Best Outdoor Shoes for Camping and Exploration Reviewed

The outsole is one of the most important parts of an outdoor shoe, especially for hiking. Unlike ordinary shoes, many outdoor activities require a particular kind of outsole. Hiking shoes must have a thick rubber outsole to for decent performance in off-road terrains. Materials other than rubber (or derivate) are not recommended for hiking shoes.

The best hiking shoes have an adherent or “sticky” rubber component that maximizes contact between the outsole and any surface. This kind of technology is what you should be looking for in an outdoor shoe.

There’s a significant difference between the grip of a basic running shoe’s outsole and a hiking shoe’s outsole. For starters, the quality of the grip on the best hiking shoes is much, much superior. The outsole of an outdoor shoe must be able to grip to rocks, uneven surfaces, mud, dirt, and more. When going hiking, you want to make sure you can completely rely on your outsole. At the end of the day, the outsole grip is what determines the outcome of each step.

The main factors that define the quality of an outsole are its materials, the grip, the stability, and responsiveness. Poor materials will result in an entirely degraded outsole in one month. A weak grip is something you just can’t have in your shoe; it’s a 100% you’ll-fall-guarantee. The sole can’t be too high, as stability would decrease. If you want stability, you can’t float in an 8cm sole. Lastly, a responsive outsole protects you from having smashed heels after hiking or trail running for 30 minutes.

There’s a little bit of a difference when it comes to the durability of an average shoe vs. an outdoor shoe. The main difference is that you can use your outdoor wear as walking shoes – and look good while doing so. But it doesn’t work like that the other way around. Using your casual walking wear will make you look more like a newbie, not to mention that those shoes are going to get totally wrecked.

It’s as simple as this: regular shoes can’t endure outdoor activities. You need materials that resist rocks, scratches, water, and heavy duty usage. Think of it as placing a big motor in a small car, and the other way around. The small car still works with a larger engine, but the big one can’t run with a smaller one.

When going on outdoor adventures, you’ll encounter roots, mud, dirt, water, debris, rocks, and another bunch of obstacles. The issue is not what you encounter, what is important is that your shoes are prepared for it. We know outdoor shoes are not cheap, which is why we gathered a list of durable shoes that feature resistant builds. Nobody likes throwing money down the drain, just like nobody likes having to replace shoes after one month.

You have two options when it comes to durable materials: leathers and synthetics. The toughest one is unquestionably reverse full-grain leather. However, other factors such as weight, waterproofing, and versatility play a role when choosing materials. For camping and other light outdoor activities, rubber shoes are also a great choice, along with mesh uppers as these will remain breathable as well as offering waterproof or quick drying properties.

Trekking, hiking, and trail running are unquestionably rough activities. This goes for both our feet and our shoes. It’s important that the materials are sturdy enough to protect the pump from degrading. However, it’s even more important to protect our feet. Multiple factors have an impact on the protection the shoe provides to our feet.

There are three kinds of outdoor shoes: low cut, mid cut, and high cut. The most protective of them all is unquestionably the high cut. It covers up to the shin, offering maximum protection. Though the cut you need depends on the activity you’re looking to perform. For something versatile like trail running, high boots are the last option on the list. For something like backpack trekking or hiking, consider taking mid or high cuts.

Waterproofing is one of the most important factors that affect protection. Depending on the activity and the surroundings, waterproof protection might or might not be essential. However, if there are any chances you’ll have to deal with water, waterproof shoes make a huge difference. Water has a chain of effects on the performance if you’re not prepared for it. For starters, it will soak your feet affecting comfort, fit, and stability in every motion. The boot will also become significantly heavier if the materials absorb water instead of repelling it.

Some outdoor shoes have a distinctive tongue design that prevents debris from going into the shoe. We highly recommend looking for shoes with this feature. Anyone who’s hiked before knows how annoying it is to remove the boot because of debris in it. This is especially annoying when wearing high boots and a backpack. But aside from being annoying, no protection on the inside prevents you from stepping on small rocks and edgy remains.

The grip is the most important element of the outsole, and probably the whole shoe. The grip determines the quality of the contact between the shoe and the surface. If the grip is loose and there is no traction, the shoe slips. When doing outdoor activities, shoes should have as much traction as you can get. Multiple sub-factors contribute to the value of the grip.

For a better grip, we encourage the use of your natural feet and toe strength along with proper technique. However, technologies such as heel brakes make it easier by reducing the chances of the outsole slipping or sliding. Never rely on such technology as the base of your grip – it works as assistance. Other contributing elements are lug patterns on the outsole. Lug patterns dig into the surface (mud, rocks, grass, dirt), helping your feet make each motion smoother.

The deeper the lugs are, the better traction the shoe will have. But, you should always consider the kind of activity you’re going to perform. For trail running, deep lugs are not the ideal choice, as they’ll dig too deep into the ground. This would decrease the running performance, as each gait would require more effort and running would be difficult.

As things get tougher, you’ll need more grip. For instance, the grip is the number one priority when hiking steep elevations (or descents). When doing heavy activities, your shoe must be able to grip to any surface you encounter. Each step needs to be confident and firm, and that can’t happen if you can’t get a good grasp of the surface.

This is underrated in all kind of performance shoes. We can’t say it enough; uncomforting shoes will never let you reach optimal performance. Some people make the mistake of forcing themselves into uncomforting shoes. If a shoe feels uncomfortable, it means there’s something wrong. Uncomfortable shoes are not an option for outdoor activities. Off-road events alone are harsh for our feet, imagine adding hours of unpleasant experience on top of that.

Comfort is directly related to your technique. The more comfortable you are, the best you’ll do. Various things mark the level of comfortability in a shoe. Cushioning is the first one. An outdoor shoe must have enough cushioning to support comfortable motions; especially trail running ones. Most shoe brands apply their own cushioning and shock absorption technologies on their designs. For instance, Merrel’s Air Cushioning Midsole diminishes impact, increases comfort and offers more stability.

The materials are another factor. If the shoe materials are completely stiff, any motion becomes uncomfortable. Don’t get us wrong – outdoor boots must be firm. However, there’s a difference between firm and inflexible. Flexibility is a must to execute motions in a natural manner. A shoe should never become an obstacle to your motions. The best outdoor shoes will flex as your feet require it, resembling their movement as naturally as possible.

Depending on the location and weather, you should be looking for a breathable shoe or one that retains heat. A breathable shoe is the last thing you want in winter. Look for something that seals your feet away from the cold, as it’s important to keep them warm. In hot locations it’s the whole opposite; heat should not accumulate on the inner shoe.

No matter where you are, one thing is for sure; you’ll need waterproofing. Wet shoes (and feet) will become an uncomfortable obstacle anywhere, anytime.

Everyone knows the sensation of having their feet in a microwave. We’ve all made the unfortunate mistake of buying completely sealed shoes at some point. Breathability is one of the features you can’t lack on any shoe, not to mention outdoor ones. Luckily for us, almost all shoes feature breathable materials nowadays.

Having a consistent flow of air through the shoe is important. Some waterproofing technologies make the mistake of sealing the upper entirely. Waterproof protection is important, yeah, but not at the cost of breathability. Technologies such as GORETEX offer absolute waterproof protection while still maintaining a decent breathability. This is due to a breathable membrane that allows vapor to leave the shoe without allowing water to breach into it.

The upper side of an outdoor shoe must always use breathable materials. The best shoes apply materials such as mesh in combination with strong leathers. The places where heat concentrates the most are the sides of the shoe, the toe box, and beneath the tongue. Mesh panels are often applied strategically around those areas to prevent overheating without using too much mesh. The issue with breathable materials is that they’re much thinner, thus more delicate. Due to this, they must work in combination with tougher fabrics.

The lack of breathable materials in a shoe will result in overheated feet. It’s especially important to have breathable shoes in hot environments, as they contribute to heat accumulation. Overheating can get to a point where you’re no longer able to perform due to extreme uncomforting. In fact, it goes beyond discomfort; the concentration of heat will irritate your feet.

Our extremities, such and hands, and feet, are the parts of the body that release the most heat during exercise. Think of closed shoes as sealed leather gloves; nobody wears them on a sunny day. If this heat is sealed inside the shoe, you’ll boil your feet with their vapor.