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Veganism has become more and more popular over the past few years. In addition to abstaining from eating animal products, vegans also abhor from using equipment that comes from animal components. Even though veganism is growing, it is still quite hard to find high-quality products which are vegan. If you are a vegan interested in hiking, reading our buying guide will be of great help to you.
Moreover, apart from the quality that a vegan hiking shoe can provide, they are often less expensive and more lightweight than leather products. There are different styles of non leather hiking boots, so we are confident that you can find a pair on our list that fits you well. We have compiled a list of the best vegan hiking boots based on vegan hiking boots reviews, so you can be confident in our quality. Before further ado, let’s get to them:
OUR TOP PICK
Altra Men’s Lone Peak 3 Vegan Boots
- What Makes These Vegan Hiking Shoes Stand Out
- Well-built and constructed
- Properly supports your feet
- A highly breathable pair
- Repels dirt and dust
Weight: 3 pounds
Material: Mesh
Colors: Blue, red, black, and lime
EDITORS CHOICE
Altra Lone Peak 3.5 Athletic Vegan Boots
- What Makes These Vegan Hiking Shoes Stand Out
- Built for durability and resilience
- Accommodate proper feet positioning
- Protect you from injuries and strains even after extended use
- Has multiple special features
Weight: 3 pounds
Material: Mesh
Colors: Black, red, sand
BEST VALUE
Merell All Out Blaze Vegan Boots
- What Makes These Vegan Hiking Shoes Stand Out
- Provide a lot of value for the price
- Lightweight and flexible
- Maximize comfort and support to the feet
- Offer a well-established level of comfort
Weight: 2.5 pounds
Material: Mesh
Colors: 7 color options
Merrell Women’s Moab Vegan Boots
- What Makes These Vegan Hiking Shoes Stand Out
- One of the best choices for vegan women hikers
- Provide excellent comfort and stability
- Trendy and classy feminine design
- Built with a strong traction rubber
Weight: 3 pounds
Material: Suede leather, mesh
Colors: Granite, boulder/blush
Merrell Capra Gore-Tex Vegan Boots
- What Makes These Vegan Hiking Shoes Stand Out
- Offer protection in speedy and light adventures
- A highly breathable pair
- Keep nature’s elements out
- Provide more than enough off-road protection
Weight: 2 pounds
Material: Synthetic leather, mesh
Colors: Turbulence, Lilac, and Purple
Merrell Men’s Mid Sport Vegan Boots
- What Makes These Vegan Hiking Shoes Stand Out
- Excellent for fast & light adventures
- Quite a durable build
- Super lightweight and flexible
- Breathable yet warm
Weight: 1.5 pounds
Material: Synthetic leather, nylon
Colors: Black/Wild Dove, Light Grey/ Red
Adidas Outdoor Terrex Vegan Boots
- What Makes These Vegan Hiking Shoes Stand Out
- Durable and lightweight
- Gives a lot of cushioning
- Has an excellent heel and toe counter
- Protects you from stone bruising
Weight: 3 pounds
Material: Synthetic leather, textile, rubber
Colors: Black
Arc’teryx Bora Mid Vegan Boots
- What Makes These Vegan Hiking Shoes Stand Out
- Comes with Gore-Tex liner to wick off moisture
- Molded footbed for maximum comfort
- Highly breathable and lightweight construction
- Features protection toe and heel caps
Weight: 4 pounds
Material: Synthetic leather, textile, rubber
Colors: Tundra, Graphite
Tip 1:
Just because hiking boots are free of leather doesn't mean they are entirely free of other animal byproducts. Some glues and dyes are made from animal products as well.
Tip 2:
You don't have to be vegan to buy vegan footwear. Vegan hiking boots are usually significantly lighter than their leather counterparts. They also tend to dry more quickly, and are usually comfortable right out of the box— no break-in period needed.
Tip 3:
Heads up! The synthetic materials in vegan footwear will tend to break down more quickly than leather-based footwear, so you might need to replace your hiking boots a little more frequently. However, a good quality set of vegan hiking boots will still last you for hundreds of miles.
Hiker
How To Choose A Pair Of Vegan Hiking Boots – Buying Guide
A vegan hiking boot is quite similar to the standard hiking boots that you can see on the market today. They usually play the same role, and they should have the essential ergonomics to make your journey comfortable. However, a vegan hiking boot was designed to cater to the special needs and demands of vegans. Despite their noble endeavors, vegans face a lot of challenges.
For those that are into communing with nature and the wild, finding appropriate footwear can be difficult. Before choosing the best men’s vegan hiking boots for you there are a couple of factors that you should consider.
Size And Fit
Getting the right size from your vegan hiking boots is the key to getting the most out of your pair. Before buying a pair, there are some essentials to consider to get the right fit. Firstly, you need to know that vegan hiking boots are sold in standard men’s and women’s sizes.
Also, they are made with a regular width. Before purchasing a pair yourself, consider the added width of your hiking socks, since it will contribute to the overall fit. It is always good to wear your preferred socks when fitting a pair of boots.
Related Post: Hiking Boots Fit
Style
There are two basic styles of vegan hiking boots, and they differ in the ankle support that they provide.
High-top boots are more appropriate for an intense adventure since they wrap around the ankle and prevent it from rolling or bending when you explore uneven terrains.
Low-top boots offer a sneaker-like feeling, and many claim that they are lighter and cooler, although they do not give as much ankle support as the high-top ones.
If you do not climb a lot but you like to walk on trails frequently, it’s best that you use low-top shoes. If you indulge in intense activities, high-top is more suitable for you.
Durability
When choosing a pair of boots, you need to make sure that they will be durable and resilient. One sure way to get the most durability out of your boots is to choose the proper material. The finest options for vegan footwear are made from rubber or synthetic materials.
Overall, rubber boots are more durable and offer tensile strength. They just don’t break and wear out easily even if you continuously use them. The models on our list are tried and tested for durability, so you will definitely not be disappointed by choosing one of them.
Breathability
Another important consideration you should look into if you are a vegan who is looking for a pair of perfect outdoor footwear is the amount of air it allows your feet to feel. Whenever you are exerting energy, you are releasing heat. When you are on the hills, you are likely to get hot and produce sweat.
Breathability is an important feature that will keep your feet dry because it allows airflow inside the boot to dry the moisture. Additionally, if you are in a wet environment and your feet do get wet, better breathability will allow the boots to dry faster.
Waterproofness
The waterproofing on your boots depends a lot on the material as well as the construction of your boots. A simple nylon and rubber construction may not be as effective as a pair reinforced with a thin waterproof membrane.
On the other hand, vegan footwear with reinforcements such as a removable liner and water-resistant treatments do an exceptionally better job at waterproofing. The underlining limitation is that, although your boots will be waterproof, you will probably have to compromise on extra weight compared to a pair with slight waterproofness.
Related Post: How To Waterproof Boots
Construction
The construction and makeup of top-rated men’s vegan hiking boots are what separates them from the typical ones, wherein leather is quite a common ingredient. However, if you are a vegan, you want to use only animal product-free shoes. This is why the construction and the material are two necessary factors to consider
Material
The most obvious thing that a vegan should avoid is animal leather. The finest material options for a vegan boot are synthetic fibers, hemp, and fiber.
Synthetic fibers are a “fake version” material of animal products. For instance, some manufacturers utilize plastic instead of leather or acrylic instead of wool. These materials are excellent options since they are easy to clean. They also tend to be quite durable. However, keep in mind that they tend to be quite suffocating since they do not breathe easily. Hence, they may not be a perfect option to use in a warm or hot environment. Also, synthetic fibers tend to pose some negative environmental impacts
Hemp is a great option since it eliminates all environmental impacts. This is because it is completely natural. Unlike synthetic fibers and plastics, hemp comes from the cannabis plant, making it more vegan-friendly. The only limitation that you should know about it is that boots and shoes that use hemp tend to be quite thin, which means that they may not protect your feet enough from cold and water. Also, they may not be a perfect choice if you want to trek through streams or snow.
Rubber is also good if it is constructed properly. It offers durability and strength. Also, it is one of the lightest materials for vegan hiking boots that also offers more than enough flexibility and comfort
Glue
Another thing that you have to inspect in a hiking boot is the glue. Since the construction of vegan hiking boots is mostly synthetic or rubber, they don’t use traditional stitching in their assembly. On the surface, such a thing may not bother you at all. But if you are a die-hard vegan, you should double your awareness here.
Most industrial glues have animal ingredients. Even shoe retailers will not deny this fact to you. As a vegan, always do your research when it comes to the materials that were involved in the construction of the footwear. The boots featured on our list are 100% vegan-friendly.
FAQs
Q: Why Choose Vegan Hiking Boots?
There are multiple reasons why you should choose vegan hiking boots. Apart from them being the number one option for true vegans, they have a high level of quality and are often less expensive and lightweight than other types of boots, such as leather ones.
Q: How Vegan Hiking Boots Are Made?
Vegan hiking boots are made without animal products such as leather. The boots components include fake suede, recycled plastics, hemp, natural rubber, synthetic mesh, foam, and Gore-Tex for waterproofing. As you can see, there is a huge supply of boot components with a nice mixture of synthetic and natural materials.
Related Review: Gore Tex BootsQ: How To Spot Vegan Hiking Boots?
Don’t expect companies to explicitly label their vegan products. Make sure to examine the labels on the boots your handling and read all of the information on the specifications sheet. When purchasing online, try to use a “categories” feature to drill down from boots to vegan choices. Watch for the label “vegan-friendly” in their product descriptions.
Q: How To Maintain Vegan Hiking Boots?
Vegan boots need to be cleaned regularly. Otherwise, the quality will deteriorate and you will be buying a new pair soon. Wipe away traces of dirt or mud on your boots with a soft-bristled brush to ensure that they’re clean. You can try cleaning them with detergent as well, but make sure to first mix it with water.
For a more thorough wash, remove the boot’s laces and footbed. After cleaning them, leave them in a well-ventilated area to dry off. Don’t place them near anything hot or directly on the sun. These practices will affect the quality of your gear.
Related Post: How To Clean Hiking BootsGlobo Surf Overview
Choosing the best men’s vegan hiking boots can be confusing since there are many competitors on the market. We, at Globo Surf, wrote this buying guide so you would have an idea about the best vegan boots among the products available. If you would like to have a great outdoor experience, one of the many ways you should consider is purchasing the best vegan hiking shoes on our list.
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