High hiking shoes
When the terrain changes from flat to mountainous and uneven paths, it's wise to wear high hiking shoes from Helly Hansen or Jack Wolfskin. These provide more support to the ankles, reducing the risk of a misstep or sprain. High hiking shoes also offer extra support when carrying a heavy bag on your back.
Why buy high hiking shoes?
When the terrain changes from flat to mountainous and uneven paths, it's wise to wear hiking shoes with a higher shaft. On an uneven path a misstep is quickly made, which can cause a sprained ankle. High hiking shoes provide more support to the ankles, helping to prevent this.
Walking with a heavy bag is also a good reason to wear high hiking shoes. With a heavy bag on your back, a misstep happens quickly. On top of that, the extra weight of the bag puts extra pressure on the ankles, so extra support from the shoes isn't an unnecessary luxury.
The best high hiking shoes
At Plutosport.nl you'll find various high hiking shoes for women and men alike, and we also have a wide range. GriSport hiking shoes, for example, are fitted with a Spo-Tex, Gritex or Sympatex membrane. This makes the shoes waterproof and breathable during the hike. LOWA's best-known hiking shoe is the RENEGADE; this model has been around for over 25 years and is hugely popular among hikers.
High hiking shoes versus low hiking shoes
For shorter hikes on flat paths, a low hiking shoe is sufficient. If you're covering more kilometres or the paths aren't flat, we recommend wearing high shoes. For people with weak ankles, it's also advisable to use high hiking shoes even on shorter hikes.
In the Netherlands there's no avoiding that paths are sometimes wet, or that it starts raining during a hike. High hiking shoes offer better protection here than low hiking shoes. Thanks to the high shafts, rainwater gets into the shoes less quickly. This keeps feet drier, resulting in more walking comfort.
Hiking shoe categories
Hiking shoes are available in various categories, with a category indicating how suitable a shoe is for tougher hikes.
- Category A is the lightest category; these hiking shoes are suited for daily walks on flat terrain.
- Category B hiking shoes have a firmer sole than category A shoes. Category B shoes are therefore more suitable for hikes through hilly terrain.
- Category C hiking shoes go a step further still; you can even wear these on tough hikes with heavy loads!
Tip
Make sure high hiking shoes are well broken in before taking long hikes in them. High hiking shoes need to properly mould to your foot first, and if that's not yet the case, the risk of blisters is greater.
Still have questions about high hiking shoes? Feel free to ask our customer service.