Take A Hike! — Reach The Fashion Apex With This Season’s Hiking-Inspired Boots
Did footwear designers from all over the world gather together for a marathon movie night consisting of titles like Wild, Everest, K2, and The Way Back? Were they all so overwhelmed by the constant stimuli in our technology-driven world that they began to fantasize about leaving all the noise behind, lacing into some sturdy hiking boots and climbing a remote mountain where they could appreciate nature in all its grandeur? Or is the current fascination with mountain boots another manifestation of the growing fitness-meets-fashion market, a new development in the athleisure realm? Whatever the reason, there’s no denying that hiking-inspired boots are as ubiquitous this season as the ever-present motorcycle, equestrian, and combat styles. The best options nod to the basic elements of a hiking boot —the lugged soles, the D-ring eyelets, and the lace-up construction — but add other unexpected design touches such as stacked heels, oversize buckles, shearling and fur trim, wedge soles, and intriguing upper colors.
Below, you’ll find 15 hiking-inspired boots that will make you feel like a fashion adventurer!
Pikolinos Connelly Bootie, $230. Available at Pikolinos.com
This bootie perfectly nails the hiking-inspired trend, but its luxurious air — not to mention that 3.2″ stacked heel — makes it clear that this isn’t a shoe you’d find at Dick’s Sporting Goods or Bass Pro Sports. Made of semi-vegetable tanned leather and featuring denim-like textile insert along the uppers and tongue, this Pikolinos bootie feels modern and funky even before you take into account the lugged sole and the bright red laces threaded through D-ring eyelets. Even the gel- and foam-padded ankle collar, with its jaunty flannel print, adds a fun-loving spirit to this mountaineer-goes-metropolitan style.
Jeffrey Campbell Explorer Hiking Boot in Pewter, $155. Available at JeffreyCampbellShoes.com
With its shiny textured pewter leather uppers, 1″ platform, and 2″ heel, this boot has the defiant air of a classic combat boot, but its silhouette is grounded in the hiking realm — particularly its lace-up front (again, those D-ring eyelet hooks are a hiking boot classic!), elongated and padded tongue, rounded toe, and chunky lug sole.
Stuart Weitzman The Attackit Bootie, $565. Available at StuartWeitzman.com
Like the “ugly sandals” that became so popular over the last few years, these boots feature flatform lugged soles and yet they work beautifully when incorporated into a boot silhouette! The 1.75″heel and 1″ platform give this boot a stomp-ready feel, while details like the oversize buckle at the ankle and the rows of polished, gold-toned D-ring hooks elevate the design to a more elegant realm.They’re the kind of boots I’d expect Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder’s character in Beetlejuice) to have in her goth-flavored and totally chic wardrobe.
Coach Urban Hiker Boot, $189. Available at Coach.com
A lace-free hiking boot? Well, only if you’re limiting your adventures to level ground! With its 2″-tall platform heel and roller-bottom sole, this Coach boot brings an intrepid spirit to any city slicker’s wardrobe. Tufts of shearling with a silky finish add a touch of glamour to the boot, as does the inventive turn-lock closure securing the strap running across the vamp.
Prada Buckle Leather 60mm Hiking Boot, $1450. Available at NeimanMarcus.com
A little bit punk, a little bit goth, and a whole lotta fun, this Prada boot demands our attention via its 2.4″ platform heel, its red cap toe, the wide buckled strap covering its lace-up front, and the golden metal plates positioned right below the cap toe. If Mr. Robot‘s Darlene Alderson, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo‘s Lisbeth Salander, and Tank Girl all came together to design a shoe, it might look somrthing like this.
Cole Haan Zerøgrand Hiker Boot in Plaid Wool, $250. Available at ColeHaan.com
This low-profile Cole Haan shoe features wool plaid uppers and a shearling-lined collar that celebrate classic outdoors style (think Buffalo plaids and shearling-lined hunting caps), but its streamlined silhouette and slim treaded sole lends it an athletic feel reminiscent of trail sneakers. It’s perfect for rocking the hiking-inspired trend while still feeling light on your feet.
AGL Haute Genuine Rabbit Fur Platform Hiking Boot, $470. Available at Shop.Nordstrom.com
Dense woodland areas played a vital role in inspiring this AGL bootie — in fact, the patent leather uppers are a deep forest green, while the genuine rabbit fur lining the shoe and adorning the collar is a blackened spruce hue. Even the rich moss green velvet laces get in on the leafy-colored fun.
Nine West Orynne Casual Hiking Booties, $69.99. Available at NineWest.com
This faux shearling-lined Nine West bootie eschews the padded tongue and vertical rows of eyelets typically seen in hiking boots, instead creating a pull-on style with D-ring eyelets that serve a primarily decorative purpose (though they do provide a more secure fit and help to streamline the shoe’s silhouette). The 1 1/2″ heel and 3/4″ sole give the shoe a rugged, outdoorsy vibe, while the faux suede uppers and contrasting mahogany faux details add a dose of cosmopolitan panache.
United Nude Hiker Lo Black +Falcon Boots, $335. Available at UnitedNude.com
Designed with both fashion and function in mind, this United Nude boot features waterproof PVC uppers, a removable wool sock, and an eco-fur lining to keep feet warm in cold and wet conditions. The silhouette, meanwhile, incorporates elements from both combat boots and hiking boots, all while adding sharp lines that give the shoe a geometric and aerodynamic feel.
Off-White FWRD Exclusive Suede Hiking Boot, $1286. Available at FWRD.com
Talk about a hodgepodge of influences! This bright red suede boot even features a silver-tone metal spur accent along the side of its 1.5″-tall heel for a nod to Western style. The padded tongue, round toe, and D-ring lacing are all consistent with mountaineer footwear, but the heft of the lugged rubber sole feels more in line with military-inspired boots. The end result is as perplexing as it is cool.
Barneys New York Neoprene Insert Rain Boot, $145. Available at Barneys.com
Are you bored by all those knee-high ankle boots that look exactly the same? Then you’ll be singing in the rain over these hiking-inspired Barneys New York rain boots, made of molded rubber and featuring a sawtooth rubber sole, a 1.25″-tall heel, a plaid flannel ankle collar, a neoprene tongue with a webbed pull tab, Bordeaux-colored laces, and a neoprene sock insert that keeps feet dry and comfortable.
Acne Studios Pink Telde Hiking Boots, $650. Available at Ssense.com
Remember when bubblegum pink Timberland boots became all the rage? Well, bubblegum pink hiking boots might be next. Acne Studios’ Telde boot plays with gender norms by juxtaposing calfskin uppers in a stereotypically feminine color (candy pink) with rebellious elements like a commanding treaded foam rubber sole and a black patent leather collar, all the while infusing party-ready club kid features like the splatter paint effect seen on certain sections of the sole. The message this boot sends out is that, yes, girls can love pink, but they can also love being tough, assertive, and strong in both body and spirit.
Opening Ceremony Urssa Ring Boots, $495. Available at OpeningCeremony.com
If this boot reminds you of Edward Scissorhands, then it accomplished its goal. A cross between a combat boot and a hiking boot, this Opening Ceremony number features black leather uppers with white contrast stitching, a round toe, and oversize round metal rings that lend the shoe an industrial and slightly gothic quality.
Topshop Autumn Hiker Boots, $140. Available at US.Topshop.com
You’ll feel like a bounty hunter in outer space when you wear these Topshop boots, featuring 100% goat leather uppers in a shiny pewter color.
Isabel Marant Etoile Brent Hiking Booties, $625. Available at FWRD.com
Are they sneakers or boots? Well, who needs labels, anyway? These Isabel Marant shoes defy categorization, incorporating the rubber sole, mesh uppers, and suede overlays associated with sneakers, then adding leather details, a padded tongue and collar, and D-ring laces for a mountaineer motif. The hidden wedge, meanwhile, rebels against both the hiking and sneaker rulebooks showing that this design walks to the beat of its own drum.
