Recommend me some lightweight walking boots that work with wide feed.

I went on another long (for me) walk yesterday where my current lightweight walking boots (Meindl) have crushed my toes together and caused no end of grief during and after the event. So I’ve decided it’s final time to admit that these ones probably aren’t for me and to try and find a replacement set, ideally in time for our trip to the lakes next weekend.

I used to have a pair of Scarpa nitro hike GTX boots which were pretty much perfect for what I’m after now but they stopped making them long ago. Most reviews of recent Scarpa boots make not of them being a reasonably narrow fit which has put me off trying a pair.

I’ve got some keen shoes which might just about fit the bill in their mid rise variants (Nxis evo and targhee 3) but they don’t seem to offer the same soft cosseting I got from my old boots. 

So, can anyone else suggest some potential alternatives that might be worth tracking down before I give in and got for the safe ish option of ordering a pair of keen boots?

How lightweight do you want to go? Any interest in going to a barefoot style shoe? You’ll certainly get your toe box width then.

I really like Inov8 walking boots, most comfy I’ve ever had.

I quite like my Keens, I found my Vivo primus are comfy off road.

How lightweight do you want to go? Any interest in going to a barefoot style shoe?

I’m fairly sure I’ve not got the strength or toughness to get away with barefoot shoes at the minute so looking to stick with something a touch more traditional. Just not the big leather lump level of traditional.

Hoka do a wide fit in many styles

Unless you’re on technical terrain I like trail running shoes rather than hiking/walking shoes. They’re generally lighter and fit better.
So perhaps some Altura trail running shoes? Foot shaped, quite light weight and in a variety of options.
If you don’t want zero drop then Brooks shoes come up wide anyway any the Cascadia comes in a wide fit.

I don’t think most Scarpas are very narrow at all, and I’ve had a good few pairs of their shoes.

I’ve got big wide baboon feet and I’ve found Keen lightweight boots really comfy in the past but I got a set of Sprayway Hydrodry last year, I’ve done loads of walks in the lakes with them and i think they’re the comfiest boots I’ve ever owned. They seem to be really good quality compared to stuff that’s a lot spendier too

Altberg Fremington available in 5 widths and lots of sizes. Very light for a leather boot

Go to a Altberg dealer to get properly fitted, or even better the factory shop in Richmond.

I’ve got Salomon Quest 4 GTX. They should tick your boxes and can be bought at Decathlon for a reasonable price. If you have one though, get along to your local decent outdoor shop and get proper advice.

https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/19616562/north-ridge-men-s-flux-speed-waterproof-mid-walking-19616562

I wore these to do the Yorkshire three peaks earlier this summer, as light as a trainer but with ankle protection and waterproof.

Seemed to fare a lot better than those wearing stiff heavy walking boots, although not sure if they’d be up to multi day hikes.

Lowa innox pro are lightweight and quite wide.

Meindl comfort fit is a bit wider, similar to keens, i use both.
The lighter weight keens are completely unnoticeable.

Inov 8 Roclite Mid Goretex all sizes available in WIDE 

“Our ROCLITE range shatters the idea that hiking footwear needs to be heavy and clunky”

https://www.inov8.com/roclite-mid-gtx-mens

Wide footed here too.

Best I’ve found for me are Adidas Terrex Swift R2 Mid. Pretty light. Super comfy. On my 4th pair now I think (1000+ km on each of my previous pairs).

IME you will need to size up to get the width though (they come up small so that’s not an issue). I’m a 42 but my Terrex are 44.

https://www.adidas.co.uk/terrex-swift-r2-mid-gore-tex-hiking-shoes/IF7636.html

I have very wide square feet and as an ML do a lot of walking. Some of the brands below have been very comfy for me:

Altra – Olympus Mid and Mont Blanc BOA

Aku – Trekker Pro GTX and Rocket DFS

Hanwag – Makra Pro GTX

Vibram FiveFinger

Two pairs of keen boots, wife and me. Both fell to pieces far too quick.

Disappointed as I am a (very) long term keen sandal wearer

I have two pairs of Keen shoes.

One is more lightweight trainer like in construction (Versacore Speed)

The other is slightly heavier with more rubber round the toes (Nxis Evo).

I can’t speak to longevity (both bought in the last month) but they’re the first walking shoes / trainers I’ve had that have been truly comfy in years. I always struggle with shoes with very wide and flat feet.  Smart shoe shopping is depressing.

The Nxis has a slightly wider fit, I think it’s designed for a thicker sock and would be my choice for actual hills walking.  The other pair I’m planning to use for more day to day stuff.

I’m fairly sure I’ve not got the strength or toughness to get away with barefoot shoes at the minute

In that case these :

https://www.mastershoe.co.uk/merrell-men-s-trail-glove-7-barefoot-shoes-black-black

All the benefits of barefoot shoes, extremely wide, highly flexible, very lightweight, and zero drop, except that with a 14mm stack they are totally forgiving and you won’t get that intense feedback that you would normally expect from barefoot shoes

The best thing to do is try them on.
I find Lowa and Mammut fit me well straight out of the box, Hanwag are a little too tight in the toe box even after breaking them in.

I second the Adidas Terrex shout above. I have these, get a new pair every two years….Used for lots of walking and even muddy mountain bike rides…..I have wide feet and can fit thick socks in and not have any discomfort.

https://www.sportsshoes.com/product/adi17264/adidas-terrex-anylander-mid-rain.rdy-walking-boots—aw24

Another vote for Adidas, I have some Terrex Swift R3 Mid. Bought them to replace some ageing Mountain Warehouse boots (which weren’t great but I don’t walk huge distances so they did the job). I’ve got wide feet but not really wide. The Adidas boots have been great, amazingly comfortable and feel like wearing a pair of trainers.

Salewa trainer light …   brilliant light boots   true to size and wide enought for my plates   and happy to fell run in them too .

The best thing to do is go to a local independent shop, get help with the fit and buy them there.

FTFY

We all have different feet.

I bought a pair of Columbia Newton leather walking boots as they were the only one in Decathlon with a wide enough toe box.  Very light for leather boots.  Possibly with a trade off in shorter life but for under £100?

560g each for a UK 13 size. Saved a bit of weight over the boots they replaced.

I recently bought four different pairs of wide shoes and boots. List of widest below :

1. Hanwag banks sf extra. My favourite by far.

2. Altberg extra wide super duper (whatever the max is)

3. ECCO track 25 (low).

4. Can’t remember what they’re were sorry ignore this fourth point 🙂

La Sportiva TX5 Mid and TX4 mid are both lightweight and wide across the toebox. They are light boots, not light like altra or hoka, but they will last several years of typical use.

We have them both in our house, plus altras and multiple hokas. The superlight stuff is great but longevity is not what they are designed for.

Turns out there are a lot more tempting options than I might have expected. All the choice is making me wish I had a decent local shop, or two, so I could go and try some on before choosing.

Think I might risk just heading out on holiday with the Keen Nxis evo shoes I already have. Then I can try and find an hour or two for a lap of the shops in Kendal where it looks like I should have a few options to try.

Edit: any recommendations on which outdoors shops in Kendal have a good boot selection?

Go to Keswick instead! The Keswick Boot Co will definitely find something to work for you. (I do appreciate that it’s an hour’s drive, but they are truly excellent).

My input to this is:

Keen Targhee are a great fit for wide feet but are just not robust enough. Ive had 3 pairs, all failed within a year for stitching failing and soles falling off – all were replaced for free by Cotswold

Lowa Renegade wide fit – not wide enough for me but a brilliant boot if it fits – my son owns these now

Meindl Journey are a great fit. First pair lasted 400 miles and the sole came off. They were replaced for free and I think they are ok if they are used as a 3 season boot

I also now have the aldberg framlington in the 5 width and this is a great fit and will be used all year round ( lakes in winter, alps etc. in summer )

Final point is that I have wide feet at the front but not wide heels or high volume so I use a sorbethane foot bed to take up the excess volume in both the Meindl and Aldbergs

Hope that helps

Previously disappointed with Berghaus (very) and Salomon walking boots.

Bought set of Tog24 Tundra very cheap 12-18mths ago expecting them to be a temp boot until something ‘better’ came up in the sales. Absolutely abused them and they’ve not shown any signs of dying .. very impressive and comfy boot (sizing up as usual in such boots)

merrel moab mid – comfortable from first use

Fairly wide, but also available in wide fit

The best thing to do is try them on.

This. People’s idea of ‘wide’ is pretty subjective. KEEN though are a very obvious answer, particularly the US-made models which have a more generous last than the European-made models.

Other than that, a lot of brands tend towards a medium width and volume – there’s a difference – because that’s where the bulk of the market is, unsurprisingly. Scarpa, Meindl, Merrell, Hanwag, Salewa, AKU, Salomon are all, ime, broadly similar in fit, though with brand – and individual model – nuances. Wide versions worth trying but be aware of heel fit, it’s very possible to have a wide forefoot and a narrow heel.

Columbia, who incorporated what used to be Montrail, uses a last with quite a generous forefoot, and are worth a look, ditto the leather Berghaus models which are basically the old Brasher range,  but if your feet are genuinely wider in the forefoot than average and even if they’re not, find a decent outdoor shop – Outside in Hathersage for example – and try a load of models for size. Bear in mind that heel fit varies too, so there’s more to it than just finding a broad forefoot.

Any boots will do me for a wide feed.

Re Innov8. They’re light, yes, but flimsy. Mrs B’s disintegrated after 6 months of winter dog walking, my 9 month old ones are on the way out having just had light non-winter use. Both split where they flex as you walk. I sent Mrs B’s back … they have not been helpful, every couple of months I summon up the resolve to chase them again … and again about them.

Agree about innov8. I bought some Roclite 345GTX a few months ago. First walk over boggy ground and both toe boxes were leaking. I sent them back to Sportshoes.com who offered a replacement pair but I asked for a refund instead. I was disappointed because they were very comfortable and did a full days walk around the Langdale Pikes with no issues (except leaking).

I’ve ended up with some Scarpas instead which are still a little tight around the front but I’ve laced them up in a way so that they don’t tighten over the toes and have had no issues with them since.

Shame your Inov8s havent lasted. Mine are 2 years in and going strong, lots of use in shitty conditions.

Interesting the difference views on what a lightweight walking boot is. To me good approach trainers / fell shoes are better these days than just about any walking boot. The only reason for a boot for m now is a little extra weather protection and ankle support in loose scree / boulder areas.

Hanwag are a little too tight in the toe box even after breaking them in.

Boots have moved on IMO anything that needs breaking in is just nuts!

Innov8 Roclites here. First pair bought in 2008 and finally retired a couple of years ago. Didn’t have heavy use over the last few years but did see service across Patagonia, Pyrenees, Alps, and all over the UK. Great boot, very light and very comfy. No issues with robustness.

I replaced them in the January sales with the fancy looking and long in name Roclite Pro G 400 GTX V2 (half price!). They’ve just been through a week in the lakes and were great. Most comfortable boots I’ve owned and show no initial signs of wear.

I’ve got Salomon Quest 4 GTX

How are they? Was tempted with a pair of Forces GTX but nowhere local sells them and there’s conflicting info about sizes – some say size up 1/2 size and some say the fit is fine. Usually GTX lined are a little tighter (got some X-Ultra trainers). I’m just trying to avoid buying a 12.5 and a 13 and the ballache of sending a pair back that wasn’t perfect.