[~ 7 MINUTE READ ]
Let's face it, buying anything in this internet age can be a challenge...if you let it. We have so many options when we look to purchase something online it's easy to fall into "analysis paralysis"...an overwhelming number of options leaves us feeling like we will never be able to find the absolute BEST product. I mean, there's always a better deal, right?!
The way that I get around this is by adopting a principal called satisficing. The basic concept is that you should pick the first (or one of the first) products that meets your needs. You don't need to look at every option available to you, just figure out what you need and as soon you find a product that checks those boxes, buy it, then move on with your life!!
Now, there are some products that you can't use this principle for: things that are super subjective. There are other products that work extremely well for this principle: those that are completely objective. Then, somewhere in the middle is hiking footwear.
Alright, I'm gonna get a little nerdy here so if you want to skip ahead, I won't be offended. There are objective and subjective criteria when trying to choose the perfect hiking boots for you.
Objective criteria are things that are very black and white, like: the boots must have a mid-cut ankle, a Gore-Tex liner, a Vibram outsole and must be made of synthetic material. Those are things that are either yes or no, not 'in-between' or 'maybe'.
Then there are subjective criteria like: they should be breathable, stiff, and attractive. Those are not things that you can answer yes or no to. How do you measure how breathable something is? How stiff something is? There is no real way other than analyzing it yourself to decide if it meets your needs.
I want to make it clear that in this article I'm not going to be telling you about the best boots available, or give you a top 10 list of whatever. This article is solely intended to help you choose the shoes that are right for you. What questions you should be asking, what are some things you should be looking for and what are some things that really aren't that important when buying hiking shoes.
Let's get into it!
Some initial questions to ask yourself
1. Where do you do most of your hiking? How's the climate?
Is it generally hot, or cold? Wet or dry? All 4 seasons, or just 1-2? Lots of different terrain?
2. What kind of hiking do you want to use these shoes for? (short hikes, long hikes, backpacking, climbing approach, mountaineering)
Do you generally just go out for short day hikes, or do you go for extended camping trips? Are these going to be a specialty boot, or your only pair? Do you usually carry a larger pack or nothing at all?
3. What seasons will these boots be for?
Are these winter hikers? Summer hikers? Or do you want a boot that you can use for all 4 seasons?
4. Do you have any special needs for your feet? (wide feet,plantar fasciitis, weak ankles)
Physical barriers or preferences that you need to think about? Need more support for an injured ankle? Do you tend to feel cold and prefer a warmer boot year round?
5. What's your hiking style?
Do you normally hike on trail? Do you like to adventure by going off trail, wading through creeks, or rock climbing?
All of these questions will tell you a little bit about you, your hiking style, and the footwear that will best suit you! Once you answer these questions you should try to associate the answer with a feature. For instance:
Q: Where do you do most of your hiking? How's the climate?
A: Well, I usually just hike in the mountains near my house which is in the Pacific Northwest. The climate is pretty wet, rain is frequent but light. Temperatures are not particularly high or low.
You can now take that information and translate it into a few features. It rains frequently so having a waterproof boot might be a pretty high priority. Temperatures are not particularly high or low, which means you probably don't need an insulated boot, but you also don't need something super breathable like you would in a hot climate.
This is why it's important to ask yourself the right questions. So go through the list above, answer the questions and I would encourage you to write down the answers, then circle the keywords, similar to how I bolded them above. And remember, just because you said it rains frequently doesn't mean you have to make waterproof boots a priority...maybe you don't care if your feet get wet! It just helps you think about the features that you should be thinking about.
Some features to think about when buying a hiking boot
1. High, Mid, or Low ankle
2. Upper Materials - Synthetic vs Leather
3. Waterproof or Not
4. Breathable or Not
5. Insulated or Not
6. Metal or Fabric eyelet
7. Welted vs Cemented (What's the difference?)
8. Stiff vs Flexible
9. Deep vs Shallow lugs (outsole)
10. Rand or Not
This is definitely not every feature available on a boot, but it will get you started on the right path (pun totally intended). You can use the list above to help you prioritize some important features that will make your shoe buying experience a little less stressful.
What is NOT as important when analyzing a boot?
1. Looks!! There are so many reasons why you shouldn't care about how your hiking shoes look, so instead of getting into all of them let's just all agree that looks should be one of the LAST things you think about when buying a pair of hiking shoes. Agreed? Great!
2. Price. Ok, I know this is a toughy. Spending half your paycheck on a pair of boots is a hard pill to swallow, especially when there are so many cheap options out there. When I was younger and working fun, odd jobs (that paid like...nothing) I would buy hiking shoes for $20 and hope they lasted the summer. I literally wore a pair of $5 Wal-Mart slip-on's as approach shoes when I was climbing in Smith Rock, Oregon. But, that was mainly because I spent $150 on the best climbing shoes I could find!
Ok, THE POINT IS, I spent as much money as I could on the shoes that mattered. I was climbing every day and really trying to get better, so I invested in high quality climbing shoes. Guess what, those climbing shoes are still on my climbing rack. The $5 slip-on's...not so much.
Invest as much as you can on a good pair of boots. You will never, ever regret it!
In Conclusion
This is a pretty short article for a reason; I think that the process for buying a hiking shoe should be pretty simple.
Step 1: Ask yourself all of the questions above (and any others you can think of) and decide what features are associated with those answers.
Step 2: Take the features list from above and print it or copy it to a word document. Circle or highlight the features that you want, if you care about them. If you don't care about them, cross them off or delete them from the list. If there are any other features you can think of, add them to the list.
Step 3: Create a budget. Write down how much money you are actually willing to spend on a pair of hiking shoes. It doesn't have to be high, but it definitely should be something you can afford without having to eat ramen for the next month. (Disclaimer: To avoid serious bodily harm, discuss this purchase with your significant other, if applicable).
Step 4: Do your research and pull the trigger. Remember, you don't want to get stuck in analysis paralysis. I would recommend you look at a few buying guides from sources you trust and see if any of those shoes meet your requirements. If they do, look around for about 30 minutes and try to find the best deal possible. (the "Shopping" tab on your Google results is pretty good at finding the best deals). Ok...time to pull the trigger!
Step 5: Celebrate!
Do your "New Kicks" dance and celebrate the fact you now have another reason to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors!!!
Step 6: Actually get outside and take many, many steps. On trails, on the road, on your lawn, on a mountain, in a lake, in a pasture, on a boat, in a moat, with green eggs and ham, or without. I'm gonna stop now.
Alright dudes and dudets, you know what time it is. Scroll down a little further and LEAVE A COMMENT! What did you think of the list? Anything I missed or you would've removed? MOST IMPORTANTLY, show me your "New Kicks" dance, OR share a pic of your new shoes!
As always, thanks for reading!