One of the most important pieces of gear when hiking is a good quality pair of hiking boots, in order to safely and comfortably navigate the trails while hiking. You might be wondering though just how much do hiking boots cost and what factors can affect the price of hiking boots?
In this quick hiking boots price guide we will show you not only how much an average pair of hiking boots costs but also what can affect the price of hiking boots, why hiking boots are so expensive, and how many years the typical hiking boot will last.
When it comes to the cost of hiking boots, there can be a pretty broad range in pricing. As cheap hiking boots can cost as little as $30 or $40 dollars while more high-end hiking boots from brands like Salomon and Merrell can cost $150 or more. However, in general, most quality hiking boots meant for the average day hiker will usually cost between $50 to $100.
How Much Do Hiking Boots Cost?
Now that we have a basic idea of how much hiking boots cost, let’s take a closer look at how much specific hiking boots cost to get a better idea of how much you might actually spend when buying a pair of hiking boots.
| Boot | Average Retail Price | Waterproof | |
| 1. Sketchers Men’s Relment-Pelmo | $60.00 | Yes | Check Amazon Price |
| 2. Northside Women’s Snohomish | $60.00 | Yes | Check Amazon Price |
| 3. Columbia Women’s Newton Ridge Plus | $65.00 | Yes | Check Amazon Price |
| 4. Columbia Men’s Newton Ridge Plus II | $75.00 | Yes | Check Amazon Price |
| 5. Timberland Women’s White Ledge | $75.00 | Yes | Check Amazon Price |
| 6. Timberland Men’s White Ledge | $85.00 | Yes | Check Amazon Price |
| 7. Timberland Men’s Mt. Maddsen | $90.00 | Yes | Check Amazon Price |
| 8. Merrell Men’s Moab 2 Hiking Boot | $120.00 | Yes | Check Amazon Price |
| 9. Merrell Women’s Moab 2 Hiking Boot | $140.00 | Yes | Check Amazon Price |
| 10. Salomon Men’s X Ultra 3 | $170.00 | Yes | Check Amazon Price |
1. Sketchers Men’s Relment-Pelmo
- Average Retail Price: $60.00
- Category: Day Hiking Boot
- Weight: 1.38 Pounds
- Waterproof: Yes
The Sketchers Men’s Relment-Pelmo is great for the hiker just starting out that is looking for an affordable and sturdy day hiking boot to get them started.
While certainly not the best hiking boot on the market, it’s mid-top lightweight design makes for a nice transitional hiking boot for the beginning hiker that might be more accustomed to hiking in tennis shoes while on the trails.
Even though this hiking boot is super affordable though you still get plenty of great features including a good level of waterproofing, great ankle support due to the mid-top design, and memory foam insoles to help keep your feet comfortable while hiking.
2. Northside Women’s Snohomish
- Average Retail Price: $60.00
- Category: Day Hiking Boot
- Weight: 1.1 Pounds
- Waterproof: Yes
While the Northside brand might not be as well known as some other brands on the market, this women’s hiking boot by Northside makes a great entry-level boot for those hikers just starting out on their hiking journey.
From top to bottom the Northside Snohomish hiking boot has a solid and sturdy feel with plenty of ankle support thanks to its sturdy rubber sole, leather/canvas upper, and mid-top design. Ensuring that no matter how tuff the terrain gets these hiking boots should be able to handle it with ease.
3. Columbia Women’s Newton Ridge Plus
- Average Retail Price: $65.00
- Category: Day Hiking Boot
- Weight: 1 Pound
- Waterproof: Yes
Available in 10 different color options this Columbia Women’s Newton Ridge Plus hiking boot is a great affordable choice for any hiker that is looking for a quality and well-made hiking boot that they can rely on while hitting the trails.
Also, this hiking boot provides a lot of bang for your buck with features like a thick rubber sole for cushioning, a moderately aggressive tread pattern that provides great traction while on the trails, as well as excellent waterproofing thanks to its leather and mesh construction.
4. Columbia Men’s Newton Ridge Plus II
- Average Retail Price: $75.00
- Category: Day Hiking Boot
- Weight: 15.9 Ounces
- Waterproof: Yes
Another great affordable hiking boot is the Columbia Men’s Newton Ridge Plus II hiking boot. Even though this hiking boot has an entry-level price it still manages to have many features that are more commonly found in higher-end boots such as excellent waterproofing, great tread and traction, and a rock-solid base thanks to its thick wide rubber sole.
In addition, this hiking boot by Columbia also comes in several different color options and has a very simple look and design.
5. Timberland Women’s White Ledge
- Average Retail Price: $75.00
- Category: Day Hiking Boot
- Weight: 2.25 Pounds (Pair)
- Waterproof: Yes
When you’re looking to take your hiking boots to the next level, a great option to consider is the Timberland Women’s White Ledge hiking boot. As you can tell just by looking at the hiking boot it has a much more robust and durable appearance than some of your more entry-level hiking boots.
And this robust and durable appearance is thanks to its ultra-durable and heavy construction including a full 100% leather upper, strong and thick eyelets, and a thick rubber sole.
Ensuring that these hiking boots will provide years of trouble-free wear.
6. Timberland Men’s White Ledge
- Average Retail Price: $85.00
- Category: Day Hiking Boot
- Weight: 2.4 Pounds (Pair)
- Waterproof: Yes
As with the Women’s version, the Men’s White Ledge hiking boot by Timberland is a very robust and durable middle of the road hiking boot that should be a nice upgrade from the more basic and less durable entry-level hiking boots.
As these hiking boots have a full 100% leather upper which provides excellent durability and waterproofing, heavy-duty eyelets, and a large thick rubber sole that provides excellent stability while hiking on the trails.
7. Timberland Men’s Mt. Maddsen
- Average Retail Price: $90.00
- Category: Backpacking Boot
- Weight: 2.2 Pounds (Pair)
- Waterproof: Yes
The Mt. Maddsen hiking boots by Timberland are sure to provide all-day comfort, no matter what your hiking adventure brings, thanks to their compression-molded insole, fully gusted tongue. and built-in shock absorption.
Also, there no need to worry about your feet getting wet while on the trails as this hiking boot has a full leather upper and thick rubber sole to make sure the water stays on the outside of the boot where it belongs.
8. Merrell Men’s Moab 2 Hiking Boot
- Average Retail Price: $120.00
- Category: Backpacking Boot
- Weight: 2.2 Pounds (Pair)
- Waterproof: Yes
One of the most comfortable hiking boots right out of the box has to be the Moab 2 Hiking Boot by Merrell.
This hiking boot has a suede leather/mesh upper that provides excellent flex and maneuverability while on the trails but still provides plenty of ankle protection and stability due to its mid-top design.
Also, this hiking boot by Merrell uses what they call M select technology which seals out the water to keep your feet dry but also lets moisture escape so that your foot stays cool and dry no matter how hard your hiking.
9. Merrell Women’s Moab 2 Hiking Boot
- Average Retail Price: $140.00
- Category: Backpacking Boot
- Weight: 15.6 Ounce
- Waterproof: Yes
Just like the men’s version the women’s version of the Moab 2 Hiking Boot by Merrell is super comfortable right out of the box letting you hit the trails in comfort right away.
While this hiking boot by Merrell is on the higher end of the price range. You are getting features in this hiking boot that you just don’t find in cheaper hiking boots such as their M select technology that seals out moisture and lets moisture escape to keep your feet dry no matter the trail or weather conditions. This hiking boot also uses a VIBRAM sole which provides unparalleled durability, slip resistance, and stability. And finally, this hiking boot is equipped with air cushioning which provides additional comfort at the heel to help improve overall comfort as well as reduce stress on your feet and legs while hiking.
10. Salomon Men’s X Ultra 3
- Average Retail Price: $170.00
- Category: Backpacking Boot
- Weight: 2.46 Pounds (Pair)
- Waterproof: Yes
If your looking for the ultimate in waterproofing and performance while hiking then you definitely should check out the X Ultra 3 by Salomon as it is packed full of high-end features and comfort that you would be hard-pressed to find in any other hiking boot.
To begin with, this hiking boot is equipped with a GORE-TEX membrane inside the boot which is considered the industry standard in waterproofing and pretty much guarantees that no water will reach the inside of your boot no matter how wet or snowy the hiking trail might be.
Also, to help keep the overall weight down of this hiking boot despite its full waterproofing capabilities, Salomon went with a completely synthetic and mesh upper to keep the hiking boot as light as possible.
What Affects the Cost of a Hiking Boot?
With such a wide range in the cost of hiking boots, you might be wondering what exactly affects the price of a pair of hiking boots? To answer this question we must discuss the 5 main components that affect the cost of hiking boots.
Type of Hiking Boot
The first thing that can affect the price of a hiking boot is the hiking boots design or type. While you might assume that all hiking boots are pretty much the same, in actuality, there are three main types of hiking boots on the market today that can greatly affect the cost of the hiking boot.
Hiking Shoes: Hiking shoes are great for day hiking and have a low-top design with flexible midsoles making this type of hiking boot great for hikers looking for a lightweight and flexible hiking boot.
While this type of hiking boot doesn’t offer as much protection or ankle support as heavier and bulkier hiking boots do, it does provide substantially more support than your standard tennis shoe while still keeping the boot light.
Hiking shoes tend to be cheaper than bulkier and heavier hiking boots but this is not always the case.
Day Hiking Boots: Day hiking boots are the next step up from hiking shoes and are what comes to mind when most people think of hiking boots. This type of hiking boot usually has either a mid-top or high-top design, with a large rubber sole, and offers a good level of waterproofing.
This type of hiking boot is usually best for day hikes and short backpacking trips.
Also, this hiking boot usually falls in the middle ground of hiking boot cost.
Backpacking Boots: The most robust and heavy-duty hiking boots on the market are backpacking boots. These heavy-duty boots are designed to handle extreme hiking and weather conditions, long backpacking trips, and offer excellent waterproofing.
This type of hiking boot is usually only purchased by the most serious of hikers and backpackers as they are usually pretty expensive and are much more bulky and heavy compared to hiking shoes or day-hiking boots.
Hiking Boot Materials
The next component of a hiking boot that can affect the cost, is the materials used in the construction of the boot. As more higher-end materials such as full-grain leather and nubuck leather can add to the overall cost of the boot compared to cheaper materials such as synthetics or canvas.
Hiking Boot Construction
Another component of the hiking boot that can add to the cost of the boot is how the hiking boot was put together or the construction of the hiking boot. With higher-end features such EVA or polyurethane midsoles, internal support such as shanks or plates, and better lug patterns and heel brakes on the outsole adding to the overall cost of the hiking boot.
Waterproof Capabilities
The thing to remember about the waterproof capabilities of hiking boots is that while many hiking boots claim to be waterproof this term is often used pretty loosely in the industry.
So while a cheaper pair of hiking boots might claim to be waterproof, they will almost certainly not have the same level of waterproofing as a more expensive and higher-end hiking boot will have.
As more expensive and higher-end hiking boots meant for backpacking and rugged hiking will use much better waterproofing materials on the outside of the boot as well as use an internal waterproof membrane that cheaper hiking boots won’t have.
Brand Name
The brand name of a hiking boot can have a large impact on the cost of the hiking boot. As higher-end brands such as Merrell and Salomon usually have much higher price tags compared to lesser-known and cheaper brands such as Sketchers and Northside.
When it comes to brand names and hiking boots though, the higher cost you might pay for a more expensive brand name is not only about the brand name, as you are also usually getting a much better made and more reliable hiking boot compared to cheaper alternatives.
Why are Hiking Boots so Expensive?
Hiking boots are more expensive compared to most other types of shoes because of their heavy-duty construction and design as well as the higher cost materials used in their construction.
Just by visually comparing a hiking boot and a tennis shoe for instance you can immediately see that the hiking boot is more rugged and heavy-duty when compared to the standard tennis shoe and all of this durability, ruggedness, and waterproofing comes with a cost.
Not to mention what you can’t see on the inside of the hiking boot which usually includes a thick and cushioned midsole and internal support such as shanks or plates that other shoes don’t have.
In addition, hiking boots tend to use more higher-end materials in their construction compared to other shoes such as full-grain leather, split-grain leather, Nubuck leather, and waterproof membranes that can add to the overall cost of the hiking boot.
How Many Years Do Hiking Boots Last?
There can be many factors that affect how many years hiking boots last, such as the frequency of use, the ruggedness of the trails you hike, how well you care for your hiking boots, and the quality of your hiking boots.
However, in general, most experts feel that you should get about 600 to 700 hiking miles out of a quality pair of hiking boots and max out at about 1000 miles.
So depending on how often you hike, most hiking boots should last you several hiking seasons and maybe more depending on how often you hike and the types of trails your hiking.