Best hiking shoes for long-distance hiking – Gröna Bandet
Footwear for thru-hiking in the Scandinavian mountains
Trail runners or boots for mountain hiking?
Consider fit, toe room, terrain and your carried load. Try footwear with your hiking socks and check space around the toes. The survey records choices and experiences; it cannot determine the right shoe type or last for your feet. A model rating does not automatically apply to every generation.
Hiking footwear – most frequent brands 2026
| Brand | Responses | Average rating | Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Altra | 20 | 8.7 | 20 |
| Topo | 15 | 8.2 | 15 |
| Hoka | 4 | 8.3 | 4 |
| Lundhags | 4 | 6.3 | 4 |
| Hanwag | 3 | 9.7 | 3 |
Hiking footwear – models 2026
| Rank | Model | Responses | Average rating | Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Altra Lone Peak 9+ | 10 | 9.2 | 10 |
| 2 | Topo Traverse | 6 | 8.5 | 6 |
| 3 | Altra Lone Peak 9 | 3 | 9.0 | 3 |
| 4 | Topo Mountain Racer 4 | 2 | 9.5 | 2 |
| 5 | Topo Ultraventure 4 | 2 | 7.5 | 2 |
| 6 | Topo Vista | 2 | 6.5 | 2 |
| 7 | Alpina Onyx | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 7 | Hanwag Alaska | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 7 | Icebug Järv | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 7 | La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3 | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 7 | Pelliot Off Track | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 7 | Topo Mountain Racer 3 | 1 | 10.0 | 1 |
Hiking footwear – brands by year 2024–2026
| Brand | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altra | 21 responses · 7.7 (21 ratings) | 7 responses · 9.6 (7 ratings) | 20 responses · 8.7 (20 ratings) | 48 responses · 8.4 (48 ratings) |
| Topo | 4 responses · 7.0 (4 ratings) | 0 responses · – (0 ratings) | 15 responses · 8.2 (15 ratings) | 19 responses · 7.9 (19 ratings) |
| Lundhags | 11 responses · 8.5 (11 ratings) | 1 response · 9.0 (1 rating) | 4 responses · 6.3 (4 ratings) | 16 responses · 8.0 (16 ratings) |
| Hoka | 5 responses · 8.6 (5 ratings) | 1 response · 9.0 (1 rating) | 4 responses · 8.3 (4 ratings) | 10 responses · 8.5 (10 ratings) |
| Salomon | 5 responses · 8.2 (5 ratings) | 0 responses · – (0 ratings) | 2 responses · 4.5 (2 ratings) | 7 responses · 7.1 (7 ratings) |
Hiking footwear – models combined 2024–2026
| Model | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Total responses | Combined average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altra Lone Peak 9+ | 0 responses · – | 3 responses · 10.0 | 10 responses · 9.2 | 13 | 9.4 (13 ratings) |
| Topo Traverse | 1 response · 9.0 | 0 responses · – | 6 responses · 8.5 | 7 | 8.6 (7 ratings) |
| Altra Lone Peak 6 | 3 responses · 9.7 | 1 response · 10.0 | 0 responses · – | 4 | 9.8 (4 ratings) |
| Altra Lone Peak 9 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 3 responses · 9.0 | 3 | 9.0 (3 ratings) |
| Topo Mountain Racer 4 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 2 responses · 9.5 | 2 | 9.5 (2 ratings) |
| Altra Olympus 5 | 2 responses · 9.0 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 2 | 9.0 (2 ratings) |
| Joe Nimble Nimbletoes | 0 responses · – | 1 response · 9.0 | 1 response · 9.0 | 2 | 9.0 (2 ratings) |
| Lundhags Forest II | 2 responses · 9.0 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 2 | 9.0 (2 ratings) |
| Altra Lone Peak 7 | 2 responses · 8.5 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 2 | 8.5 (2 ratings) |
| Topo Ultraventure 4 | 0 responses · – | 0 responses · – | 2 responses · 7.5 | 2 | 7.5 (2 ratings) |
Method and first-hand experience
The datasets contain 60 responses from 2024, 15 from 2025 and 62 from 2026: 137 responses in total. The same person may appear in multiple years.
Lists are ordered by response count, then average rating. Equal counts and averages share a rank. All models tied at the top-ten cutoff are included. Valid scores from 1 to 10 are used; combined averages are calculated from individual valid scores rather than an unweighted average of yearly means. Unclear model versions are kept out of model rankings.
The 2026 dataset contains 62 responses: 35 concern the full Gröna Bandet route, 26 sections and one gives no route extent. This is self-reported first-hand experience, not a controlled product test or a representative sample of all hikers. The year identifies the survey dataset, not a verified hiking year.
Backpackinglight runs the survey and also sells outdoor equipment, including its own brands. A single top score is one person’s experience.