Best Hiking Boots for Flat Feet


Having flat feet is not uncommon, but it can be very annoying. Because of this, it’s important to have good hiking shoes to give your feet the proper support and not make the possible pain worse.

The best hiking boots for flat feet give ample arch support. Because of the nature of flat feet, it is a good idea to pick a hiking boot that gives support not only to the arches but the whole foot to aid in comfort for the wearer for long periods of time.

Here is a small list of hiking boots for flat feet that hiking enthusiasts recommend and enjoy.

Hiking Boots for Flat Feet

The best kinds of shoes and boots for flat feet are the ones with good arch and foot support. This does not change for hiking boots. It’s important for the shoe to be comfortable for the wearer. This will help with pain in your feet. If you are looking to buy a hiking boot specifically for your flat feet, it is a good idea to get the best quality hiking boot you can within your budget. High quality and ample support in a hiking boot are needed if you have flat feet. (Source)

In order to find good hiking boots for your flat feet, it may be helpful to understand flat feet a little better.

Flat Feet

Hiking shoes on hiker outdoors walking crossing river creek. Woman on hike trekking in nature. Close up of female hiking boots in action.

Having flat feet means that when your foot lies flat against the ground, it has no arch and every bit of your foot is on the ground. Flat feet are really only a problem when they start causing pain.

Children are born with flat feet and start to develop arches around the age of 6. About 20% of adults never developed this arch in their foot. No arches in the feet mostly cause pain when walking and tend to cramp the foot and leg muscles. It can also cause toe drift where the front part of your feet starts to point outwards. There are a few things that raise the risk of getting flat feet like obesity, broken bones or torn tendons, high blood pressure, pregnancy, arthritis, and diabetes. (Source)

There are also 4 kinds of flat feet: Flexible, rigid, adult-acquired, and vertical talus.

Flexible

Flexible flat feet are the most common kind of flat feet. Flexible flat feet are identified by the arch of the foot existing when no pressure is applied to the bottom of the feet. It tends to develop during childhood and teen years. Flexible flat feet get worse with time and can result in tendons and ligaments in the arch of the foot swelling, stretching, and tearing.

Rigid

A person with rigid flat feet has no arches when standing and putting weight on the foot or when sitting while putting no weight on the foot. Rigid flat feet developed around the teen years and get worse with age. It can affect one or both feet. It tends to be more painful and can inhibit the mobility of the foot up and down or side to side.

Adult-acquired

Adult-acquired flatfoot is more commonly known as fallen arches. The fallen arch is painful and can cause the foot to run outward. It may affect one or both feet. Fallen arches occur most commonly after a tendon injury to the leg or foot.

Vertical Talus

Also known as rocker-bottom foot, Vertical Talus Flatfoot is a birth defect. Vertical Talus prevents the foot from growing an arch because the talus bone in the ankle is in the wrong place. This causes the bottom of the foot to look like a rocking chair, hence its name of the rocker-bottom foot.

For all of these kinds of flat feet, there is help available to reduce pain. The best thing to do is to see a doctor if you are in pain. If you are not in pain due to your flat feet, you don’t need to be too worried about them. If you are, it’s not a bad idea to get arch supports and high-quality shoes to help the pain in your feet go away.

The Top Hiking Boots for Flat Feet

Hiker Hiking shoes close up outdoors during hike – female shoes Hikers in the background

The following is a compilation of 7 hiking boots that are good for flat feet. They are ranked by price, the first being the lowest and the last being the highest, and have all been voted the top hiking boots for flat feet by hikers. All of these hiking boots give the support needed to help with pain from walking long distances due to flat feet.

It’s important to note that when buying anything online, there is always a chance of having a bad batch where what you ordered just isn’t quite right. Hiking boots are no different.

When ordering anything online, especially clothing of any kind, be sure to refer to the sizing chart and read the reviews. If the reviews are mostly bad, maybe avoid the product. If something has a few bad reviews but the vast majority of them are positive, that is normal, and a few bad reviews should not necessarily deter you from ordering.

Columbia Men’s Newton Ridge Plus II Waterproof Hiking Boot

Coming in at around $80, these hiking boots have great arch support for maximum comfort for flat feet. The boots have a tractioned rubber sole built for slip-free movement. It is completely waterproof and built to be breathable for long hikes on treacherous mountains and trails.

Hikers loved the shoe for its comfortable fit and long life. They perform well on and in all terrains and weather conditions. Because they are waterproof, they are loved by hikers who hike in mud and snow and rain. They are generally built well, the tread lasts about 2 seasons, and the hiking boot fits very well to the foot.

The biggest complaint about the hiking shoe was how long it lasts. The tread lasts for about 2 seasons and the lace prongs at the top bend outwards with time. Keeping in mind that it is only an $80 hiking boot, those things are to be expected. You get what you pay for and this hiking boot is definitely on the cheaper end of the market. Thus, it won’t last as long as some of the other boots, and its quality will not be the best of the best. That being said, it is still an excellent pair of hiking boots for $80.

Merrell Women’s Moab 2 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot

Pricing anywhere from $85-280 depending on the size, these hiking boots come in all kinds of colors and wide sizes. It is 100% leather with a rubber sole. The waterproof membrane keeps water out while still letting moisture escape the shoe. It has a traditionally metal final lace hookup. It also has a protective toe cap.

Hikers loved this hiking boot for its comfort and short breaking-in time, on average about a day of hiking. Their waterproofness, lightweight, and durability were a huge hit. The brand itself has a great reputation and these boots live up to it.

The biggest beef customers had with the boot came from bad batches of shoes. All of the classics like the sole ripping off, the size is wrong, and the exceptionally poor quality.

Merrell Moab 2 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots

This is the exact same shoe as above just in men’s sizes. These shoes come in at $145 and come in all sizes, wide included. It has a solid sole for excellent traction no matter the terrain and moisture in the ground. They are waterproof, so they are excellent for all kinds of weather conditions. They are also built for comfort and support.

People love the perfect fit, comfort, and support of the feet and body frame this hiking boot provides. The boot is praised for its quick break-in time, classic look, durability, and usability to be useful on any and all terrains in any and all weather conditions.

The biggest complaint about this shoe was once again faulty shoes where the boots were easily and quickly ruined by simple tasks that should not have ruined them. Like getting feet soaking wet in the damp grass, lace loops ripping and breaking, and the soles and reactions coming apart from the shoes.

Salomon Men’s X Ultra 3 Mid GTX Trail Running Shoe

While this hiking boot is currently unavailable on Amazon, it can be found elsewhere for about $130. The shoe is 100% synthetic with rubber soles built for maximum traction. The hiking boots are built with descent technology that aids the foot in gripping any and all surfaces, regardless of whether or not they are dry, for the easiest way down a trail. They are built to last long distances for backpacking for all genders and ages.

Hikers loved these boots for their lightweight, comfortable, supportive fit. Costumers also loved their ability to perform well on all terrains, wet and dry, and still have the grip and control to feel safe. They held up against the elements, continued to look nice, and protected their feet from rocks and thorns. They were also praised for their little to no break-in period.

The biggest complaint from hikers was that the sizers ran about a half-size small. So, if you are looking to buy this pair of hiking boots, maybe order a half-size larger than normal.

Salomon Women’s X Ultra 3 Mid GTX Hiking Boots

These shoes are basically the shoes above but for women. Coming in around $150-190, they come in 2 colors and only whole and half sizes (no wide or slim). They have all of the perks of the above shoe including the descent technology, 100% synthetic material, tractioned rubber sole, and amazing durability.

Hikers loved these boots for their traction on all terrains, their ability to keep moisture out, and their comfort and support of the foot and the rest of the body. They are praised for their little to no break-in time, quality, and durability.

The biggest complaint is the size. They tend to run a little narrow and a little small. The best thing to do in order to avoid getting the wrong size is to look up the size chart on the Salomon website and order your size according to that size chart.

Oboz Bridger Mid B-Dry Hiking Boot

Coming in at about $180, these hiking boots come in 2 colors along with wide and half sizes. These hiking boots are 100% leather with a rubber sole, toe, and heel cap for ultimate comfort for long periods of time. The company is known for its insole fit and thus the insole is of the highest quality.

They are built for both long backpacking trips and day hikes. They are built to protect your feet from feeling uncomfortable rocks while keeping the durability and stability of the rubber sole. They are also built to be waterproof while still letting the moisture from your feet out.

Costumers loved these hiking boots for their comfort, short break-in period, and quality of the build. The technology used to prevent the rocks from hurting your feet works and is well-liked by the customers. They keep feet nice and dry and have excellent durability.

There is not a consistent problem with these boots reported by customers. A few have said that the size runs a little small, others have complained about the inside being too hard, and others are just skeptical about long-term wear and tear. But a few bad bunches is expected when ordering online. Because there is no consistent negative feedback, these hiking boots live up to the majority of expectations.

Salomon Quest 4 GORE-TEX Hiking Boots

These are the most expensive hiking boots on the list coming in at $230. They are inspired by trail running boots and thus follow the flexibility of the foot. They are waterproof while also letting moisture from sweating feet out. They are built to help protect ankles on the outsides of the shoes and have heavily tractioned soles for all kinds of terrain.

Customers love these hiking boots for their looks, larger toe box, and a true fit. The comfort and support are wonderful and loved by customers. Their quality and durability are praised.

The biggest conflict is the break-in time. Most people found the break-in period to be a bit longer than other shoes. Because of this longer break-in time, customers returned the hiking boots a little prematurely. If you are someone who does not want to wait about 2 weeks to break into a pair of hiking boots, these are probably not for you.

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