Best Women’s Hiking Boots (Reviews) for Beginners

If you like nature and spending time outside, you’ve probably hiked a couple of times until now. The more often you go, the more you get into it, as hiking is refreshing and pushing your boundaries in the right way.

One of the many things you learn from an early start is that many things count for your hike to be successful. From wearing a cap on a sunny day to wearing the proper pair of hiking boots, there are many aspects you have to consider so that your hike is pleasant and fun until you get back home.

Taking a look at the generous market is confusing, especially if you’re a newbie and have no idea about what makes good hiking boots.

Top Women’s Hiking Boots for Beginners

1. Danner Women’s Mountain 600 4.5″ Waterproof Hiking Boot

Beginners ready for hiking, but not necessarily for the rugged-looking boots, should make the splurge with the Danner Women’s Mountain 600 4.5″ Waterproof Hiking Boot. The shoes have a classic and elegant design, and the fashionable feel may seal the deal for many entry-level hikers.

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Apart from the elegant looks, the boots bring all the features you need for safe, comfortable, and pleasant hiking. They’re made with full-grain leather (several colors to choose from), which takes long-time use and gets softer and prettier with each wear.

The Danner Dry waterproof protection will keep your feet dry, block water from getting inside, and help sweat get out from the footwear. The collar and tongue are softly padded for soft ankle support, whereas the heel’s subtle contour keeps the heel secure throughout hiking. The metal hardware gives a durability feel to the boots, and they will be your companion for a long time.

The padding open-cell OrthoLite footbed reduces shock from impact, improving comfort while hiking. The TPU heel frame works with the nylon shank for stability and support, and the Vibram Fuga outsole is made with MegaGrip technology for excellent grip on both dry and wet trails. The laces may be too long, but that’s a minor flaw that is easy to skip when checking the whole picture.

2. Mammut Women Ducan High GTX Hiking & Trekking Shoe

Just because you’re a beginner doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aim to step up your game, especially if your hiker friends are more skilled than you. The Mammut Women Ducan High GTX Hiking & Trekking Shoe may look intimidating for a newbie, but the boots are reliable despite the technical features.

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The boots are made with textile and synthetic material so you won’t have to break-in the shoes. They present an elastic Gore-Tex tongue build, which blocks water and elements, no matter where they come from. The spring-steel stole works as a midsole, reducing the risk of deflection of the foot, but ensures better vertical support and better energy use while hiking.

The Mammut Georganic 3D technology provides the foot’s natural movement, whereas the design (geometric) works perfectly with the cuts for best fit. The asymmetrical lacing and one-sided entry are modern and provide an excellent fit. The Vibram Flextron outsole is grippy on all surfaces, providing efficient traction. We know that the boots’ looks and features may intimidate a newbie, but we all know that the only way to hike is…up.

3. KEEN Women’s Oakridge Mid Waterproof Boot

It doesn’t take long until you understand that some manufacturers already know how to make good boots for hiking. One of them is Keen, and the KEEN Women’s Oakridge Mid Waterproof Boot is a perfect model to use in your hiking early days.

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The boots come with all the features you need for less strenuous hiking and keep your feet comfortable and dry throughout the whole hike. They’re made with leather and mesh upper, so they will feel soft and like a glove right out of the box. The leather is lightweight and waterproof, whereas the Keen membrane will block water from getting inside. The Keen membrane isn’t just waterproof, but it’s also breathable, allowing moisture inside the boots escapes away from the feet.

Comfort isn’t skipped, and the hydrophobic (also means protection against wet elements) mesh lining will improve your comfort. The EVA footbed is Metatomical and useful for shock absorbency; you may easily remove it if not needed. The EVA midsole is compression-molded, which will ensure soft support inside. The padded tongue and collar will support the ankle, and the heel will stay in place. The toe cap is rubberized, which protects the toes against stone bruising. The 4mm multi-directional lugs on the sole give an aggressive grip, the traction is excellent, and the boots make an excellent buy for your early hikes. It runs a bit small, so make sure you double-check the sizing when buying.

What criterion to use when selecting your hiking boots for the first time?

It’s great that there are so many models to choose from, but it’s challenging to make a choice. Unless you know a thing or two about hiking and hiking boots, it can all get very confusing pretty fast, so some criteria are necessary when selecting your hiking boots.

Where, when?

Where you’re going to go will affect a lot the type of hiking boots you need. It’s one thing when you go for light hiking, flat and well-maintained trails, and it’s entirely different if you try the rocky and challenging tracks with your friends for the first time.

Which time of the year you go, how the weather will be when hiking is also important aspects to consider. To give you a heads up, you should always try to get waterproof hiking boots (or at least water-resistant), as the chances of running into puddles of water or have some rain are relatively high when hiking.

The material

There are plenty of things to know about the materials used on hiking boots. Leather seems like a durable choice (which is), but leather boots are more expensive than other models. Even if full-grain leather (there’s also nubuck and suede leather) is beautiful, long-lasting, and naturally waterproof, it may need a couple of wears until it gets comfortable.

Mesh, synthetic leather, or nylon resistant to wear and tear are also materials used on hiking boots. At the end of the day, it all comes down to how much money you want to spend on your hiking boots. Full-grain leather boots make the more expensive models.

Build and features

The hiking boots should have a durability feel. Just because you’re a newbie doesn’t mean that you should settle with boots that break in the middle of your hike. The craftsmanship should be fair, and the shoes should feel rugged and dependable.

A rubberized toe cap will protect the toes against stone bruising, and the contoured heel will keep the heel secure and reduce chafing, whereas a padded collar and tongue will support the ankle. If low-cut boots sound appealing to you, note that they don’t provide ankle support the same way mid-cut and high-cut boots do.

Rigid soles (Vibram is the most popular rubber for outsole), with deep and patterned lugs, will give you grip and traction, whereas an excellent lace-up design will let you get the snug fit you need when hiking.

Weight

Full-grain leather boots are typically heavier than boots made with other materials, but some technologies, the soles, and midsole may also add to your shoes’ overall weight. Should you aim for day-hikes and light hiking, light hiking boots make the proper choice.

If you plan a multi-day pack with a loaded backpack, some heavier boots will give you the stability you need for hiking and backpacking.

Comfort

No matter how great some boots look on paper, how you feel in the shoes is the only way to know if they work for you or not. Some features sure provide comfort (EVA molded midsole, well-padded and contoured footbed, the proper height of the boots, roomy toe area, etc.), but it’s only you to decide which boots are right for you.

Instead of a conclusion

One of the most common mistakes of beginners when buying hiking boots is a misfit. Knowing how the shoes should fit or how to properly try hiking boots are common mistakes, which is why newbies should gather all the info they need before buying.

Trying the boots in the evening, with the hiking socks on, are only some of the many tips to remember when shopping for your very first pair of hiking boots.