The Best Hiking Shoes for Hot Weather

Walking in warm weather is delightful, as long as you have the correct gear! Supporting your your feet is a balance, as they need to be suitably protected while remaining at a comfortable temperature. Also consider that boots exposed to intense heat can crack due to dryness, most likely at areas of flex. Here at LOWA, we believe that choosing boots of the best quality is of the utmost importance, as is looking after them carefully. Whiler there aren’t specific properties you should look out for when choosing a boot for hot weather, some will still suit that use better than others.

Summer Boots Should Be Durable But Light

Supporting your feet with a stable frame is essential to prevent injuries while walking, therefore boots are still a better idea that shoes or sandals unless it’s very gentle terrain. Of course, in hot weather, you need your boots to be light, and reasonably breathable, while still offering protection. You wouldn’t necessarily want to wear an alpine boot when walking in a hot country, for example. Therefore, checking what materials the shoes are created from will help.

Hiking boots for warm weather should use a variety of premium materials to ensure they are sturdy but lightweight. These materials could be leather, synthetic mesh and a GORE-TEX fabric. In general, remember that exchanging quality for lightweight should be avoided whenever buying a walking boot.

Boots Need to Be Supportive

As briefly highlighted in the above point, support is essential to a high-quality boot. The purpose of these boots is to assist your movement by supporting your feet and ankles while walking. Therefore, ensuring your boots have enough support is essential to know your boots are of the highest quality.

While you are walking in the outdoors over different terrain, boots need to support your feet appropriately to avoid muscle strain. Boots that are of low quality will not be able to do this as it is unlikely they are constructed with proper support. Here at LOWA, we have introduced LOWA MONOWRAP to our boots. MONOWRAP is a form of stabilisation in the frame of the boot, implemented at specific areas of the foot where security is especially needed, without adding weight or complexity.

Hot Weather Boots Should be Breathable

In hot weather your feet will sweat, and there are more sweat glands per inch on your feet than any other part of your body. A good pair of walking boots should be waterproof, but still be breathable enough to allow perspiration to escape. The correct socks will also make a big difference to foot comfort, so avoiding socks with cotton in them is ideal.

Summer Boots Should Still Be Water Tight (especially in the UK)

While adding a waterproof lining can decrease the breathability of a boot slightly, most people want a boot to use all year round, therefore finding a balance is important. As previously mentioned, premium quality materials work in conjunction with fabrics like Gore-Tex to achieve perfect waterproof protection while maintaining a comfortable climate inside the boot. Ensuring your boots are waterproof is important in maintaining a relaxed walking experience, as concern over wet weather doesn’t need to be feared!

What is the Significance of GORE-TEX in Walking Boots?

GORE-TEX is a technical material that features on many of our boots at LOWA. Whilte there are different versions of this fabric, the principle is simple: full weather protection for a comfortable climate for your feet. Our shoes are engineered so all the component parts work in synergy with GORE-TEX to maximise it’s performance.

The Importance of Lacing

A feature often overlooked but integral to the comfort and support of a walking boot is laces. Two-zone lacing is often praised as it offers separate regulation of the lower and upper areas of the boot. Our boots at LOWA also feature I-Lock systems and LOWA X-Lacing, which have been crafted to give the wearer absolute control over the lacing process. This allows the boot to surround your feet in the most comfortable position, and stops the tongue drifting to the side.

Hiking boots for hot weather need a combination of high quality, lightweight, breathable, waterproof and supportive materials. A balance of all these factors is the key to comfort in warm weather.

We hope you feel motivated to treat your feet to some premium boots for your next hot weather hike. For some inspiration on what to search for, take a look at our range of summer walking boots. For more information on how to care for your current boots, take a look at our blog on how to clean suede walking boots for the best advice.