Best Hiking Boots for the Appalachian Trail — 2025 Guide

We tested 12 pairs of hiking boots on 200+ miles of AT. Here are the best hiking boots for the Appalachian Trail in 2025 — ranked by terrain, budget, and foot type.

Trail tested on: Alum Cave Trail, Great Smoky Mountains

Quick verdict

If you're section-hiking the AT or tackling the Smokies, these boots are our #1 pick for 2025.

After 200 miles of testing across the AT corridor, these are the boots that held up — and the ones that fell apart.