The focus here is helping you find the best men’s hiking boots for under $200. Shoes that you will find in the price range are durable and made with really great materials. There are many top brands that you can choose from but looking through them all to find the top ones can get overwhelming very quickly. This is why we have done the work and have narrowed down the list to only include some of the best on the market for your money.

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Last update on 2022-06-26

Best Men’s Hiking Boots Under $200

How To Choose The Right Pair of Hiking Boots For Your Needs

It doesn’t matter if you’re going hiking or not, boots are the most important thing you need. The right pair will let you glide down the trail with a smile on your face, while bad boots will make you grit your teeth with each step.

When you’re looking for a new pair of shoes, don’t think about how they look, how big they are, or even what your friends say. Unless their feet are the same as yours, don’t bother. There are many things to consider when choosing a mattress, including comfort, durability, stability, weight, warmth, and water resistance.

Buy boots that fit you well, with a snug fit at the heel and room for your toes in front. A skilled bootfitter can help with the fit.

There are a lot of different types of hiking boots out there

Based on where you’re going to hike, choose your boots. You should still go for the lightest boots possible, though. By the end of the day, extra pounds and ounces on your feet really take their toll in terms of how much energy it takes to move your body. In this case, off-trail boots would be overkill for a backpacker who only goes on short weekend trips with a light pack and mostly walks on the trail. Here’s a primer on how to choose styles.

Trail Hiking Boots

Low-cut or mid-cut boots are best when your pack is light and the trail is well kept. They usually have a lot of seams because they’re made of fabric, leather, or split leather. If there isn’t a waterproof/breathable liner inside, you’ll need to add Gore-Tex socks or waterproofing to them. Trail boots come in a variety of styles. They have stiffer soles, more stability and better traction than normal running or walking shoes, but most people will find them too unstable when they’re carrying a lot of weight on slippery or rocky ground. Use ankle gaiters with low-cut openings to keep trail debris out of your boots.

Off-Trail Hiking Boots

Off-trail boots are great when the only trail you can find is a goat path through talus and alder bushes. They have full-grain leather, above-ankle support, and rigid soles that keep your feet in place. These boots are the main choice for long backpacking trips with a lot of weight on your feet.

They protect your feet well but flex enough at the balls of your feet to allow you to walk more quickly on rough terrain and with a lot of weight on your back. It will take a while for high-mileage hikers to break in their off-trail boots until the sole and heel cup soften.

Off-trail boots are made of all-leather and have very few seams, which makes them waterproof and durable. Many off-trail boots are very light because of the newer midsole and sole designs. A lip on the sole of some models makes it possible to use certain types of crampons for glacier travel or the new type of snowshoe bindings.

Hiking Boots for rough trails

You should wear these ankle-high boots if you like light backpacking or if you like to go hiking very quickly. Some are made of fabric and leather or split-grain leather. Some are waterproof and breathable, while others are porous and well-ventilated for hot desert conditions.

These boots have plastic midsoles or half-length shanks that give them enough rigidity to protect your feet from rocky trails, but still, let your toes move freely at the balls of your feet. Some strong-footed hikers like these lightweight boots for a long backpacking trip through rough terrain. The rest of us are forced to buy new boots when the going gets tough.

Hiking Boots For Mountaineering

The boots feature full-grain leather uppers, few seams, good traction, and sometimes a little insulation. People can use crampons with them because they go well above the ankle and can be used with them, In general, mountaineering boots that have full-length shanks or stiff nylon midsoles don’t feel good when you’re walking full-stride. They’ll still be able to get you to the top, even if they’re carrying a lot of weight. Unless you want blisters that break the world record, make sure these boots are well broken in before going on any long walks. Shoes are more durable and waterproof when they have rockered soles, no heel slippage, and rubber rands on the welt.

The Right Fit For Hiking Boots

People who have blisters, blackened toenails, sprained arches, bone spurs, and plantar fasciitis don’t need any more proof that the right fit is important. Then, keep reading.

Get the right socks to start with. Toe seams and the overall thickness of the shoe can cause or relieve pressure. Many new generation hiking socks have areas that are of different thicknesses, which can have a big impact on how well your boots fit. If you can buy boots while wearing the socks you’ll be wearing in the woods when you buy them. Shop for socks and boots together.

Use your foot size to choose a boot that feels right. This might mean that you buy a pair of shoes that are a little bigger than your usual size.

Don’t buy any boots if the toe box is too small for your toes. Toeboxes are hard to change, especially in bigger boots.

Boots are made up of many important parts that you won’t be able to see. Boots have “lasts,” which are made of carved wood and used to shape and build them. A boot will likely work for you if it has a last that fits the shape and volume of your foot.

In other words, if it doesn’t match, even the best construction will make it look like expensive and durable torture tools. People who know how to fit boots can fix problems that cause isolated pressure points, but even the most inventive bootfitter can’t change a last that doesn’t fit well.

In this case, if the last and size are right, but your foot moves around inside the boot, it might be because the footbed isn’t right. There is a footbed inside the boot that helps keep your foot in a straight line. It holds the sole in a neutral position.

Another sign that your footbeds aren’t right is when your heel and ball of your foot hurt while hiking, and your heel slips all the time. People with high arches may need footbeds that provide more arch support than the ones that come with most boots. For $10 to $30, you can buy over-the-counter footbeds like Superfeet that are molded to fit your feet. You can also make your own molded footbeds at some outdoor stores.

For really long-term problems, you might need custom-made orthotics. These hard and pricey ($150 and up) footbeds must be made by podiatrists. You can determine if you need orthotics based on the wear patterns on the soles of your old shoes and boots. Your ankles and arches might need orthotics if your shoes show a lot of wear on the inside or outside of the soles (pronation or supination).