2 reasons to wear waterproof hiking boots (and 4 reasons not to)

Few pieces of gear are more integral to your hiking experience than your choice of footwear — and aside from getting the right fit, the biggest footwear call you make may be whether or not to use waterproof hiking boots. (Or shoes — I don’t judge, and often prefer shoes to boots myself.)

Without further ado, let’s jump straight into two reasons you should wear waterproof boots, and four reasons you shouldn’t.

I do have a much-loved pair of waterproof hiking boots, by the way. So even though the “cons” have the “pros” outnumbered, those two “yes” reasons are both pretty big deals.

1. Waterproof hiking boots help keep your feet dry

That’s why we’re even having this discussion, right? Few things are as miserable as hiking with wet feet. If you know you’ll be hiking through water, mud, snow or damp vegetation, it makes sense to have a little extra protection to keep that water out of your boots.

Waterproof hiking boots typically comes in three varieties:

• A complete waterproof/breathable bootie that’s integrated into the construction of the upper (the waterproofing completely encloses your foot);
• A waterproof/breathable membrane that’s cemented to the midsole of the boot. This is common on inexpensive waterproof hiking boots. Because the waterproof layer doesn’t completely enclose your foot, the boot is only waterproof for as long as that seam between membrane and midsole holds;
• An external treatment that is applied to your boot uppers. Usually this is a rub-in wax or a spray-on silicone layer, and I’ve only heard of it being used for leather boots. I suppose you could apply a DWR spray to non-leather boots, but don’t expect that to provide full-on waterproofing.

2. They’re a little warmer than non-waterproof boots

Regardless of what type of waterproof treatment you’re using, waterproof hiking boots are going to be a little warmer than a similar boot without waterproofing. Depending on typical temperatures in your area, that might — or might not! — make them warm enough to avoid buying a pair of stand-alone winter boots.

Reasons NOT to wear waterproof hiking boots

TL;DR version: Unless you’re hiking in full-on rubber boots, all waterproof footwear has its limits.

1. Waterproof hiking boots can hold water in

That same waterproof membrane that’s so good at keeping water out? If you end up with moisture inside your waterproof hiking boots, it’s going to hold the moisture in. Yes, most boots advertise that their waterproof membranes are also breathable, which in theory means they’ll let moisture escape from the inside of your boot to the outside. But in practical terms, water that gets into your boots will still be there at the end of your hike.

That includes moisture from sweaty feet.

2. They can get smelly

Trust me on this one: If moisture gets inside your waterproof hiking boots and you don’t take proactive steps to dry them out, they’ll get stinky even faster than normal (non-waterproof) boots do. Less air circulation = bigger stink.

3. No waterproofing lasts forever

Your mileage may vary, of course, but I’ve found that boots with a complete waterproof bootie inside them tend to fail at the sides of the forefoot, right where your boots flex the most. I feel lucky if I make it through a whole summer with my boots still reasonably waterproof.

If your hiking boots have the membrane-cemented-to-sole construction, that creates an extra point of failure because as that cemented seam starts letting go, water can leak in.

I don’t actually have personal experience with the third type of waterproofing: (re)waterproofing leather boots with a rub-in or spray-on treatment. This isn’t as common as it used to be, and I tend to steer away from all-leather hiking boots because I prefer light, flexible footwear. But I suppose the ease with which you can renew that sort of waterproofing is a big point in its favor.

4. Not all waterproofing is created the same

Your “waterproof” hiking boots are only waterproof up to a point. Typically, that point is where the tongue of the hiking boot meets the rest of the shoe. Go ahead, take a look: On some boots that juncture is only partway up the boot upper, while on other boots the tongue has gussets that connect it to the full length of the upper. Those gussets may or may not be waterproof.

If you end up hiking in mud or water that’s deeper than whatever point your boots’ waterproofing ends, you win a free entry in the wet foot contest.

The photo accompanying this article is a great example of that: That’s my foot-and-boot combo crossing a small creek, and my foot was perfectly dry at the other side. If the water had been much higher, though, my feet would have gotten plenty wet — and I wouldn’t have felt comfortable enough to stop and snap a quick photo.

What if I need even more waterproofing?

Let’s say you know you’re going to be wading through mud or standing water on a given hike. You could just resign yourself to having mud or water in your boots and power through it, but I would consider two alternatives first: One, you could wear full-on rubber boots like XtraTufs, the so-called “Alaska sneaker.” Just make sure they fit reasonably well. If they don’t, your dry feet could still end up in a world of blistery, chafe-y hurt.

Two, you could wear non-waterproof hiking boots or shoes. This falls back in the realm of resigning yourself to having mud or water in your boots — but if that’s going to happen anyway, at least the non-waterproof boots are a little less likely to hold all that water in.

Option number two comes with a big caveat: If there’s a lot of cushy lining material in your non-waterproof boots, it may soak up water and leave you miserable. You can dodge this by using hiking boots or shoes with mesh panels that are specifically meant to drain water out — but doing so gives up on some warmth and, often, on some comfort.