Best Women's Walking Boots 2023 - Top Ladies Hiking Boots

If you’re bound for the great outdoors, good waterproof walking boots are an essential – and the best women's hiking boots will protect your feet from rough ground and bad weather, and keep you warm, dry and comfortable on country lanes and mountainsides alike.

A great pair of hiking boots for women should offer two key characteristics – waterproofing and breathability. Waterproof hiking boots usually use branded technology such as Gore-Tex or their own-brand version to create a waterproof membrane that stops moisture getting in but still lets sweat wick away. We also look for walking boots for women with thick, bouncy rubber soles with deep lugs to offer a good grip on wet surfaces and a reinforced toe box to protect your feet.

Best women's walking boots for long-distance hiking

Mountain Warehouse Extreme Quest Boot, £119.99 

Mountain Warehouse’s hardy and good-looking Extreme Quest women’s hiking boot is packed with the good stuff – soft nubuck leather makes these boots stylish and comfortable, while a waterproof membrane keeps rain at bay and a tough-as-nails rubber outsole offers excellent grip and comes with a 5,000-mile guarantee – ideal if you’re eyeing up your next long-distance trail. 

Best women's leather walking boots

Ariat Skyline Mid Boot, £140

This premium-feeling leather boot looks great – and it’s brilliant to hike in, too, as the leather is naturally waterproof and warm but lined with breathable mesh. Despite its solid looks, the Sykline feels pleasingly lightweight and bouncy underfoot. And unlike some models with a leather upper, the Skylines are comfortable straight out of the box, and don’t need any painful breaking in. 

Buy Ariat Skyline Mid Boot: From £116 at Amazon

Best women's walking boots for wearing from city to countryside

Timberland Greenstride Motion 6 Boot, £145

Stand out in Timberland’s new Greenstride Motion 6, which has the technical know-how of a hiking shoe but looks the part in the city. The Greenstride deserves its eco name, too – it’s made with 50% recycled materials and 75% biobased materials. This attractive shoe also stands out for comfort – it’s as comfy and cushioning as it looks.

Best women's walking boots for foot health

Vivo Barefoot Tracker Decon Boot, £144

Vivo Barefoot’s shoes are designed to be ‘foot shaped, not shoe shaped’, and their flexible soles allow your feet to feel more of the terrain underfoot, barefoot-style, as you walk, while still offering some protection. Their impressively comfortable Tracker Deacon is the perfect summer walking boot if you don’t like heavy, clunky footwear – it’s very lightweight at just 250g per shoe, moulds nicely to the foot and feels very freeing to wear thanks to a breathable wool upper and flexible leather sides. While the soles are designed to be thin and flexible, they provide good protection from rocks and uneven trails, and there's decent ankle support.

Buy Vivo Barefoot Tracker Decon Boot: £187.43 at Amazon

Best women's walking boots for feeling like you’re wearing trainers

Adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2 Boot, £200

The looks of your favourite trainers meet the performance of hiking boots in these rather swish Free Hiker Parleys from Adidas. There’s lots to like here, but where these boots excel is in comfort – they really do feel as comfortable as your lived-in sneakers, and we like the close-fitting sock-like ankle. The newest iteration of the Free Hiker is waterproofed with Gore-Tex, so it’s reliably weatherproof.

Buy Adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2 Boot: £200 at Amazon

Buy Adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2 Boot: £160 at Cotswold Outdoor <<Best Deal>>

Best women's lightweight walking boots

Salomon Cross Hike 2 Boot, £165

While Salomon’s Cross Hike boot works well for hiking year-round, it really stands out in warmer weather – it’s highly breathable, comfy and lightweight, so you’ll barely feel like you’re wearing boots at all, even on the dog days of summer. The flexible fabric of this supportive boot has a Gore-Tex waterproof lining. A great choice for walking holidays, travelling and backpacking.

Buy Salomon Cross Hike 2 Boot: £324.66 at Amazon

Buy Salomon Cross Hike 2 Boot: £154.95 at Alpinetrek <<Best Deal>>

Best classic women's walking boots

Scarpa Cyrus Boot, £180

There’s nothing better for the mercurial British weather than a sensible, classic leather boot. Scarpa’s Cyrus hiker may look almost retro, but when it comes to technology this design is bang-up-to-date, with a fully waterproof Gore-Tex membrane and grippy Vibram soles – this combo is ideal for taking on sudden changes in the weather when you’re off the beaten track. That smart and warm nubuck leather outer material makes these boots heavy at 960g, so they’re better suited to shorter distances.

Buy Scarpa Cyrus Boot: From £155.48 at Amazon

Buy Scarpa Cyrus Boot: £144 at Cotswold Outdoor <<Best Deal>>

Best all-rounder women's walking boots for under £100

Berghaus Expeditor Trek 2 Boot, £100

Berghaus’ Expeditor Trek 2, as Berghaus state, is a brilliantly balanced ‘sturdy but light’ boot which is both weatherproof and reasonably lightweight at 415g per boot. Cushioned soles and a protective toe cap make it comfortable from the get-go – and comfortable all day long. The Expeditor also offers good grip, even on wet rock. A great versatile pick for under £100.

Buy Berghaus Expeditor Trek 2 Boot: From £86.55 at Amazon <<Best Deal>>

Buy Berghaus Expeditor Trek 2 Boot: £113 at Blacks

Best insulated women's hiking boots

The North Face Storm Strike III Boot, £110

Just because it’s blowing a blizzard outside doesn’t mean you can’t wear hiking boots – just treat your feet to The North Face’s Storm Strike III. Lined with heat-trapping insulation and with a rugged, grippy outsole that will help you stride confidently over ice, snow and mud, these weatherproof boots are ideal for cold conditions, and are pleasingly comfy, too.

Buy The North Face Storm Strike III Boot: From £99.05 at Amazon

Buy The North Face Storm Strike III Boot: £60.47 at Alpinetrek <<Best Deal>>

Best womens' walking boots for ethical shoppers

Merrell Moab Speed Mid Boot, £145

The Moab Speeds are described as ‘made for the trail’, and after testing them out we’d agree that they offer good grip and comfort, while a Gore-Tex membrane does its thing in inclement weather. These walking boots are also fully vegan (many trainers use animal-derived materials such as glue, so they aren’t vegan-friendly), and partly use recycled materials, so they’re a more planet-friendly pick, too. 

Buy Merrell Moab Speed Mid Boot: From £69.97 at Amazon

Buy Merrell Moab Speed Mid Boot: £69.97 at Winfields Outdoors