The Best Vegan Hiking Boots

Your biggest enemy when looking for vegan hiking boots is obviously leather. Good bets are those made with nylon, polyester, and eco-friendly rubber.

The second biggest enemy is simply that there aren't tons of options for high quality hiking footwear.

By far the most popular (and one of the most expensive) vegan hiking boots is the Garmont Women's Kiowa style hiking boot. These boots are pretty versatile and renowned for being comfortable.

Garmonts are made entirely of man-made materials, including a stylish fake-suede. What's also cool about these shoes is that they are lined with water-resistent fabric that wicks the sweat away from your feet, so they don't end up wet and uncomfortable.

They are specially designed to protect your feet against rough terrain, have shock-absorbing foot padding, and have anatomically-correct internal construction that supports your feet.

Garmonts are going to run about $80-100 US Dollars, although since they are available on Amazon, you might be able to search for good deals.

A less expensive option that many people call a favorite is Crimson Vegan Hiking Shoes. People say that they are good for all-purpose trail and sport walking, although they aren't great for hard-core hiking. What's great about these vegan hiking boots is that you can find them for around $30 on Amazon.

I got a pair of Jambu vegan shoes for a walking and hiking trip in Colorado and I absolutely love them. They are lightweight and cute, but they also have a nice tread on the bottom that allows you to stop yourself from slipping. I even used them for climbing in Arizona, and I felt like they helped my feet slide into little gaps better.

Montrail makes the Montrail Hurricane Ridge XCR light and comfortable enough for running on trails, as well as hiking. Like the Garmont, they are also waterproof, and made with Gore-Tex® that keeps your feet dry. This Montrail runs for around $125, but I've seen sales on Amazon for 50% off the original price, which is a fantastic deal.

If you can get your hands on them, it's worth trying the Wicked Hemp Path Finder vegan hiking boot. They have the traditional look of a leather hiking boot, but are made with a much more comfortable and eco-friendly hemp material. This one has a higher boot cut that goes above your ankle to lend you ankle support on rocky terrain, but they also make a style that's shorter and looks like a sneaker.

You can find Wicked Hemp vegan hiking boots in both mens and womens sizes, but they can be hard to find. If they aren't on Amazon, check around on other vegan clothing websites. The only negative reviews are that they tend to be a bit heavy, but you could also look at that as showing that they have weight and won't fall apart.

Vegetarian Shoes also makes a few vegan hiking boots that many people also really like and trust. The Vegetarian ShoesTrail Boot has a thick exterior look to them, but a comfortable sole that makes it easy to wear around. People say they last forever, even when trudging through water and mud. The one drawback is they seem to stiffen when they've been water-logged, although they apparently loosen up when you wear them again.

The Trail Boot vegan hiking boots are also going to run you around $100 US Dollars, but you should get good wear out of them.

The Vegetarian Shoes Veggie Trekker are more solid, dependable, highly reviewed, and thus, more expensive. They get even higher praise than the Garmont hikers, and run around $200 for a pair, which is comparable to hardcore leather hiking boots.

Veggie Trekkers are made with Vibram soles with great traction, and they take a long time to wear out, so you can wear them on serious hikes and rugged terrain. They're waterproof, and can be used for snowshoeing or during rainstorms. Evidently they're warm and very comfortable from the first time you put them on.

You can find less expensive hiking boots at discount stores like Kmart, Walmart, Payless Shoes, and Target. Some vegans are conflicted about cheaper shoes like this because there's a good chance that they're made in sweat shops.

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