Men's Hiking Boots in Ireland

Two questions decide which boot you need: how much weight you carry, and how rough the ground is. A boot built for a multi-day crossing with a loaded pack is the wrong boot for an afternoon on a waymarked trail. The range runs from light mid boots to stiff leather boots for heavy loads and winter ground.

A membrane is not optional here. Irish ground holds water through dry spells, and an unlined boot will be wet through within an hour on open hill, which is why the Gore-Tex boots account for most of what we sell. Lug depth matters nearly as much: peat and churned trail need deep, widely spaced lugs that shed mud rather than pack with it.

Leather against fabric is a genuine choice. Leather is heavier and needs waxing, but it holds its shape under a pack and can usually be resoled. Fabric is lighter and comfortable at once, but it softens and cannot be rebuilt. Meindl sits at the leather end, Salomon at the lighter end.

Size half a size up, fit in the afternoon in proper walking socks, and leave a thumb width at the toe. On lower trails, walking shoes may suit better.