Making sure you have the right footwear when out walking is essential. This guide to hiking boots for men will help you find a perfect fit that promises to last as long as you do in the hills.

This guide only includes three-season hiking boots for men. In short, this means that they are appropriate for use in the spring, summer, and fall but not in the winter when a special winter walking boots for men would be more appropriate.

However, with advances in technology and materials, the lines between three-season walking boots and winter boots have become slightly blurred. Some hiking boots will be perfectly adequate for winter walking, especially on gentler slopes and below the snowline. More generally, these three-season boots are designed for everyday outdoor use – from country trails to moorland, hill, and mountain paths.

Our expert reviewer, Peter Macfarlane has put the best three-season walking boots for men through their paces. This guide focuses on the best walking boots for men, exclusively. If you’re looking for women’s walking boots then see our guide to the best walking boots for women. For both, see our article on the best walking boots for men and women.

If you’ve found yourself in need of a new pair of boots prematurely, you can support this investment by brushing up on waterproofing your walking boots to make them last longer. If you aren’t quite ready for a new pair of walking boots and are wondering what can be done to your current pair to make them feel fresh again, we’ve answered your burning questions on resoling or repairing walking boots.

Our picks of the best walking boots for men

How we test our walking boots

Woodland Trust ranger Peter Mcfarlane is a UK9, with a narrow heel, wide forefoot and average volume. He wore these boots regularly through 2022 and into 2023 on big hill days and backpacks, and in nature reserves and forests. Useful for gauging like-for-like performance were his deer fence inspection treks across open terrain in the Kilpatrick Hills. He weighed the boots on his own digital scales.

Oboz Bridger Mid B Dry is one of the best walking boots for men

Oboz Bridger Mid B Dry | TGO Best Buy

  • Price: $180/£160 (Available from sportsshoes.com)
  • Weight: 1220g
  • Pros: Comfort, grip, wide range of use
  • Cons: Rounded heel
  • Rating: 4.5/5

Materials: nubuck leather upper, rubber toe and heel bumper, rubber outsole | Features: Oboz B DRY waterproof lining, O-FIT insole | Sizes: 8-13 including half sizes up to 11; regular and wide fit available | Women’s version: yes

The first boot in our guide to the best walking boots for men is the Obox Bridger. The Bridger is a hybrid of standard measurements on the regular fit model, with the forefoot being D width and the heel being a C. It has a snug heel with a regular forefoot and toe box, allowing for natural walking. The sole is Oboz’s own, with aggressive lugs and rounded heel area. The B DRY liner has remained waterproof through months of regular use, and the laces are chunky with easy-to-clean hardware and a padded tongue. The footbed is simple but effective, and the ankle high enough to keep me out of the water and allow for gaiters or trousers with lace hooks.

The uppers softened in use, and they strike a great balance between protection on difficult rocky terrain and being flexible enough for comfortable walking on easier tracks.

Read our full Oboz Bridger Mid B Dry review

The Hanwag Banks II GTX walking boot, is on our list of the best walking boots for men

Hanwag Banks II GTX | TGO Recommended

  • Price: $340 / £210 – Available from amazon.co.uk
  • Weight: 1430g
  • Pros: Comfort, grip, lacing system
  • Cons: Weight, cost
  • Rating: 4/5

Materials: nubuck leather upper, Vibram rubber outsole | Features: Gore-Tex waterproof lining, extra midsole padding | Sizes: 6-14 including half sizes | Women’s version: yes

Hanwag has designed the Banks to provide durability, protection and comfort. The upper is leather and suede, the ankle cuff is high and flexible, and the ankle cuff and tongue are well padded. The lacing system is excellent, the Vibram outsole is aggressively lugged and grips across a wide range of terrain, the Gore Tex lining is still waterproof, and the leather upper should be proofable in the future. The Banks is heavy, but the excellent features offset that in use, and the high price comes partly from European manufacture.

Read our full Hanwag Banks II GTX review

Keen Ridge Flex Mid WP walking boot is on the list for the best walking boots for men

Keen Ridge Flex Mid WP

  • Price: $190 / £160 – Available from alpinetrek.co.uk
  • Weight: 1185g
  • Pros: Weight, comfort, grip
  • Cons: Heel lock feature abrades socks, bellows feature can be felt on your foot
  • Rating: 3/5

Materials: leather upper, EVA midsole, rubber outsole | Features: ridge flex bellows, KEEN.DRY waterproof lining, moulded insole, heel lock feature | Sizes: 6-16 with half sizes up to 11 | Women’s version:  yes

Keen’s Ridge Flex is an unusual and distinctive feature that is designed to make walking easier and reduce wear and tear on the boot. It features a panel of synthetic material moulded into a series of ridges to act as a bellows, stretching and contracting as the whole boot flexes. The upper is leather with synthetic overlays at the heel and toe, and the seam placement to incorporate the bellows means stitching lines in obvious wear areas. The fit and comfort are excellent, with a wide forefoot and snug heel.

The outsole is Keen’s own design with aggressive lugs, and the signature chunky Keen toe bumper helps protect toes. The laces run over a padded tongue, and the webbing lace loops and metal hooks have been easy to keep clean. Keen’s Ridge Flex takes its name from a unique feature that is designed to make walking easier and reduce wear and tear on the boot. The upper is leather with synthetic overlays at the heel and toe, and the seam placement to incorporate the bellows means stitching lines in obvious wear areas. The fit and comfort are excellent, with a wide forefoot and snug heel. The outsole is Keen’s own design with aggressive lugs, and the signature chunky Keen toe bumper helps protect toes. The basic low-profile insole works fine, and there is no need to replace it.

Read our full Keen Ridge Flex Mid WP review

Berghaus Supalite II GTX walking boot for men

Berghaus Supalite II GTX

  • Price: £165 / $16 charge for U.S. shipping – available from berghaus.com
  • Weight: 1075g
  • Pros: Light, easy-care reproofable upper, durable
  • Cons: Initial breaking in, grip
  • Rating: 4/5

Materials: leather upper, sheep leather inner, Vibram rubber outsole | Features: lightweight, one-piece leather upper, Gore-Tex lining | Sizes: 7-12 including half sizes | Women’s version : yes 

Berghaus’ Supalites are the lightest boots in the men’s selection, with a one-piece leather upper and a softer sheep leather inside. The sole is Vibram rubber and has an open and shallow tread pattern, but it struggles for grip on wet grassy or muddy terrain. The leather upper is easy to keep clean and will be easy to reproof in the future, and the inner lining protects the Gore-Tex membrane from dirt and abrasion. The lacing is a mix of metal eyes and hooks, and it runs smoothly with a little cleaning after every trip.

Read our full Berghaus Supalite II GTX review

Craghoppers Adflex Boots

Craghoppers Adflex Boots

  • Price: £150 / no U.S. shipping – available from craghoppers.com
  • Weight: 902g
  • Pros: Comfortable, grippy sole, light
  • Cons: Nothing
  • Rating: 5/5

Materials: synthetic mesh upper, overlay and reinforcement, EVA midsole | Features: high percentage of recycled materials, ghillie lacing, Aquadry waterproof lining, Vibram outsolen | Sizes: 6-13 including 6.5 and 9.5 | Women’s version: yes

The Craghoppers Adflex Boots are lightweight and comfortable, with a thick EVA midsole and thin outsole. The upper is plain with breathable synthetic mesh overlaid by plain synthetic reinforcing, and the heel has an additional thick plastic overlay. The collar and tongue are well-padded, and the lower lacing is ‘ghillie-style’. The waterproof membrane and gusseted tongue keep water out and breathability is good.

Read our full Craghoppers Adflex Boots Review

Haglöfs Duality AT1 GTX Mid

Haglöfs Duality AT1 GTX Mi

  • Price: £240 / No U.S. shipping – available from alpinetrek.co.uk
  • Weight: 1078g
  • Pros: Comfortable, grip, adaptability
  • Cons: Weight, cost
  • Rating: 4/5

Materials: nubuck leather upper, polyester mesh, rubber sole | Features: Gore-Tex waterproof lining, interchangeable insoles | Sizes: 6.5-12.5 including half sizes | Women’s version: yes

Haglöfs has developed the Duality AT1 GTX Mid, a boot with the ability to swap between two insoles. The insoles are colour-coded, with red being soft and flexible, grey being stiffer and denser. The outsole is an excellent outsole with an integral toe bumper, and the upper is mostly leather. The heel has external plastic reinforcing, and the ankle cuff and tongue gusset are knitted stretch fabric with an elastic cuff. The laces run through holes in the leather with metal eyelets higher up. The waterproof Gore-Tex lining has remained intact, and the Duality breathes well with the part-fabric upper and perforated leather panels.

Read our full review of the Haglöfs Duality AT1 GTX Mid