The main thing to know when deciding between hunting boots vs hiking boots is that hiking boots are lighter and made for use over very long distances, while hunting boots are typically heavier and stiffer than hiking boots, allowing better protection against deep brush and walking off-trail. You can certainly wear hunting boots when hiking, but you’ll probably regret hauling around the extra weight that hunting boots have.
If you’re looking to go hiking but don’t have a dedicated pair of hiking boots, your current pair of hunting boots should do the trick just fine.
There are a few things to pay attention to though. Read on for what to consider when choosing hiking boots vs hunting boots.
Hunting Vs Hiking Boots: 7 Key Differences
There are a few key differences between hiking boots and hunting boots, and choosing the right one can make a huge impact on your experience depending on which activity you’re doing.
Let’s break down the major points to consider when choosing hiking boots vs hunting boots.
Weight
The weight of a hiking boot is about half the weight of a hunting boot, and this weight can really make a huge impact on the enjoyability of your hike. Hunting boots are designed for safety and injury prevention, and these features and thick materials add extra weight.
Boot Height
Both hunting boots and hiking boots have rises above the ankle, but hunting boots can go all the way to your mid calf.
This is more restrictive on your range of motion, which is important when hiking, making hunting boots not good for hiking in this case.
Alternatively, you would want this lower leg protection while hunting, so you shouldn’t use hiking boots when hunting either.
Different Fits For Different Activities
Hiking boots are designed to have a tight fit around the middle foot to prevent the foot from sliding around in the boot, and with a little room in the toe box and heel to prevent blisters.
Check out our guide to how hiking boots should fit for a more detailed explanation.
Hiking boots are typically worn for long-term comfort and have strong soles, so wearing hiking boots for hunting wouldn’t be appropriate.
Ankle Support
Ankle support in hiking boots vs hunting boots is a very important factor to consider, especially if you’ll be carrying a hiking backpack.
Depending on your needs, hiking boots can come in versions that support you with a low, mid, or high-cut profile, where hunting boots almost exclusively offer high-cut protection.
Traction
Most hiking boots include grooves and patterns that are designed to provide extra grip or traction on a variety of surfaces. Hunting boots usually feature simpler sole patterns with shallower indentations, offering a some slip resistance, but not nearly the amount of grip that most hiking boots will offer.
Consider the type of trails you’ll be hiking, along with what ground conditions and weather you’ll be hiking in, as hiking boots offer much better performance – especially in wet, snowy, or muddy conditions.
Insulation
Hunting is done primarily in colder weather, so most hunting boots tend to have more insulation than hiking boots.
This is great if you want to use hunting boots for hiking in winter, but they are also heavier due to the insulation that’s included.
Comfort
Hiking boots are designed to keep you comfortable over long distances, and the materials hiking boots are made from are designed to absorb shocks as you hike.
Many hunters may go over some seriously rough terrain to get to their hunting spot, but generally they will stay put in the same place for hours or days at a time once they’re at the destination.
Considering this, most hunting boots are designed to provide extended comfort for long periods of sitting or standing.
Hunting Boots vs Hiking Boots – Frequently Asked Questions
You can certainly hike in your hunting boots, but we don’t recommend it long-term. The fit of hunting boots won’t provide the kind of protection against blisters and foot slippage inside the boot that a proper pair of hiking boots will.
There are plenty of hunters who use their hiking boots when they go hunting, so you certainly can too. If you go this route, we suggest using high-cut hiking boots (not hiking shoes or trail runners) to get some ankle protection against brush as you’re making your way through the thick off-trail brush to get to your hunting site.
Wrapping Up Hiking Boots vs Hunting Boots
Ultimately, if you see yourself hiking more than once or twice a year, it’s time to pick up a pair of dedicated hiking boots. The traction, weight, flexibility, and waterproof features of hiking boots will make your hikes more enjoyable and allow you to stay on the trail longer.
Same goes for hunting, too – if you plan on hunting often, you may consider grabbing a pair of hunting boots strictly for this purpose, as they’re designed for long-term comfort while sitting or standing, but still have the rugged construction to get you from the car to your hunting spot safely.
Looking to see if your other footwear will be good for hiking? Check out our guide on hiking boots vs work boots to see if you have a pair that’ll be good for hitting the trail.