Best Hiking Boots Under $100 In 2025 For Men & Women

Hiking boots are vital for every hiker.

As I’ve started hiking more often, I found out that it’s extremely important to get proper hiking boots that would last a few months. In fact, if you were to hike with unsuitable boots, you will end up getting sore feet.

Of course, suitable hiking socks would be vital as well. You can check out our article on the best vegan hiking socks to learn more about the different types of hiking socks and what are the characteristics which you should look out for as well.

I didn’t want to settle with just any boots. But, I’m down on a tight budget as well. Hence, I thought it would be helpful to search around for a list of the best hiking boots under 100 dollars that still have sufficiently high quality too.

After a bit of searching, I found out that getting hiking boots under 100 dollars isn’t impossible. The only challenge is finding one that suited my needs.

Hence, I thought it would be helpful to come up with a list of the best hiking boots under 100. I hope what I have found will be useful.

Best Hiking Boots Under $100 Comparison Table

Product Image	Product	Material	Weight	Outsole	Warranty	Suitability	Price
	Timberland White Ledge	Full-grain waterproof Leather	2.20 lbs	Rubber Lug Outsole	12 months	Suitable for most outdoor activities	$
	Columbia Newton Ridge Plus II	from Leather, Mesh and Suede	1.00 lbs	Omni-Grip Advanced traction rubber sole	12 months	Great for Hiking	$
	KEEN Targhee II	Nubuck Leather	1.09 lbs	4mm Rubber Lugs	12 months	Great for Hiking & Backpacking	$$
	Merrell Moab 2 Mid GTX	Synthetic Leather and Mesh	4.00 lbs	Vibram TC5+ Sole	60 days	Comfortable in varying temperature conditions	$$$

How to choose the best hiking boots

1. You need to understand your needs

Being able to choose the most suitable products always begin with understanding yourself. There are many kinds of hiking footwear which are suited for different purpose.Hiking boots generally have a height above the ankle to provide sufficient ankle support for hiking up the mountain. Furthermore, they often weigh more than shoes because they are designed to provide more support and stability. If you are carrying a heavy backpack and you have to move around on a challenging terrain, you will need the extra support from your hiking boots.

On the other hand, mountaineering boots are taller, stiffer and more insulated. You can expect getting extra height and stiffness from mountaineering boots because it is designed to give sufficient support to the hiker in really steep terrains. If you are going to really steep terrains, I would suggest investing in a pair of high-quality mountaineering boots. 

2. You have to choose a suitable material

Knowing what materials your boots are made of is imperative. If you pick a boot that is made from unsuitable fabric, it may make your feet feel hot or wet.More often than not, hiking boots are made from leather, suede or other synthetic materials so that the boots can provide greater support and protection.

For mountaineering boots, they are made from full-grain leather because it’s really durable which is made for extreme situations. The downside is that this material is not very breathable and it’s heavy.

3. You have to pick boots which are the right size

Do take note that there are some boots that are half-size smaller than most boots.Also, picking the right size of boots is vital so that you won’t squeeze your feet for long hours. You may get blisters and feel really uncomfortable if the boots are too small. If the boots are too big, you may get other foot issues such as arch pain or you may have a higher probability of stumbling too.

Best Hiking Boots under $100

1. Timberland White Ledge Mid-Cut ankle boot

Company Overview – Timberland LLC is an American manufacturer that focuses on retailing outdoor wear and focuses particularly on footwear. The company is owned by VF Corporation, an American worldwide apparel and footwear company founded in 1899.

Timberland offers all the gears that you need for the outdoors including jackets, backpacks and other outdoor accessories.

However, their primary focus is still the manufacture of boots. They have been trusted to manufacture high-quality men, women and kids boots, catering for various audiences.

Characteristics of the Timberland White Ledge Mid-Cut ankle boot

Size – For men, you can choose between size 7 to size 15. Also, they have the ‘wide’ option for you to select. For women, you can choose from size 5 to size 11.

Colors – For men, you can choose between 7 types of colors including: Black, Dark Brown, Medium Brown Full Grain, Wheat, Brown, Brown Nubuck and Medium Brown. For women, the color comes only in Dark Brown.

Weight – For the Men’s version, it weighs 1.10 lbs. For the Women’s version, it weighs 2.00 lbs.

Product Dimension – For the men’s boots, it has a product dimension of 12 inches x 9 inches x 6 inches. For the women’s boots, it has a product dimension of 11 inches x 4 inches x 7 inches.

Shaft – The Shaft measures approximately 4.5 inches from the arch of the shoe.

Toe Box – The boots comes with a large toe box with a huge amount of room. This ample room is important for moving downhill. It ensures that your toes don’t touch the front of the boots despite moving downward.

Features of the Timberland White Ledge Mid-Cut ankle boot

Waterproof – The Timberland White Ledge Mid-Cut ankle boot comes with premium full-grain waterproof leather uppers. With the seam-sealed waterproof construction, it will be able to ensure that no water gets into the boots.

Rustproof – The boots are rustproof with a speed lace hardware with lace hooks at the top.

Compression-molded EVA Foam midsole comfort system – The Cushioned EVA Footbed added with the dual-density EVA midsole lightweight cushioning helps you feel comfortable even after walking for long hours in this pair of boots. The EVA footbed is also known as a removable anti-fatigue footbed.

Since the insoles are removeable, you can change them according to how you deem fit too. Having removeable footbeds helps with airing out too.

Padded collar and tongue – The padded collar and tongue are present to give additional comfort, which is especially useful if you are on your feet all day. The fully gusseted tongue helps keep the debris out too.

Rubber Lug Outsole – With the rubber outsole, you can get excellent traction in most terrains. Also, the outsoles have grippers too.

Warranty

The boots comes with a 12-month warranty from the date of purchase. Timberland gave this warranty in hopes of expressing their confidence in the quality of their products.

Basically, you need to email a completed Timberland Warranty Return Form to  tblcustomersupport@vfc.comalong with the following pictures:

• Internal tags showing style number and size
• Product in its entirety
• Bottom of soles showing tread, for footwear
• Defective area
• Proof of purchase within 12 months from an authorized dealer or seller

Warning

It takes some time to break in – The materials used to make this pair of shoes is pretty solid, but it comes with a drawback – where the shoes are pretty stiff. However, if you walk frequently, you should be able to break-in in a matter of time. However, since you will wear a pair of socks to go with the boots you shouldn’t get any blisters despite wearing it right out of the box for a hike.

Poor ankle support – The boots come with poor ankle support. If you are using it for walks or a simple hike, it should meet your expectations. However, they are still capable of providing decent ankle support even when you are hiking in uneven terrains outdoors.

The boots require a lot of attention – Since the boots are made of leather, you need to take good care of the boots. If the boots get wet, make sure to stop wearing them and get them dry as soon as possible.

My Thoughts

Flexible for most outdoor activities – This pair of boots is flexible enough for hiking, casual-wear or any outdoor activities that you wouldn’t want to miss. You can even use this as work boots or rain boots too.

Okay on snow – The boots are extremely solid and can last really long even in snow. When the weather condition is cold where it’s not safe to wear regular sneakers, the Timberland White Ledge Mid-Cut ankle boot.

But do take note that since the boots are not insulated, you don’t want to bring it out on really cold weather. Of course, you can circumvent this by wearing thick and warm socks with the shoes.

If you are going on a 30 minute walk in an environment that is around -10 degrees, these pair of boots should still work fine if you have a warm pair of socks.

Truly Waterproof – Unlike most shoes which claims they are waterproof and turns out to be not waterproof, the manufacturer of this pair of shoes held true to his words. Since the boots are made mostly of leather with a few seams, the boots are highly waterproof.

If you want to be certain and make it really waterproof, you can rub coats of mink oil on it. The mink oil helps soften the shoes making the breaking in process much easier too.

Really comfortable boots – If you are spending your time whole day on your feet, this pair of boots will be suitable for you. You will feel comfortable wearing this pair of boots even for hours.

Even in hot weather and humid conditions, your feet should be able to remain cool and comfortable.

Suitable in warm weather – Although the boots aren’t too breathable, I would say that they are suitable for wearing in warm weather too. Even in the summer while wearing a pair of medium-sized socks, it wouldn’t feel too hot.

2. Columbia Newton Ridge Plus II Hiking Boot

Company Overview – The Columbia Sportswear company is an American company that is listed in the NASDAQ market, and has been founded since 1938. They focus on distributing sportswear, footwear, camping equipment and outwear accessories. Also, Columbia had acquired Sorel and Mountain Hardwear in year 2000 and 2003 respectively, and they are known footwear makers.  

Characteristics of the Columbia Newton Ridge Plus II Hiking Boot

Materials – The boots is generally made from Leather, Mesh and Suede. As for the sole, it’s made from rubber.

Size – For Men, it ranges from size 7 to size 17! The half-size increase is only available from size 7 to size 12. From size 12 onwards, all of the sizes increase by 1 size. For Women, you will be able to choose from size 5 (Wide) all the way to size 12.

Columbia Men´s Boot Sizing Chart – For this pair of boots, there is a wide variety of sizes to choose from including size 7 (9.84 inches), size 8 (10.24 inches), size 9 (10.63 inches), size 10 (11.02 inches) and size 11 (11.42 inches)

Columbia Women´s Boot Sizing Chart – This boots comes in size 5 (22 centimeters), size 6 (23 centimeters), size 7 (24 centimeters), size 8 (25 centimeters) and size 9 (26 centimeters).

Colors – For Men, there are a total of 6 colors available which are Black, Cordovan Squash, Collegiate Navy Rusty, Mud Sanguine, Silver Sage Dark Banana and Dark Brown/ Bright Copper.

For women, there are 6 colors to choose from as well, namely: Black/Poppy Red, Cordovan/ Crown Jewel, Delta/ Red Velvet, Ash/ Riptide, Mud/Eve, Quarry/ Cool Wave. Take note that the second part of the description is describing the shoelace pattern particularly.

Weight – For men, each boot will averagely weigh around 1.00 lbs. For Women, each boot will weigh around 0.81 lbs.  

Measurements – The shaft measures around 5 inches from the arch. The heel measures approximately 1.75 inches. While the platformmeasures around 0.50 inches.

Product Dimension – For men, on average the product dimension would be 8 inches x 12 inches x 4 inches. For women, the product dimension would be 5 inches x 14 inches x 11 inches.

Features of the Columbia Newton Ridge Plus II Hiking Boot

Techlite lightweight midsole – The Columbia Newton Ridge Plus II Hiking Boot contains the Techlite lightweight midsole which is aimed at providing comfort despite long-hours of walking. You will get long hours of comfort with superior cushioning and high energy return. This would be helpful if you are trudging for long hours on trails which are uneven, such as a hill.

Omni-Grip Advanced traction rubber sole – With this advanced technology attached to the rubber sole, you will be able to move around these shoes without worrying about slipping. This rubber outsole will provide high grip across various terrains, making the boots really versatile.

Waterproof – The hiking boots are made with waterproof full-grain leather, which helps with ensuring no water gets inside your boots.

Lightweight – The boots are made with a suede lightweight construction too.

Durable Mesh Tongue – The boots comes with durable mesh tongue for extra breathability and comfort especially when the day gets really hot when you are hiking up the mountain.

Lace-up Closure – The difference between the Columbia Newton Ridge Plus Hiking Boot and the Columbia Newton Ridge Plus II Hiking Boot is this feature: Lace-up closure. With this feature, you can easily adjust your shoes until they comfortably and securely fit your feet.

Arch support – The boots come with plenty of arch support too.

Warning

Not very durable – If you are going to wear the boots really frequently long-term, it will not be able to last very long. This pair of boots is not suited for heavy usage.

Poor Ventilation – Your feet may feel really hot if you put on this pair of boots. The boots are not too breathable. Wearing this pair of boots under hot sunlight may not be a good idea.

My Thoughts

Suitable for wet terrains – The Columbia Newton Ridge Plus II is great for wet terrains, since it’s waterproof. Despite meeting a slippery terrain or a rainy day, you should be able to climb up the mountain without much problems.

Break-in easily – Even after getting the boots right out of the box, they should be able to fit your feet well. You should be able to break-into the boots after wearing them for a few hours.

Really comfortable – You can bet that this pair of boots are really comfortable to walk around in. You will face really few issues for your feet if you pick this pair of boots. In fact, this pair of bots is comfortable straight out of the box.

Feels really light – The boots feels as light as sneakers. It’s definitely a great alternative if you don’t want to wear your standard work boot, and prefer something that feels more comfortable.

Easy to maintain – After your hiking trip, you just have to rinse off the trail dust and dry the boots with a towel. With minimal effort, you should be able to get it to look and feel great again.  

3. KEEN Targhee II Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot

Company Overview – Keen Shoe Company is a private limited company that manufactures footwear and accessories, based in Portland, Oregon. The company was founded in 2003 by Martin keen and Rory Fuerst. In 2009, the company expanded into safety work footwear.

Characteristics of the KEEN Targhee II Hiking boot

Materials – The boots are made from Nubuck Leather that is waterproof. As for the sole, it’s made from rubber.

Color – There are a whole range of colors which you can choose from for both the male and female version.

For the men’s boots, there are a total of 17 different types of colors you can choose from including Black Olive/ Yellow, Shitake/Brindle, Chestnut/ Bossa Nova, Chocolate Chip/ Picante or Magnet/ True Blue.

For the women’s pair, there are a total of 26 different colors to choose from! Amongst others, you can choose a pair of shoes with Black Olive/ Mineral Blue, Dark Earth/ Allure, Java/Goat, Walnut, Olive, Concord or Ombre Blue/ Vaporous Grey.

Sizes Available – For men, you can choose from size 7 to size 17. While for women, the boots come in size 5 to size 11.

Weight – For the men’s pair, it weighs 17.4 oz. (or 493.3 grams).   For the Women’s pair, the average weight is 13.74 oz (or 390.22 grams).

Product Dimension – For the men’s boots, it has a product dimension of 15 inches x 12 inches x 6 inches.

For the women’s pair, it has a dimension of 11.4 inches x 9 inches x 4.5 inches.

Boot Opening – The boot opening has a measurement of around 12.5 inches.

Outsole – The boots come with a lugged outsole. It has a contoured heel lock that comes with 4mm multi directional lugs. The 4mm lugs aggressive outsole will be able to bite into different terrains with ease. This means that the boots can provide excellent traction control.

Features of the KEEN Targhee II Hiking boot

Ghillie lacing – The ghillie lacing should be able to ensure great comfort and a secure fit. Besides looking sleek and sporty, you will be pampered with the custom fit.

Easy-on heel pull – With the padded tongue and collar, you should able to fit into your boots comfortably.

Keen dry waterproof and breathable membrane – This newly revamped version of boots is made with the KEEN DRY waterproof and breathable membrane. This membrane should be able to help keep your feet dry and comfortable.

ESS Shank – The ESS Shank will be able to provide torsional stability for you to move around without worrying about falling down.

Furthermore, the ESS Shank reduces foot fatigue too. By minimizing the amount of tiredness on your feet, you will be able to push on further.

Cleansport NXT – The boots comes with Cleansport NXT which is natural odor control.

EVA Midsole – The boots comes with EVA midsole and a removeable footbed to provide sufficient support. The S3 heel structure with the dual-density EVA midsole and Keen Metatomical EVA Footbed will be able to provide your feet with exceptional support.

S3 Heel Support – S3 here stands for Shock, Suspension and Stability. Keen has came up with a distinctive heel support structure that is capable of supporting your foot on impact, which helps reduce shock and prevents injury to your ankle.

Patented Toe Protection – Since this is a ‘hiking shoe’, Keen got you covered by giving proper toe protection because they know that rocky objects can trip you when you are on the trail. It will wrap up and over the outsole to give you proper coverage.

Warning

Boots are smaller than usual – This pair of boots are ½ size smaller as compared to normal boots. Hence, it will be a good idea to order ½ a size larger than what you usually order to ensure that it fits you comfortably. 

Use a leather cleaner – I would suggest using a leather cleaner and conditioner to help ensure that the boots remain well.  

Warranty

You will be able to claim your warranty from Keen with much ease. The company will guarantee them to be free from workmanship and material defect for 12 months from the original date of purchase.

My Thoughts

Waterproof Boots – The KEEN Targhee II Hiking Boots are designed to help keep your feet dry, helping you ensure that your feet remain comfortable despite any terrain.

It’s mainly due to the materials the boots are made of, namely the waterproof nubuck upper, 4-millimeter multi-directional lugs and the Keen dry waterproof membrane.

Breathable – The boots have high-level of breathability too.

Provides ankle support – The mid-cut height of the boots helps to add ankle support which is essential if you were to go through canyons or mountains.

Suitable for backpacking trip – This pair of boots will be able to work well if you take it to a 4-day backpacking trip. But do note that this boots does provide ankle support, but not major ankle support which is needed for mountaineering.

Also, if you are carrying a heavy backpack through a difficult trail, it would be better to get another pair of boot with better ankle support.

Look and Feel Good – You can say that this is a pretty good looking hiking boot. Wearing this pair of boots feels really good too. You will be amazed at how good the boot fits and how comfortable it feels.

4. Merrell Moab 2 Mid Gtx Hiking Boot – Most Comfortable Boots

Company Overview – Merrell is a United States-based company that is focused in the textile industry. It was founded in 1981 by Clark Matis, Randy Merrell and John Schweizer. Since 1997, Merrell has been the wholly owned subsidiary of Wolverine World Wide (the parent company). The company is a shoe industry giant that is well-known for providing quality footwear.

Built with sustaining the ecosystem – I thought it’s worth mentioning that the company have sustainability in mind. By recycling materials, using water thoughtfully, creating products that is able to withstand extensive wear and reducing landfill contributions through innovation, the company has produced this product with sustainability efforts in mind.

Product Line Overview – Moab basically stands for Mother of All Boots. This line of boots is made to help you experience out-of-the-box comfort.  

For more than 10 years, the Merrell Moab has been the exclusive choice for most hikers around the world. It’s well-known for providing great amount of comfort and is respected for being really durable.

Characteristics of the Merrell Moab 2 Mid Gtx Hiking Boot

Material – The Merrell Moab 2 is made from 100% synthetic leather and mesh. Generally, the boots are made with synthetic leather and a mesh upper. The sole is basically synthetic sole.

Size – For men, you can choose from size 6.5 to size 15. You can check out a picture of the size chart below too. For women, you can purchase boots from size 5 to size 14.5.

Men Size Chart

Women Size Chart

Colors – For men, you have a total of 11 colors to choose from! Some of the popular colors include Walnut, Earth, Black and Blue Navy.

For women, you can choose from 5 colors which are Sedona Sage (Blue), Brindle, Black, Grey Sedona Sage and Navy.

Weight – For the Men’s boots, it weighs 4 pounds. For the Women’s set of boots, it weighs 3.13 pounds.

Product Dimension – For the men’s set of boots, it has a dimension of 14 inches x 10 inches x 5 inches.

Lug Depth – The boots have a lug depth of 5mm. The deeper the lugs, the better the amount the traction the boots can give.

Features of the Merrell Moab 2 Mid Gtx Hiking Boot

GORE-TEX waterproof membrane – The boots are equipped with GORE-TEX waterproof membrane that gives the boots exceptional performance in terms of breathability and waterproofing. This membrane will be able to help keep your feet comfortable and dry.

Closed-cell foam tongue – The closed-cell foam tongue helps you keep the moisture and debris out of the shoe.

Protective rubber toe cap – The boots comes equipped with protective rubber toe cap, allowing you to move around freely without worrying too much about getting your feet hurt.

Merrell M Select FIT.ECO+ Footbed – The boots come with Merrell M Select FIT.ECO+ Footbed that is blended with the EVA contoured footbed. The boots even come with added zonal arch and heel support which is vital for keeping your feet away from fatigue despite being on your feet for long hours.

Vibram TC5+ sole – Vibram is basically a high-performance rubber sole that is extremely durable, stable and slip-resistant. With these reassuring qualities, you will feel confident even when hiking up on slippery trails.

Air Cushion – The Merrell Moab 2 comes equipped with targeted heel cushioning that helps to give you greater comfort by reducing the amount of stress on your foot.

Ventilating mesh – The boots come with a lot of ventilating mesh, which helps make the boots really breathable. This means that even when you wear it under hot weather, your feet will still feel comfortable.

Ankle eyelets has minimal movement – The ankle eyelets do not lock the heel in. This is an important feature because it ensures that your boots do not move too much when you are moving downhill.

Warning

Loose Outsole

The outsoles of the boots seems to be pretty loose. If you face this problem, you should contact Merrell’s customer support immediately. They have their ‘Make It Right Guarantee’ which runs for a total of 60 days.

If such a situation arises, you can call their customer support at (800) 288-3124, Monday through Friday from 8am – 9pm EST, and Saturday through Sunday 9am – 6pm EST.

Get one size larger

If possible, try to get one size larger for the Merrell Moab 2 as compared to what you normally get. Sometimes, getting half a size larger may work better.

If you are wearing this pair of boots for cold weather hiking, I would highly recommend getting one size larger so that you can fit in a pair of thick socks.

My Thoughts

Feels really comfortable – The boots as a whole feel really comfortable. The comfort can be said to be attributed by many factors including the pair of boots having a supportive footbed and excellent traction which provides great amounts of stability. With the amount of support given to your feet, your feet will remain comfortable despite long hours of hiking.

When wearing the shoes, you will feel a sense of reassurance that your feet will be protected. Also, the boots are quiet when you are walking on different surfaces too.

Great for summer hiking – Even when it’s warm, this pair of lightweight hiking boots will still be able to serve its purposes while allowing you to wear them comfortably. It will not easily get hot even when you are exposed to the hot sun while hiking. Of course, it would be even better if you wear cool socks when you know you are going to be exposed to extreme heat.

Really versatile – You can choose to hike in this boot in the summer or winter, and you should feel pretty comfortable in both situations.

When it’s snowing, you should wear it with the best warmest socks for hunting and your feet should feel comfortable despite the cold environment. Usually, it’s better to look for socks that are made from Merino Wool, especially those with high-density knitting. This means that the socks can help you feel really warm.

Feels really light – The boots feel lighter than expected. In fact, it may be one of the lightest hiking boots you own. Despite this, they still offer a great amount of support to your feet which is essential if you are on your feet for long hours.

No Break-in required – Even when you wear it out-of-the-box, the shoes will feel really comfortable. In fact, there is very little need or even no need for breaking into the boots.

In fact, there is an extremely low risk that they will cause your feet to be bruised because they wear like terrain slippers. There shouldn’t be any blisters at all and you should feel really comfortable.

Soft Soles – The soles that comes with these boots is really soft, which makes it really comfortable to walk on.

Waterproof – Since the boots are waterproof, you can walk through puddles of water or slushy ice without worry that your feet will get wet.  

Concluding Thoughts

Although there are only a limited selections available, they are definitely the best hiking boots under $100 that we can dig out in the market. Yes, they do have their flaws, but for a shoe that is below the $100 price point, I would say that they are pretty high-quality especially in terms of comfort.