20 Best Shoes For Desert Hiking (2023 Updated)

I purchased these boots in 2019 after a few hunts in the Idaho Sawtooth Mountain Range. I didn’t want to post a review until I got a chance to beat the heck out of them. Took about 50 miles to break in, but ohhh was it worth it.

I like to stack a wool sock on top of a dress sock and ratchet these things down using the “Heel Lock” lacing technique. Go find an insole that actually fits the bottom of your foot. Factory insoles are never the right answer no matter what the price tag.

You gotta find something that properly fits the shape of YOUR foot. I used to limit my movement to a couple miles a hunt. Once I ruled my feet out of the equation. 15, 20+ miles a day is pretty easy to do when your feet aren’t sad at you.

I’ve spent days and days moving in rain, creek beds, frost and dew covered meadows, climbing granite faces, shale, loose-dry-sage embankments. stayed perfectly dry, and no foot slop at all. Granted. don’t expect the boots to be a miracle worker for poor planning.

If your pants get wet. your socks get wet and water moves down. Wear gators. be smart. have happy feet. I’ve got roughly 150-175 miles in these and could easily triple that before I need to send them in for a new rand and resole.

Keep the leather waxed and brush off the metal grommets. You’ll never remember the 500$ price tag. Buy these boots and go be awesome.

I already own a pair of hardscrabble’s that I love. The only thing I didn’t realize is that the hardscrabble’s have a waterproof membrane (that by the way makes the boots truly waterproof). That’s not so bad for occasional use or in situations where you need a truly waterproof boot.

But for everyday use, they absolutely wreaked havok with athlete’s foot because that membrane wouldn’t allow easy breathability. Upon learning this the hard way, I ordered a set of these desert guide’s which are essentially the same boot but without the waterproof membrane.

No more athlete’s foot! Same fit and dependability of the hardscrabble’s. I’m wearing these every day out in the fields farming. Most comfortable, tough, and dependable boot there is. At the end of the day, my feet don’t hurt like they used to with other brands of work boots.

Why else would I spend that kind of money a second time? Because its totally worth it!!!.

I purchased this shoe for a hiking and zip-lining trip. I am very impressed by how comfortable this shoe is and would definitely recommend it. Traditionally I wear a 10. 5 to 11, but I ended up going with a size 10 in this shoe and it fit perfectly.

My wife has the women’s pair of this shoe and also went a half size down from her TTS. Another great thing about this shoe is that it is very easy to clean after usage. This shoe was definitely worth the price!.

I bought these four months ago when I was looking for footwear for a 100km stretch of the Camino in Northern Spain during August. These shoes are very comfortable. My feet were well supported during the daily 20km walks and I got no blisters.

The shoes are breathable. Both the meshing and the thick sole gave extra comfort on hot days.

Fits well for a narrow long foot (12A). I sized down half a size to an 11 regular because Columbia tends to make their shoes a bit on the wide and larger side compared to other makes of shoes. I needed a really lightweight hiking shoe because I have been having mobility issues, but the tread on these is not too great for rough terrain.

It’s more of a trail running shoe.

Highly active PS FTO, very fit with worst possible feet. I’ve tried every brand out there with 37 years of fasciitis, injections, surgeries etc. Lowa gives by far the best stability on top of being higher quality than all other top name boots at even the highest price points.

The Z-6S were almost wide enough to fit my orthotics that are actually made at a university prosthetics lab. I had to “settle” for the new Renegade TF, which actually come in a Wide. They are exceptional but the Z-6S would have been even better for me.

I encourage Lowa to consider many LE and 1st Responders have terrible feet in part due to the job. It’s not that I’m out of shape with fat wide feet, my feet just simply collapse after 50 years of an active lifestyle.

With orthotics made at a prosthetics lab, they are wider and have a higher volume than a basic podiatrist orthotic. Lowa is the best. As long as they make an all black in a Wide, I’ll be buying one of their boots.

Please consider making the Z-6S in a Wide.

I absolutely love these Lowa Zephyr boots. My second pair now (both gore tex and regular) the most comfortable boots I have ever worn, and especially right out of the box. As a retired firefighter/smokejumper, these boots are my go to for everything outdoors.

I even wear them for long endurance mountain trail racing and winter time hiking. The non-gore tex keep my feet warm and dry in winter, extremely durable in all weather elements and fit the contour around all areas of the foot preventing movement / slipping on steep inclines, and side hill.

The best ankle support in all the above conditions. Absolutely no blisters, and they wear nice with any style clothing. My all day everyday best footwear I have worn, and I have worn lots of boots in my job.

These are the best!.

This is my fifth pair of zephyrs. For a patrol boot it doesn’t get any better. I stopped wearing boots from companies known for making sunglasses and undershirts 10 years ago. Lowa makes high quality mountaineering and hiking boots.

These boots take only two days to break in and wear like a sneaker. They are light on your feet during a foot pursuit and feet stay dry when walking through damp tall grass or stepping in a deep puddle.

Not a great cold weather boot but wool socks will help. The tread will last about a year and a half of 4-10 shift work and less if worn every day. The suede upper does get dirty easy but water and nylon brush cleans up the boot nicely.

I won’t wear any other boot. They are getting very popular. I had to wait two months because they were on back order but worth the wait.

Columbia Men’s Redmond V2 Waterproof Hiking Boot is a hybrid of a sneaker and hiking boot, but leaning a tad more towards the hiking side. The design is attractively rustic and the materials and construction appear to be of top quality.

I normally wear size 9 sneakers, so I ordered my size in the standard D width. I have a narrow foot and wear light to medium thickness socks so I figured I’d be okay or even have room to spare. However, while the length and heel fit were fine, the toe box was too snug on the little toe, albeit not unbearable.

I figured most shoes stretch with use, so I installed a shoe stretcher overnight and widened the toe box just enough to be comfy. Indeed they are extremely comfortable to walk in and fit my feet like a glove! The good fit means they won’t twist and give like the super wide hiking boots I owned before.

I’m sure footed on trails, lava rocks and city streets, so I’m a happy camper. Normally D width shoes are too wide for me and I have to tighten the laces to the max. In the case of the Redmond, I needed to lace them loose to be comfortable.

Never done that before! Obviously, they’re not a true D width, but somewhere between B or C width. Ideal for narrow feet dudes like me, but if you need a true D width you should order the E width variant of the Redmond.

I tried these on as soon as they were received. I found them to be too small in length and width. I typically wear a size 12 in medium width and that’s what I ordered. These felt like a size 11 in narrow width.

I’ll be returning them. Unfortunately, there is a $6 return shipping fee and no option to exchange without paying the return shipping. The quality of the shoes seems fine. It’s disappointing that Columbia doesn’t size shoes the same as other manufacturers (Merrell, Salomon, Nike, Adidas, etc.

) or offer a free exchange option.

My last pair of hikers were wearing out so I began looking to replace them. I found these boots at Dick’s Sporting Goods and when I tried them on, the fit was amazing. I thought, I had definitely found my replacement boots.

I have had them for about ten weeks now, and the fit is still awesome. I have probably hiked around 150 miles in them thusfar. To my dismay, an extremely annoying issue has arisen. The soles on both boots creak very loudly at each step.

There will be no quiet walks around the campsite at night as these boots will be announcing my ever move. Had the boots not been so noisy, I would have definitely given them 5 stars. I am hopeful that these noisy soles are not foretelling a premature failure of these boots.

Minus the noise, they are great.

First off im NOT a hiker. Im a fat guy from missouri who decided to go hiking in the Rockies. After looking at Merrels and Salamon boots in the $175-230 price range i wasnt happy with the fit and feel.

The gentleman at the store suggested these and they were Very comfortable. I bought them on a thursday, and wore them on an 11 mile hike up 2,000 feet that saturday, and my feet never hurt once! No break in, and no blisters! They are absolutely not a replacement for snow cleats, but in mud and over rocks they performed exceptionally! They felt pretty warm at first but still breath well.

And my feet stayed completely dry after walking through creeks and up a waterfall. I highly recommend these boots! Looking at how theyre made i dont expect them to last alot more than a regular shoe would, but for the price ill gladly buy another if these wear out.

Unlike the $200 boots iv read many reviews about not lasting~.

As an avid runner and occasional hiker, I have never had a need for hiking boots. I’ve always made do with duck boots or chacos. (Love my chacos, they cannot be beat. Please try to challenge me on this.

) However, with a July trip to Zion national park looming, it sounded like I was going to need some hiking boots. Off to try on boots I went. I am a hard size to find in women’s boots so I figured I would be stuck in the mens.

So that’s what I tried on. Not to trash talk the mens boots selection but they were pretty clunky for my feet. Leaving the outdoor store with no boots, online shopping was my next stop. My best friend and her mom are the diehard hikers in my life so I drifted to where they had found their favorites.

Columbia. Why not try and see if they might possibly have a size for me. AND THEY DO! Size 12, not too clunky and VERY comfortable hiking boots. I was very surprised to also find that they are not too hot in texas humidity and heat.

Thank you Columbia for having a womens hiking boot for me. I’ll have to report back on how they do at Zion. 🙂 happy outdoorsing!.

I have worn Columbia shoes (hiking boots, hiking shoes, sport shoes) for years. I usually pay more per pair than I did for these Crestwood shoes, but I wanted to try their “wide width. ” In addition, my older Columbia shoes were beginning to wear out (after a lot of use), so I needed to purchase new shoes.

In the past, I have not had an issue with regular width Columbia shoes, but I recently bought thicker socks and thought the “wide width” would accommodate the socks better. I could use the new, thicker socks with my older shoes (regular width) even though my feet were slightly snug (but still comfortable).

I bought this pair, and their width was less roomy than both of my regular width Columbia shoes from two years ago. In fact, the new Crestwood pair had a much smaller/narrower toe box than any Columbia shoe I had ever owned.

Even with thinner socks, my feet felt cramped in both the width and toe box areas. I checked the interior labels to make sure the shoes were wide width, and the labels stated that they were. I also noticed that the shoe tongues were not attached on their sides like they had been on all of the previous Columbia shoe models I had purchased.

This just made it more of a pain to put on the shoes, but that wasn’t a deal breaker. I was very disappointed in the fit, but I thought I would purchase the same pair again just in case I received a defective pair.

The second pair’s width had more room than the first pair, but they were basically the same width as my old regular width Columbia shoes. The toe box on this one was tolerable, but not nearly as roomy as my previous regular width Columbia shoes.

I returned the first pair and kept the second only because I needed a pair of shoes. I like the look of them, but the fit isn’t my favorite. These shoes are definitely NOT “wide width. ” Perhaps next time, I will go back to the more expensive Columbia shoes, because these do not have the same quality as my previous pairs.

I just hope that the narrower width and cramped toe box aren’t the trend for Columbia shoes now, especially because I will need to find another shoe manufacturer if this is the case. Bottom line, I would not recommend this particular pair of shoes.

I bought these shoes around 7 months ago: they’ve been on a trek across the Hebrides, over the Cairngorms, and over the Trossachs, so they’ve gone through a fair bit (to give perspective on their usage case.

) I’ll grade them on how they handle, their waterproofness and comfort, and durability. In terms of handling, they’re the best I’ve ever had. Even my old 4D 3’s can’t compare: the new lacing system definitely helps keep the shoe tight around the foot and the more narrow body of the boot makes them easier to be more technical with your footwork (though a reduction in width reduces stability in some cases, too, especially on slippery surfaces or in cases where snow is evident.

) Scrambling is a cinch with how grippy the boot is, and even in rain it finds traction on slippery moss-covered rocks. Now, in terms of waterproofness, there’s nothing else to say except “they are. ” When washing them I inundate them with water to leech out any salts: no water leaks, even for my usual 10+ minutes.

When hiking, I never get my feet wet. The only problem with getting soaked is going to be if you walk in colder climes: when recently trekking through the snow for an entire day, condensation caused my socks to get rather soaked- this isn’t water getting in, it’s the inability of water vapour to escape from the boot.

Breathability is obviously a problem with Gore, but this is the price you pay. I do, however, believe they breathe better than most (though the addition of PU on the outside definitely reduced this compared to the 4D 3 model of the Quest.

) Comfort-wise, I find them comfier than the previous model (though I have a more narrow foot- the previous model was wider and may well cater better to those with wider feet. ) The fit runs a bit larger than the old one: I am a size 10: size 10.

5 is a perfect fit. I sized up to 11 to give space for when my feet expand from long walks, though. Now, durability: the one negative about this boot. The fabric itself is durable enough: it’s abraded a bit from lord knows how many miles of roughshod undergrowth/thorns/rocks/ankle-high sand.

The leather, too, is durable: The tread? No problems yet. However, the connection between the rubber and the leather is abysmal. I’ve had to use McNett on it already a few times- it does not adhere well to these boots mind you- with the rubber toebox detaching from the leather since around mile 100-200.

I was mid-hike, however, and could not simply get a new pair on the go. They did last the entire trek (and since) with some maintenance- it isn’t dealbreaking like others seem to insinuate- but it certainly is a weakness that could grow over time if you don’t watch out for it.

This isn’t a new problem- my 4D 3’s have the same issue. My Lowa’s? Not so much. I expect it’s not unique to Salomon and I simply got unlucky, but based on the number of folk commenting about it being a manufacturing defect and discovering it similarly in theirs (after far fewer miles) it’s worth being cautious about.

Mind you, it’s not going to break your shoe in half- in my case it’s fairly localized around one side of each boot- and you can work on dealing with it by slapping Aquasure on it, but yeah. However, with a 2-year warranty from Salomon, I do not believe you need to worry about taking the chance.

Despite the 7-odd months of use these boots have, Salomon stood by their warranty, and gave me a coupon for a new pair due to this durability issue. It only took 1-2 days, too. Consequently, you shouldn’t worry about whether or not you’ll have any issues related to this: if they show up (which they might) they are something that you can deal with and compensate for, and Salomon will have your back with a replacement pair if it’s truly a defect.

Overall, would I buy these boots again? Yes. Defect or not, the warranty is great, and the boots are truly fantastic.

Fellow Keen-loving bigfoots looking for backpacking boots, beware. I bought these hoping they would be a unicorn; I am looking for boots to cross rivers in Alaska for a week straight, and these are reviewed as being wide in the toe box/narrow in the heel, which is what I need… well, they might be “wide” if you’re not used to Keens.

I don’t know what my width measurement is but it’s wider than this boot. I wear a 11 in every Keen women’s original fit hiker. This boot was fine for length, it had the appropriate thumb’s width beyond my 27.

6cm big toe. It’s noted as a euro 44 and I have a very hard time believing that measurement is accurate, it’s more like a 43 at best. My toes hurt from being squeezed by the narrow toe box after wearing them around the house for 10 minutes in my double socks, so they’re going back.

I can’t decide whether to try men’s sizing of this style as the reviews for that boot are terrible. As many other reviewers mentioned, the lacing is weird. The part that is supposed to heel lock seems like it would be a huge pain when donning/doffing boots in the backcountry, possibly in gloves.

My biggest issue perhaps though is the insole. It is basic, very thin foam and must be replaced; however, adding any additional volume at all would displace my heel from the boot’s heel pocket, and would rub like mad.

I already have blister issues so that’s a non-starter. Building a boot that cannot have an upgraded insole installed is a horrible oversight by Salomon. Overall, no way these will work for my big, wide feet.

Let’s be clear; if you want a pair of boots that are going to last you year after year (and probably not be that comfortable), these are not the boots for you. However, if you want hands down the most comfortable, grippy, and capable boot that there is in a serious back country setting, these are absolutely the boot for you.

I’ve tried to have durable boots that I can have for ten years, but they simply are not very comfortable. I’m on my seventh or eighth pair of Quest 4 GTX, Quest 4, 4D GTX, whatever they are calling them and they are very simple to own/use.

You buy a pair that is in whatever size fits you (the foot bed doesn’t seem to change, thanks!) and you take them out of the box and you go hiking/climbing. You don’t need to break them in. You wear them for two to three 10 to 15 day trips in anything up to heavy off-trail class 2/class 3 terrain and you don’t get any blisters hotspots, etc.

After that second or third trip they are done. You throw them in the garbage can at the end of the trail and you get a new pair. repeat. Yes, this can seem wasteful, both economically and ecologically, but understanding that the tires on the car you drive to the trail head also wear out somewhat quickly and the cost of a new pair is akin to a night at the Holiday Inn in Ft.

Lauderdale, what is the concern? We are using these on trips with very little impact when compared to normal daily activities; it is a trade-off that is absolutely worth it IMHO. Bad feet ruin trips, these boots make them better.

Just finished my first trip with the “new model” and the were just as capable and comfortable as the old model. They are the best.

I just moved to Utah 20 miles up the road from one of the Zion entrances, and that is where I took these shoes on their first spin. I knew when buying them from reading plenty of articles that these have a sock-like fit, without a separate tongue.

While yes, this does make it a little tight when you are sliding your foot in, the seal around the ankle when hiking in sand is fantastic! Half of our hike (or more) was on sand or sandy soil, and I got ZERO sand in my shoes.

This is also down to the mesh of the upper too. And this was without having any gaiters on, even though this shoe does have the built-in attachment points for gaiters. I bought a 7. 5 because with a lot of trail runners I’ve gotten lately I’ve needed the 7.

5 for the room in the toes, but I probably could have gone with a 7 for these. That being said. they still fit fine, without me slipping around. I just have a little more wiggle room for my toes. And the toe protection worked when I accidentally caught my toes on a rock.

The grip was great! Our hike had us crossing a stream bed approximately 50 times (no lie, no exaggeration), and even when the soles were wet, I still had no problems climbing up the rocks on the banks.

Wore them for almost 8 miles of hiking on their first outing and my feet felt just the normal amount of tired. They’re very lightweight and give a good ground feel, which I really like (especially as a trail runner), without making your poor feet hurt from feeling every rock.

Cannot speak to durability yet, unfortunately. Two slightly negative points, but not enough for me to remove a star: (1) The laces are almost comically long. I was really worried about them snagging on things.

Normally, I do a heel lock lacing (narrow feet and a noticeably smaller right foot), and for that, the extra lace length is great. However, there is not an extra eyelet on these for doing a heel lock.

I didn’t end up needing a heel-lock lacing anyways though for these to feel snug, probably because of the nice sock-like upper. I ended up ordering some elastic lock laces (which I’ve done for other shoes, it’s not a dig at these ones, it’s just a personal preference) and so won’t have to worry about long laces snagging.

(2) I like to use superfeet insoles for their extra support, however when I tried them in these shoes, they lifted my heel just enough that I no longer had a good heel lock and was getting a lot of slippage.

So I went back to the insoles that came with the shoes. Hopefully they’ll hold up well!.

I hiked in these in 2021 for 3 weeks while on the Camino Primitivo trail with my husband for his 70th birthday. If the toe area was just a bit wider, as compared to some other popular trail runners, they would have been perfect.

But I did have a recurring blister on the outside toes due to rubbing. What I liked about this shoe is the confidence I had to walk on rocks, wet muddy surfaces, slippery surfaces, inclines, declines – all went well and I never felt like I would fall.

My husband had a shoe with mesh on the upper and he said his feet felt wet during days with light rain, but my Danner’s never let me down. This is not a waterproof shoe, but my feet never felt wet even when walking in wet mud that came up on the sides of the shoes – all was well.

They were also easy to clean. I just ran water over the bottoms and let it run on the lower area of the sides (not on the top), and they cleaned up nicely. Plus, it is a good looking shoe and went well with my Osprey Tempest Pro 18 that I used for day hiking as our luggage was moved from hotel to hotel.

I had many compliments on my look – funny, because I never thought of fashion, but I paired it with black Prana leggings, a Patagonia black vest, either a gray or purple Woolx long sleeved top, and a tan ball cap with a bandana print and a pony tail, plus white Leki hiking poles.

Something about the look must have been attractive since I received many comments on how I didn’t look like I was a 68 year old. How did I get so many compliments? Well, I was slower than average, and as people passed me, they must have thought I needed an encouraging word!.

These shoes are excellent, but with one striking flaw. Firstly, these shoes are comfortable and rugged. I work in the field in documentary filmmaking and I’m very rough on all of my shoes and generally on my feet for 10-16 hour days.

I require three kinds of shoe. A good solid heavy duty hiking sneaker for light to mildly abusive terrain and weather, a solid hiking boot ( Danner mountain 600) for medium extreme and a heavy boot for the most extreme.

I have been able to rely on Danner for all three. I’ve had great experience with this particular hiking Trail 2650 GTX shoe for the lighter day to day side of things. It’s rugged, waterproof, has a great tough exterior.

My only complaint is that the sole has decided to start peeling off well before the rest of the shoe has run its course. At a year of this kind of use, I expect a Danner to have plenty of life left in it.

While every other aspect of the shoe is still 100%, the sole showing the normal amount of wear with plenty of lug left, I’m a little disappointed that the sole has decided to detach. I’ve corrected this with a once monthly application of some strong rubber adhesive.

This mostly does the trick, but still it eventually comes loose. All Danners are super comfy which, in and of itself, definitely earns it 5 stars in every way if not for this one small thing. I’d love to buy another pair of these but this is definitely an issue that I hope Danner addresses.

Perhaps I got a pair that the factory used a bad batch of glue on. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. But seriously, fix the glue, Danner.

My teenaged Scout stubbornly wears his favorite tennis shoes everywhere, and outgrew his last pair of hiking boots before he ever consented to wear them on a hike. When he tried these on before a backpacking trip, he kept them on the rest of the day because they were so comfortable.

And now he frequently wears them to school. My only concern is that the last Merrells I bought him fell apart after daily use for only a few months. However, those were a kids’ size. These are an adult size, and I’ve only heard good things about Merrells, from adults, in terms of how well they hold up to athletic use.

So I’m hoping these last at least a year.

Hubby was looking for warm and waterproof boots to wear on upcoming cruise in Alaska (and winter visits with daughter in WI) and ordered 4 different pair online. One pair was cancelled by DSW, 2 pair came into store, while we waited and waited and waited for the third pair.

Gave up waiting, afraid store would ship them back out and tried the pair that were available. This was the winner. lightweight, as boots go and seem to be warm enough. He’s wearing them around the house to “break them in” and they sound “clonky” on our wood floors, more so than his work boots.

We will know for sure how he really likes them and how well they work after we are home from vacation.

My daughter and son-in-law live in Salt Lake City, Utah. I can hop a plane and with only these shoes and a backpack and not worry about carrying any other shoes. They are great for outdoor adventures, sporting events, walking around doing sight-seeing, as well as going out dressed casual with jeans.

Superior comfort all day long. Built to last. They also clean up really well.

I really want these because they’re beautiful and relatively sustainable, but I’m returning them. They’re seriously cute and I’d even wear them in the city. They’d actually be fine for that, especially if you don’t have wide feet.

However, for hikes, the toe box is too narrow for my wide feet, while the ankle/heel is too loose, and the drop is too high. TOE BOX: I bought my normal shoe size, and the toes fit like normal shoes; you can see that they’re slightly almond toe shaped.

They’re narrower than my Salomon backpacking boots. The front leather border of the laces gently presses the top of my foot (near my toes) with every step, which might get annoying on an actual hike.

BACK OF BOOT: The leather going up the top of my foot toward my ankle stands up too straight rather than curving in to hug the top of my foot and front of my ankle. Even if I pull the laces really tight, the boots don’t hug my ankle and heel, and then the corner eyelet presses on my inner ankle bone.

DROP: The heel is a tad too high compared to the forefoot, which feels weird. And as I walk, my foot slides forward a couple of millimeters from where it would be comfortable. This is partially from the previous problem and contributes to my heel feeling loose and uneasy in the boot.

OTHER (MINOR): The arch support is mild. You can replace the insoles though, and my Superfeet feel good in the boots. The color isn’t as uniform as in the pictures. I got caramel and the canvas part is redder (more of a muted brick color) than the picture, so it doesn’t match the leather as nicely.

That said, I do love how the boots are constructed, down to the cork insoles and soft-to-the-touch cotton laces. I wish I could keep them but feel confident about my decision not to.

Five weeks into ownership with no regrets. These shoes are comfortable and exhibit excellent control on all types of terrain including vegetation, dunes, loose rock, or a sidewalk. I live in a county where just over 1% of terrain is considered relatively flat.

These shoes keep their footing where nimble animals tend to slip. These have held firm without slippage on 35% to 105% grades covered in loose mineral soil and conifer duff. Wet and dry conditions have not affected the performance in temps ranging from 28F to 105F.

My normal habit with hiking shoes is to double-up on socks no matter the weather but I would buy a size down if that doesn’t appeal to your sensibilities. I have also found these to be comfortable driving shoes for 6-8 hour trips.

The drop-heel design, grippy soles, and breathability make the drive-time less arduous. My current experience can address quality and breathability. I have not owned these shoes long enough to give an “Excellent” score in durability but they don’t show much of any signs of wear and they still smell new after 100+ miles of intense hiking and fuel clearing on steep grades.

I really like the idea behind these boots – repairable, and ultimately recyclable. First, the pros. The price is fine, on a par with the major boot makers. Their construction is excellent, very well made and sturdy.

Finally, their customer service is also excellent. However, sadly my new boots don’t fit as well as I’d like. Erem warn that the boots are cut “roomy” – an understatement! I normally wear 11 or 11. 5 in hiking boots, so got the 11’s, and they were way too big.

I returned them, and to their credit Erem had a new pair on my feet in a week, size 10. 5. But after wearing them on a couple of hikes, I think they’re still too roomy. They’re pretty comfortable but even with 2 pairs of socks my feet still move around too much in the boots.

They are also bulky and the uppers are very stiff, I hope they’ll soften up in time. So I would recommend ordering at least a half size smaller than normal, maybe a full size. Since I’ve already hiked in mine I doubt I could return them again for a smaller pair.

Truth in advertising, this review is more about my previous Trailhead shoes than the ones I recently bought. I bought my first pair of Trailhead in a different color about three years ago, but because I worked full time in an office I was only able to wear them infrequently on weekends.

That all changed in March 2020 when everything shut down & I started working from home. Every morning I would get a three-five mile walk on a mix of roads and moderate trails in before work. I primarily wore my Lems on the walks & have continued to do so to this day.

They’ve proven to be very comfortable with the right amount of support for moderate paths & inclines, as well as lots of stair steps. Most impressively, they are showing only minimal wear and tear after literally hundreds of miles of use.

I’m still using them for my daily walks while at home. I bought the second pair as a good multipurpose shoe now that I’m starting to travel again. The only thing I would caution is the shoe fits OK in terms of size, but it is close.

I wear a 8. 5D & the Trailhead is true to size. It is not cramped, but my toes are “aware” of the front of the shoe. It is not a problem for moderate trails, but for someone planning on steeper trails I’d recommend going for a half size larger to account for downhill walking.

I have had these and worn them now for enough time to provide a fulsome review (almost a year). I will start by noting that I buy Lems because I have bunions that require a wider toe box. ;Also, I will start with the cons then follow with the pros.

First off, if not used with a shoe horn (or if you accidentally slide your foot in without undoing the laces and mash the back of your shoe), the back heel area of the shoe becomes lumpy – subsequent wearings are impacted adn the lumpiness cannot be fixed.

This happened to my right shoe the second time I wore them. Super annoying. It has flattened out to an extent so it is tolerable. It would be nicer if the shoes were made with a slightly more flexible (i.

e. leather) construction in the area of the bunions. I can fit my toe separators (or even the correct toes – although I don’t love them) in, but it feels snug when I wear wool socks. The shoe itself is comfortable.

I have narrow feet but need the toe room for bunions and this shoe is good for that. I hike in them regularly and they are decent. I still don’t 100% trust the treads but I also haven’t used them on wet/slippery terrain much.

The shoe laces are GREAT. The holes are small so when you pull the lace through to the tightness (or looseness around the bunion) that you’re looking for, the laces stick there. This is probably the shoe’s greatest feature in my opinion.

Other than the looks. I love the way this shoe looks. It just sort of blends in but when someone does happen to notice my shoes, they most often ask me what kind they are and where I got them. So ya.

They need to fix the heel construction, soften up a bit of the bunion movement/stretch area and these would be great.

This is one of the best wearing and performing shoes I’ve had. Love everything about it. Except that is falls apart WAY to fast and in the worst ways. Probably the least durable shoe I’ve ever owned, period.

Which for $130 is unacceptable. Like, I could buy a $25 shoe from a discount store that would hold up longer than this thing. Sole completely separated from both shoes after moderate street and hiking use, plastic piece that gives form to heel cracked right away, stiching coming out.

Wish I could justify buying another pair, but no way. Hopefully company improves durability.

Bought these for my husband and he is very happy with the looks and overall feel of the shoe. The fit is good, his foot is a bit narrow. He has not worn them for any extended walks or hikes yet, but plans to, and is hopeful they will be as comfortable as they are now.

People think I am wearing boots and compliment the look, then I lift my pants leg a little and surprise! Light and comfortable only need a little more padding one the base.

Could have more lace holes for a tighter fit for longer walks., otherwise comfortable.