Curated Camping & Hiking experts help thousands of customers every season find the right gear within their budget. Check out their most recommended hiking shoes under $250, and then be sure to chat with an expert here on Curated for free advice and recommendations on the best shoe for your needs.
- LOWA - EXPLORER GTX MID WMNS - 8 - REGULAR - Anthracite/Turquoise
- SALEWA - MTN TRAINER LT MD GTX W - 7.5 - Feld Green/Fluo Cora
- Columbia - Newton Ridge Plus WTPF - 9.5 - Elk Mountain Red
- COLUMBIA - NEWTON RIDGE PLUS II WTPF M - 9.5 - WIDE - Cordovan Squas
- MERRELL - FORESTBOUND MID WP MENS - 10 - Cloudy
- SALEWA - MTN TRAINER LT MD GTX M - 11 - Black Out/Carrot
- Salewa Women's Dropline Hiking Shoes in Field Green/Fluorescent Coral, Size 7
- TECNICA - PLASMA MID S GTX MENS - 13.5 - Dk Piedra-Fh Lava
- VASQUE - BREEZE AT GTX M - 10.5 - REGULAR - Magnet
- Keen - Terradora II Mid WP - 10 Canteen/Andorra
LOWA - EXPLORER GTX MID WMNS - 8 - REGULAR - Anthracite/Turquoise
This shoe is best for rugged backpacking trips where support and comfort are top priorities. It provides a ton of stability, and the traction is stellar even on wet surfaces.
Great for hiking and backpacking, providing ample support and great water protection. This boot is great all around for stability, traction, comfort and water resistance.
This shoe is rugged and solid in support. The traction in wet conditions is wonderful and it has extra support in the heel.
SALEWA - MTN TRAINER LT MD GTX W - 7.5 - Feld Green/Fluo Cora
This shoe is the most recommended women's hiking shoe of 2021, and for good reason. It's at a great price and has a comparable weight to a trail runner, making it great for keeping things light!
Providing ankle support for backpacking and long hikes with comparable weight to a trail runner.
Waterproof and breathable, built for comfort and support during long hikes.
Columbia - Newton Ridge Plus WTPF - 9.5 - Elk Mountain Red
A durable, waterproof mid hiking boot with full-grain leather that offers improved water resistance and abrasion resistance for more rugged terrain. These boots have a good weight at 1.7 lbs and offer a semi-breathable membrane. Great for longer trips or heavier loads.
A comfortable and durable hiking boot with a lightweight and cushy mid sole and grippy outsole for traction on any surface.
Lightweight, grippy, and supportive for hiking and backpacking.
COLUMBIA - NEWTON RIDGE PLUS II WTPF M - 9.5 - WIDE - Cordovan Squas
A mid hiking boot with full-grain leather that offers improved water resistance and abrasion resistance for protection in rugged terrain. These boots have a weight of 1.9 lbs and offer a semi-breathable membrane. Great for longer trips, rugged terrain, or heavier loads.
A mid-ankle boot with water resistance. Columbia boots tend to be very comfortable. This pair has great traction and is very affordable.
MERRELL - FORESTBOUND MID WP MENS - 10 - Cloudy
Designed with comfort at the forefront of this endurance-ready boot, the removable contoured insole gives you a ton of flexibility and support along with the molded nylon arch shank. This boot features a lightweight EVA foam midsole to keep weight down while keeping support and comfort high. Merrell's sticky rubber outsole has adaptable traction with 5mm lugs to ensure that even the most technical terrain can't stand in your way.
SALEWA - MTN TRAINER LT MD GTX M - 11 - Black Out/Carrot
Great for moving fast in the mountains, while being supported. It's constructed of lightweight, but strong materials to transform you into a mountain goat!
Great, fully supportive synthetic design with a GORE-TEX liner - fully waterproof and highly supportive.
Salewa Women's Dropline Hiking Shoes in Field Green/Fluorescent Coral, Size 7
This is a great show for everything from fast approaches to longer day hikes. The extra cushion is forgiving and they will keep your feet dry if you encounter rain or wet conditions.
TECNICA - PLASMA MID S GTX MENS - 13.5 - Dk Piedra-Fh Lava
This high performance boots feature Vibram Megagrip soles for incredible traction, bombproof Gore-tex waterproofing, and a breathable synthetic fabric. The mid-cut also provides a moderate level of ankle support.
This high performance boots feature Vibram Megagrip soles for incredible traction, bombproof Gore-tex waterproofing, and a breathable synthetic fabric. The mid-cut also provides a moderate level of ankle support.
VASQUE - BREEZE AT GTX M - 10.5 - REGULAR - Magnet
With a waterproof, breathable GoreTex membrane, these shed water, move moisture and offer great traction, stability, support and comfort for day hikes to longer outings with weight on your back.
Keen - Terradora II Mid WP - 10 Canteen/Andorra
Waterproof hiking boots that offer great comfort and traction for long days on the trail! Very highly reviewed by users. Natural odor control keeps the shoes fresh.
KEEN - PYRENEES MENS - 11 - Syrup
Designed for longer backpacking trips in mind, comfort is at the forefront of the Pyrenees. Dual density compression molded EVA midsole is going to keep your feet from fatiguing over the course of putting miles behind you. 4mm multi directional lugs on the outsole give you optimal traction when the terrain gets a bit more variable. As well as KEEN.DRY waterproof breathable membrane and waterproof nubuck leather upper, you'll be dry and comfy throughout your excursions!
A blend of all-leather construction with waterproofing durability. A classic boot built for long distances.
Lowa- Renegade GTX MID Mens - 11 - Wide - Sepia/Sepia
This lightweight over-the-ankle boot is perfect for more maintained trails of any length. The Vibram sole guarantees fantastic traction, and the Gore-tex liners will keep your feet dry all day long!
TEVA - GRANDVIEW GTX MENS - 11 - Chocolate Chip
Great boots for day hiking or backpacking! Waterproof and comfortable with sturdy durable vibram rubber soles.
TECNICA - PLASMA S WMNS - 6 - Black Deep Fiori
No break in needed for these hiking shoes. They are lightweight and offer great traction. These hiking shoes features a CAS (custom adaptive shape) uppers and footbed which are heat-moldable for the perfect fit.
No break in needed for these hiking shoes. They are lightweight and offer great traction. These hiking shoes feature CAS (custom adaptive shape) uppers and footbed which are heat-moldable for the perfect fit.
SALEWA - DROPLINE WMNS - 10 - Feld Green/Fluo Cora
This is technically a "speed hiking shoe" but that just means that it'll be lighter weight and nimble. Since these are for speed hiking and trail running, they have a lot of cushioning and support in the mid-soles with super aggressive traction!
VASQUE - TALUS AT ULTRADRY M - 10 - REGULAR - Dk Earth/Avacado Ud
These boots have a high ankle for plenty of support on uneven terrain, a very grippy Vibram sole, and have an ultraDry waterproof membrane to keep your feet day all day long. They also weigh in at only 1lb 13oz for the pair.
ALTRA - TUSHAR BOOT WMNS - 7 - Black/Purple
These mid ankle hiking boots offer increased flexibility and performance. They are both waterproof and breathable with an outsole that provides great traction on terrain in any environment. Designed for comfort and performance.
LA SPORTIVA - TX 4 WMNS - 40.5 - Carbonaqua
This shoe was built for the routes you're describing. Performance fit, very stiff for edging control and super sticky outsole. This can tackle double duty with hikes in and exists as a middle ground for when you need to put in miles and require precision for technical footwork on class four and above rock scrambles.
VASQUE - ST ELIAS FG GTX MENS - 9 - WIDE - Cognac
Waterproof GTX liner in a solid boot! No break-in needed with these guys, comfortable out of the box! Vasque exclusive Vibram outsole for great grip!
SALEWA - ALP TRAINER 2 MID GTX M - 11 - Wallnut/Fluo Orange
The Alp Trainer 2 Mid's are equipped with a GORE-TEX Extended Comfort membrane providing more longevity out of the waterproof and breathable upper. Salewa's Multi Fit Footbed Plus features interchangeable layers to fine tune fit and volume! An improved Vibram Alpine Hiking outsole is exclusive to Salewa, and boasts unparalleled traction in virtually any conditions when out on the trail.
LOWA - ZEPHYR GTX MID TF - 10.5 - Coyote Op
Featuring polyurethane frames and midsoles so your feet are cradled in a manner than increases stability, rebound and comfort but gives a pretty big reduction to overall shock from your foot strikes. Climate controlled footbeds along with GORE-TEX linings to keep your feet from either overheating or getting too cool, but also keeping things dry. Not to mention the nylon stabilizer to ensure that when your load gets heavier your knees and back don't suffer.
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