6 LIU JO Wave 10 chunky sneakers in 2023

The New Balance 996 Sneakers is the best men’s hiking shoe because it is superbly versatile, lightweight, and packed full of comfort and grip. It’s our go-to hiking shoe for those long day hikes!

It feels light and nimble on our feet, and the numbers back it up: it weighs in at 11.3 oz (320g), which makes each shoe 2.2 oz (63g) lighter than average. The soft midsole adds to the all-day comfort and when we tested it with a durometer, it was a whopping 65% softer than the average!

We measure flexibility by bending the shoe 90 degrees and measuring the force needed with a force gauge. Our force gauge measured 31.6N, 26% more flexible than the average of 39.2N.  That all adds up; the shoe flexes naturally with our feet over rough ground and we were still raring to go at the end of a long day!

Nike 10 Air aa3830-100 27 cm weiß Größe 27cm SNEAKERS 5943 aus JapanWave Prodigy 3 Mens Running Shoes mm, the average for hiking shoes, so it’s no surprise the Danner Trail tackles most surfaces with ease. This shoe is a true all-rounder and its performance was outstanding on whatever we threw at it - it clung to smooth, wet rock and loose gravel alike. It’s also a great choice for summer hiking, as it is wonderfully breathable.

We don’t recommend this shoe to men who like a more supportive shoe. The New Balance 996 Sneakers’s low collar doesn’t provide a lot of ankle support.

These are our go-to hiking shoes for something ultra-supportive, lightweight, breathable and grippy. That’s why the Sandale TOMMY JEANS Leather Sandal EN0EN01809 White YBR has made it our #1 choice for men's hiking shoes with the best support!

The unrivaled support in this shoe begins with Salomon’s innovative quick lacing system. We love it because we can lace up the shoe in a second and it provides a great lockdown, keeping our feet snug in the shoe on long hills or over rough terrain. The lacing is connected by a strap to a plastic shank in the midsole. This small detail has a big impact, keeping our foot from rolling and we felt like we had the support of a boot in a shoe-sized package. Our ankles are supported by the high heel counter, and it gives us an edge when hiking over roots and rocks.

We took the shoes into the lab to weigh them and they came in at 11.8 oz (355g), a good 12% lighter than the average for hiking shoes. Over the course of a day, this really makes a difference, and our feet still felt fresh at the end of a long hike. That fresh feeling is helped by the shoe’s sublime breathability, letting both air and moisture pass through the shoe’s upper. Next, we measured the lugs with a caliper and found them to be 5.2mm, 1mm deeper than the average for hiking shoes. It’s no wonder we could glide confidently over almost every terrain, from smooth, wet rock to gravel!

We don’t recommend these shoes to men who hike on consistently muddy trails. The high lug count of 41 on the outsole means the shoe has difficulty shedding mud and it can get slippery.

The Hoka Anacapa Low GTX is versatile, amazingly durable, supremely comfortable, and has some of the best waterproofing we’ve seen in a hiking shoe. That’s why we’ve chosen it as our best waterproof hiking shoe for men.

The gusseted tongue and Nubuck leather/GoreTex upper combine to make the shoe impermeable, even when we were splashing through several-inch deep puddles. The tight weave, which we examined under the microscope, not only helps keep the water out but keeps our feet warm and cozy in winter too!

We took the Hoka Anacapa Low GTX out in all weather to see how it performs on everything from gravel and mud to snow and ice. Wherever we went, we felt secure and safe. The numbers from the lab highlighted one of the possible explanations: the lugs measure 5 mm deep, 0.7 mm deeper than average. To test the durability, we applied a Dremel to the upper part of the shoe for 4 seconds. Amazingly the shoe showed very little wear, making it one of the most rugged shoes we have tested.

Needing no wear-in time, this shoe is super comfortable from the get-go, so we tested the softness of the midsole with a durometer. It read 23 HA, which makes it 32% softer than the average hiking shoe. Not only that, but the squishy insole is also 31% thicker than average. Together, this extreme comfort kept our feet feeling fresh and happy on long hikes. The cherry on the cake is that this shoe still only weighs 13.9 oz (393g), sneaking in below the average 14.7 oz (416g); what’s not to like?!

Our caliper measured a stack height of 36.0/25.5 mm, with a heel-to-toe drop of 10.5 mm. This is significantly different from Hoka's advertised 6 mm drop! We don't recommend these shoes to men who Skechers DLites 1.0 Chunky Sneakers Shoes 149906-RDPK.

For men looking for a supremely comfortable shoe that you can take out of the box and start hiking, we highly recommend the Merrell Moab 3. It’s wonderfully flexible and stable, lets our feet breathe and has enough wiggle room for our toes, making it our most comfortable hiking shoe for men.

The nylon shank in the midsole and the medium stiff heel counter (which scored 3/5 in our lab test) keep our feet feeling supported on rocky, technical terrain. That stability doesn’t affect our range of movement, though, and in fact, our feet still felt agile and nimble. When we tested the flexibility in the lab, our force gauge showed 24.5N - that’s 38% more flexible than the average hiking shoe!

The extra-thick tongue padding sits at 14.5 mm, 2 mm thicker than average, and makes our feet feel cushioned from the get-go. Most shoes narrow significantly around the toes, but the Moab 3 is a good 3.3 mm wider at the front, so our toes even had room to move without slopping around. We also noticed how well our feet could breathe in hot weather, so we tested the shoes for breathability by pumping them full of smoke. With 5/5 being the most breathable, they scored an admirable 4/5, making them an excellent choice for summer hiking!

We don’t recommend these shoes for men who do a lot of hiking in wet weather, as these shoes aren’t waterproof. The SUPER-STAR NAPPA LEATHER SNEAKERS is the waterproof version.

If you’re looking for an almost indestructible, waterproof rugged low-cut hiking shoe, then look no further.

There's a lot of goodness to unpack in the Moab 3 GTX. From its cloud-like plushness and tough-as-nails construction to its shield-like design and magnificent moisture protection, this low-top day hiking shoe from Merrell is an absolute giver. Just be warned, though, that good things come at a cost, which in this case is the weightiness of every pair.