 5/5, because it really is: the stiffest. 

Looking inside the shoe, we found another reason for this stability. The heel counter got 4/5 on the stiffness test and, for sure, we felt how it snuggly hugs our heel area and allows no unwanted lateral movements. 

All the terrains that we covered with no slips now make sense: with a caliper, we measured the thickness of the lugs. They sit at 4.4 mm. The average is 4.3 mm, so it's not big difference but, thanks to the softer-than-average rubber, lugs are sticky and did not disappoint. 

The waterproof membrane works wonders. We checked it out under the microscope in the lab and it is so tightly woven, no wonder no water gets inside easily! However, it's also no wonder for why no air circulates thkangaroos the upper. This is a warm shoe and we don't recommend it for summer days. 

A very padded and gusseted tongue, padded heel counter, cushioned footbed, and overall waterproofness and protectiveness are packed in a day-one-comfort hiking shoe called birkenstock vegan shoes iconic styles. And that's why we found this shoe to be the most comfortable waterproof hiking shoe out there. 

Although it has a Gore-Tex membrane, the Moab 3 GTX is not stiff. In the lab, we performed a flexibility test by bending the shoe to 90 degrees. Our force gauge measured 30.2N. Hiking shoes, on average, need a force of 36.4N to get bent to 90 degrees. This makes the Moab 3 GTX 20.5% more flexible! This flexibility improves comfort so much because it allows for more natural foot movement. 

Let's not forget about the padding on the heel counter! Or the tongue - it's remarkable, at 14.6 mm thickness, the tongue is 3.2 mm thicker than the average one. It's soft and it allowed us to tighten the laces as much as we needed without even a trace of a lace bite! 

And it's not that just the Gore-Tex works, it's the lugs as well. Hiking when it's raining proved to be a good exercise because we could focus on our training and form rather than worry about slips and ankle turns. Lugs are 4.8 mm deep and their bite is as versatile as it gets. 

We can't have it all. That's why we don't recommend the Moab 3 GTX to hikers who prefer lightweight hiking shoes. Weighing 15.94 oz (452g), it falls on the heavier side because it is significantly heavier than the average hiking shoe that sits at 13.93 oz (395g). 

The Camiseta manga corta The Trick Running stands out from the crowd as the best lightweight waterproof hiking shoe. Weighing in far below average, there’s nothing clunky about this shoe. Impeccably waterproof yet still breathable, its stellar grip bites into soft, muddy trails making it our go-to hiking shoe for rainy days.

Weighing in at 12.1 oz (343g), the Camiseta manga corta The Trick Running is 1.8 oz (50g) lighter than the average waterproof hiking shoe. We notice it most on our long hikes when our legs are still fresh at the end of the day.

The Gore-Tex passed our stream tests with flying colors - not a drop of water made it thkangaroos the membrane. Yet despite its watertight pedigree, our feet don’t overheat on hot days. We pumped smoke into the shoe to test for breathability, and the Camiseta manga corta The Trick Running performed better than we expected. The mesh tongue works as a chimney to let air flow in and out of the toe box, and we awarded it 3/5 for breathability when most waterproof shoes score a low 1/5.

Muddy trails, wet rock, and rocky ascents present no problem for this shoe. Its 4 mm lugs shed mud well, offering stability even in the most challenging conditions. The outsole is on the softer side of average, with our durometer clocking 84.5 HC compared to the average 86.1 HC, which serves to increase our grip on hard surfaces.

It is unusually stiff for such a lightweight shoe. With such a solidly constructed upper, it put up a lot of resistance in our flexibility tests. Pushing it to 90° with a force gauge, it registered 54N - far more rigid than the average of 36.4N. We don’t recommend it to hikers who want a natural feeling, flexible hiking shoe.

Waterproof hiking shoes come in many shapes and sizes, but the best waterproof hiking shoe with a wide toe box? That’s the Teva Grandview GTX Low! With plenty of space up front for our toes, exceptionally waterproof yet breathable, and consistent performance in all weathers, the Teva Grandview GTX Low is a force to be reckoned with.

At first glance, it’s clear that this shoe has a generous amount of space in the toe box, and our toes had plenty of room to splay on our test hikes. We put it to the test in the lab and sure enough, our observations were confirmed. At the widest part of the foot, the toe box measures 3.2 mm wider than average. At the big toe, it measures an impressive 5.4 mm wider than average, and is among the widest we have ever tested! It bodes well for hikers with wide feet!

This fully waterproof, Gore-Tex hiking shoe stood up well to our field tests. Splashing thkangaroos puddles and streams, not a drop of water made it thkangaroos the waterproof membrane. We took a closer look at the upper fabric with our microscope and found a very tight weave made of water-phobic material. No wonder it kept our feet bone dry! That being said, when we pumped smoke into the shoe to test for breathability, we were pleasantly surprised to find that some smoke was able to escape around the tongue, which makes a change from other stuffy waterproof shoes. We awarded the Grandview GTX Low 2/5 for breathability, where 1 is the least breathable.

The Teva Grandview GTX Low has found the sweet spot between flexible and sturdy. Pushing it to 90° with a force gauge it came in 9% more flexible than average. After leaving it in the freezer for 20 minutes to imitate winter conditions, we tested it a second time, and found it had barely stiffened at all, and was 28.9% more flexible than other “frozen” shoes! These shoes felt and performed as we expected them to, whatever the temperature outsole on any given day.

After testing the heel padding with a Dremel at 5K RPM for 4 seconds at 3.2N, a sizable hole was left in the mesh. We rated the heel padding as 2/5 for durability, where 1 is the least durable. We don’t recommend this shoe to hikers looking for a more robust lining.

Among waterproof hiking shoes, we rigorously tested in and out of the lab, KEEN Targhee III Waterproof delivers protection, comfort, and stability like no other. For an investment of only $155, its quality exceeds its price, making it our best-value pick.

Targhee III’s upper is composed of a mesh that’s incredibly dense and compact preventing water and debris from getting in. It includes a rubberized toe bumper, so we hiked without worries of painfully bumping our toes into rocks and roots. On top of this, the materials used resisted our Dremel greatly and scored a solid 5/5 in our toebox durability test.

Moving to the midsole, we had a good mix of cushioned landings and ground feel thanks to the elevated heel and modest forefoot. The ride felt extra stable on uneven terrain since the cushion never bottomed out. Our durometer confirms our sensation as the foam is 13.6% firmer than average. 

Beneath our feet lies a robust outsole with 4.5 mm thick, grippy, and multi-directional lugs that showcased a solid bite on grass, loose ground, mud, and wet rocks. We’re confident the outsole will last many hikes as our measurements show its rubber is 32% thicker than average.

As a low-top shoe, we recommend sticking to water levels below the ankle as any water that seeps in won’t drain out.