Best Year-Round Hiking Boots for Women

Best Year-Round Hiking Boots for Women

If you’re into hiking, no matter if it’s hot summer or cold winter, but don’t have the budget to buy two pairs of hiking boots, you should focus on getting a good pair of hiking boots for year-round use.

Hiking boots that take year-round use will come with all the features and build you need for the summer and winter. They should be waterproof to protect against the snow and rain, but also breathable so that your feet stay dry in the summer and winter too. The roomier build will allow you to add a pair of woolen socks in the winter but won’t affect the boots’ stability and support. As you can see, year round hiking boots have to present many features, so the selection process is trickier than you think.

When you’re determined to get year-round hiking boots that are also reliable and tough, somethings got to give. It shouldn’t surprise you if valuable year-round hiking boots are pricey, as they come with features and build that ensures performance in hot summer and cold winter alike.

Top Year-Round Hiking Boots for Women

1. Lowa Renegade Gtx Mid Hiking Boot – Women’s

Lowa Renegade Gtx Mid Hiking Boot – Women’s aren’t just year-round boots and great boots that will take year-round use for many years. The shoes are made with 100% leather, both durable and resistant to wear, tear, rocks, and wet elements. They may feel rigid out of the box, but they will conform to the shape of your foot the more you wear them.

See reviews and pricing on Amazon

The boots come with a Gore-Tex membrane, which blocks water from entering the shoes while providing adequate ventilation inside the boots. The footwear doesn’t allow snow to get inside the shoes in the winter but will allow moisture not to build up in the summer. The footwear also comes with a Climate-Control footbed, which helps with ventilation and dry wear. Keep in mind that breathability is essential even in the winter as toasty warm toes can cause blistering.t

The high build of the boots will protect against rocks, water, debris, and roots, sustaining the leather upper’s toughness. The stabilizing shank gives the stability you need on rocky and uneven tracks, whereas the speed-lacing grommets at the top and lace-up vamp style snug the ankle for superior support and comfort. They also improve the resistance to elements without causing chaffing.

The plush padded and collar have the proper amount of padding for soft support for the ankle without sweating. The contoured heel cup keeps the heel in place for stability throughout the most technical hikes.

Even if the boots are tough and rugged, they’re made with Monowrap frame construction that lowers the weight while improving the stability for better comfort at any time. The shoes are made for women, providing rigid shank for extra support. Grippy and effective on all tracks, these boots will take the use for many years. They could use some feminine details, but looks should never seal a deal when buying year-round hiking boots.

2. Asolo Stinger Gore-Tex Hiking Boot – Women’s

Asolo Stinger Gore-Tex Hiking Boot – Women’s will make the experienced hikers happy with their buy as they come with all the bells and whistles that great boots for year-round use are supposed to come.

See reviews and pricing on Amazon

As the boots are made with suede and fabric upper, they will feel comfortable and soft right from the start. The toe box is complete, so your toes will sit comfortably. The toe cap is made with TPU rubber, which will protect the toes against strong roots, rocks, and reduce the risk of stone bruising while descending.

The Gore-Tex extended comfort lining will stop water from getting inside the boots but provide superior breathability. Therefore, moisture won’t build up but pushed away from the foot for dry wear in the summer and winter.

The list of features providing comfort is long, and it also includes the mono-density midsole for shock absorbency and soft support. The traditional lace-up system with metal hardware gives a snug fit and takes the most rugged use. The plush tongue and collar will softly protect the ankle, whereas the heel cup’s proper design will secure it in place for superior stability while hiking.

The Asolo Syncro Outsole is made with a rubber-PU combination and comes with self-cleaning lugs. The boots ensure a good grip and traction on all trails, both dry and wet or slippery tracks. Last but not least, the shoes are beautiful and make an excellent choice for summer hikes and winter thru-hikes. They’re not cheap, but that’s expected when you want reliable boots for more than just one-year use.

3. Vasque Women’s Breeze 2.0 Gore-Tex Hiking Boot

If your budget isn’t generous and still determined to get year-round hiking boots, the Vasque Women’s Breeze 2.0 Gore-Tex Hiking Boot can pass as a dependable model.

See reviews and pricing on Amazon

The boots go high above the ankle to stop snow from getting inside the winter boots but come with mesh inserts, so they don’t get too hot in the summer. The upper body is made with soft nubuck leather and breathable nylon mesh panels. They will feel quite right from the start while providing both the flexibility and support you need for hiking.

It’s a gusseted tongue for the boots, which is another feature counting for resistance against the elements, debris, and water that could get inside. Both the tongue and the collar are softly padded for pleasant support for the ankle. The boots also come with Gore-Text liner, which will block water from outside, but allow moisture to escape away from your feet. Moreover, the nylon mesh lining is also moisture-wicking, fast-drying, and padded for comfortable wear.

The heel areas are well contoured and reinforced for secure grip of the heel and stability inside the boots. The heel cup works perfectly with the rubberized toe cap that protects the toes against the elements and reduces bruising risk. The toe room is spacious, so your toes won’t get cramped inside.

The dual-density EVA footbed works with the molded EVA midsole for shock absorbency, support, and superior energy return. Thermoplastic urethane plates are built in the midsole for better support and stability.

It’s not only the features inside or the upper that recommend the boots for year-round use. The Vasque exclusive Vibram Contact outsole is made with XS Trek compound for excellent grip and traction on all trails, no matter if it’s in the summer or winter. Some feel the boots too wide, but that’s not compromising the shoes’ value, especially for the price.

What features make the hiking boots suitable for year-round use?

Not all rugged-looking boots will take year-round use; the same way, not all light hiking boots will handle the winter use. When you’re looking for year-round hiking boots, boots have to come with features ensuring reliability and performance both in the cold winter and hot summer. It’s trickier than you think.

Materials

Full-grain leather seems like an excellent choice for year-round use, but it’s not very breathable, so that it can get too hot in the summer. As long as the boots aren’t insulated, boots made with high-quality full-grain that isn’t very thick can work for year-round, mostly because they’re durable and tough.

Suede and nubuck leather can also be used for year-round boots, as it’s more breathable than full-grain leather. It’s not as tough nor naturally waterproof as full-grain leather, but it handles both the cold and the hot summer. It’s also a lot cheaper than full-grain leather.

Boots made with synthetic leather, suede/nubuck leather, and abrasion-resistant mesh are excellent year-round use choices. However, they have to be waterproof and breathable too.

Height

Low cut boots won’t get you far in the winter, even if they’re waterproof. As they stop right below the ankle, short cut boots won’t prevent snow from getting inside, especially when it’s deep snow.

Mid-height and high-cut hiking boots will make better choices for year-round use as they block the elements from getting inside, along with the ankle support and reliability for most technical tracks.

Waterproof & breathable

You won’t need waterproof boots in the summer if your trails won’t be wet and it’s not raining a lot. However, you will need waterproof boots in the winter, especially if there’s snow. Waterproof technologies (Gore-Tex is the most common) will block water and snow but without affecting breathability. You don’t want sweat to build up inside the boots, especially in the summer. Boots that are both waterproof and breathable make the best choice for year-round use.

Grip, traction, and stability

The sole should be rigid and provide stability and traction no matter if your tracks are wet, slippery, snowy, icy, rocky, or dry. All-terrain soles made with Vibram will give you grip on any trails, whereas multi-directional lugs will help with grip every time.