Uploaded January 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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Here is a quick hiking gear review of the hiking boots and hiking shoes I tried and tested in 2023. These are mainly lightweight hiking boots but I make comparisons to traditional leather hiking boots too. Most of the hiking footwear I own are Gore Tex hiking boots which are breathable and waterproof.

I'm had some mixed results this year. The cheap hiking boots were surprisingly good and the expensive ones had issues with longevity of the tread.

For the first time I tried some hiking shoes. I'm usually a boot wearer through and through but the Salomon X Ultra 4's were superb.

I really enjoy wearing lighter hiking boots and I do genuinely feel like I'm less fatigued and I've got more energy for longer. However, they do test to cause hot spots and pressure points by the end of a long day.

Just to confirm, when I refer to full height leather hiking boots I'm not necessarily talking about classic old school dark brown leather 1kg boots. I just mean predominantly leather boots.

Boots tested include:
Inov-8 Roclite Pro G400 GTX V2
inov-8.com/roclite-pro-g-400-gtx-v2-mens-waterproof-hiking-boot?colours=1496

La Sportiva Ultra Raptor II Mid GTX
Currently £151 from £190 on SportsShoes
sportsshoes.com/product/las217/la-sportiva-ultra-raptor-ii-gore%7Etex-walking-boots-%282e-width%29-%7E-ss24/#sku-las217

Nortiv8 Boots from Amazon
Buy Nortiv8 hiking boots on Amazon Prime for £42 with free delivery here: amzn.to/45GJWIA

Salomon X Ultra 4 Gore-Tex
Currently £108 from £155 on Salomon's website.
salomon.com/en-gb/shop-emea/product/x-ultra-4-gtx.html#color=48489
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Thanks, Andy.

#hiking #hikinggear #hikingboots