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Our company owns a shoe site that been online over 20 years and one of the largest categories of shoes on that site is hiking and outdoor boots. Mens hiking boots and outdoor footwear are grouped together because what people are actually looking is not necessarily the same as the keywords they use in their search. Hiking boots and trail runners have a very different intent than boots for scaling mountains, crossing glaciers, or surviving in the rugged outdoors and a person should plan accordingly. Discussed in this article are the major brands of men's hiking boots for the casual hiker.
Merrell - Merrell is a large footwear maker designing numerous different styles of footwear, but one of their largest collections is in hiking and outdoor boots. Since their original hiking boot, Merrell footwear has also expanded into trail runners as well as outdoor sport sandals similar to keen and teva. They are one stop shopping for outdoor footwear, including the traditional hiking boot for the casual hiker. Expect to pay between $70 and $135 for a pair of hiking boots.
New Balance - You are probably wondering why new balance is included on the largest outdoor brands review when New Balance primarily makes Athletic Shoes and Sneakers. While they are best known for other footwear, New Balance is a very large and diverse company that makes most footwear styles. They make this list because they are actually one of the largest contributors to the outdoor footwear category. The bulk of their contributions are in trail runners as this is their forte, and you tend to have to sort through a lot of other athletic styles to find them, but New Balance has a large and appealing selection of trail runners, and New Balance's dedication to the latest innovations make them an ideal, and by comparison, an economical choice for Trail runners as you can expect to pay between $60 and $130 for a fine pair of trail runners or hiking boots.
Hi-Tec - Hi-Tec footwear is an almost exclusively Outdoor brand. Nearly all of their styles are outdoor in look and design. Hi-Tec has made a name for itself in designing lightweight footwear. Their goal is to keep your footwear from dragging you down. Their collection of trail runners costs between $45 and $60 a pair wile their hiking boots cost between $60 and $95 a pair, though the more lightweight breathable hikers are all below $80 a pair. For the casual hiker Hi-Tec is a great choice because of the low cost and the lighter designs.
Montrail - Montrail footwear is a lesser known brand, but their collection is entirely focused on trail running and hiking and makes a great choice for the more avid hiker and trail runner. You can tell immediately by the tread that their footwear is specifically designed for trail running rather than most hiking boots that are really designed for the urban jungle but have an outdoor look. If you really are planning to be on the trails a lot, seriously consider Montrail footwear.
Nevados - Nevados footwear is the least expensive brand on the list of hiking boots. All of their footwear is styled for hiking and all of their footwear prices at or below $50 a pair. For the casual hiker this is perfect.
When deciding between brands, first decide whether you are just going for an outdoor look, casual hiking, or serious hiking. Then choose a brand based on what you intend to be doing in that footwear. The ideal type of footwear really does depend on what environment you realistically plan to be wearing your footwear in the most.
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