Footwear

Nothing here can be borrowed. It has to fit you.

About the links on this page.Some go to Amazon, and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we recommend: every card here also says who the item is not for, and a few things we think you should simply rent in Kathmandu or Pokhara instead, which earns us nothing.

Best overall

What you actually change into at 4 p.m.

Crocs Classic Clog

~350 g/pair, wipe-clean, wears with socks

Unbeatable in a lodge — on and off without bending down, warm over thick socks, fine for the walk to the toilet block at 2 a.m. They look ridiculous, which is the entire cost.

Feet decompress after eight hours in boots

Rinse clean, dry in minutes

Cheap enough to leave behind at the end

Bulky for their weight in a duffel

No support for anything but pottering

Aesthetics

Not for you if: You are counting every gram on a climbing permit. Take a thin down bootie instead.

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Best overall

The three pairs that do a whole trek

Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Cushion

Take three pairs and you can wash one, dry one and wear one for a fortnight — the price per pair is high enough that people talk themselves into cheaper socks and regret it around day four.

Skip it ifNothing, honestly. If the budget is tight, buy two pairs of these rather than five of anything else.

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Best overall

The boot for a full circuit with a real pack on your back

Salomon Quest 4 GTX

Stiff enough to carry weight over a pass and still comfortable on day fourteen — you pay for that in weight and in a break-in period you cannot skip.

Skip it ifYou are doing Poon Hill or a short lodge trek under 3,500 m with a porter carrying the load. This is more boot than that walk needs.

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Best for trail shoes

Keeps the trail out of a low-cut shoe

Frelaxy Ultralight Trail Gaiters

Turns a trail shoe into something you can wear on dusty, gritty descents; it does nothing at all for deep snow, which is what most people buy gaiters for.

Skip it ifSnow, or a mid-height boot that already seals at the ankle.

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Best overall

The shoe most people on a teahouse trek should actually be wearing

Merrell Moab 3 (low)

Wide enough for feet that swell over a fortnight and comfortable from day one — the sole is soft, so it is the wrong shoe the moment you carry your own heavy pack.

Skip it ifYou are carrying 15 kg yourself, or you have rolled an ankle before. Take the boot.

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Best for long days

Cushioning for people who walk further than they planned

Hoka Speedgoat 6

The stack height saves your knees on the endless stone staircases; it also puts you further from the ground, which some people never stop disliking.

Skip it ifSnow, or any trek where your feet will be wet for hours. There is no membrane here at all.

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Kindest out of the box

The one to buy if you are short on break-in time

Lowa Renegade GTX Mid

The most forgiving first week of any boot we see on the trail; the trade is a softer sole that flexes more than it should under a heavy load.

Skip it ifYou have wide feet. Try them on, or buy a boot with a wide fitting; no amount of lacing fixes a narrow last.

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Best for cold lodges

For the four hours between dinner and sleep above 4,000 m

Naturehike Down Booties

The single best comfort-per-gram item above Dingboche; useless as an outdoor shoe, so most people end up carrying these AND something for outside.

Skip it ifTreks that stay below 3,000 m. Your feet will be fine in socks.

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Best blister prevention

Worn under the main sock, for people who blister between the toes

Injinji Liner Crew Toe Socks

Solves toe-on-toe rubbing that no amount of tape fixes; you have to accept an extra layer of warmth and the two minutes it takes to get them on.

Skip it ifYou have never had a blister between your toes. Sort your boots first; this is a fix for a specific problem.

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Best for snow

Full-height, for passes with real snow on them

Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain High Gaiters

What actually keeps snow out on Thorong La in a bad week — hot, noisy and completely unnecessary on any trek where the snow is only in the photographs.

Skip it ifA monsoon or autumn teahouse trek below 4,500 m. Rent a pair in Kathmandu if a single pass is the only reason you need them.

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Best insole upgrade

For high arches that ache by mid-afternoon

Superfeet Green Insoles

Fixes the arch ache that ends afternoons for a lot of people; they are firm to the point of being uncomfortable if your arch does not actually need supporting.

Skip it ifFlat or neutral feet with no pain. Do not solve a problem you do not have eight weeks before a trek.

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Best on rock

For routes with real scrambling in them

La Sportiva TX4 Evo

Sticks to rock in a way no hiking shoe does — the price is a stiff, unforgiving shoe that is miserable on a long flat valley walk.

Skip it ifA standard teahouse trek. You will be carrying a specialist shoe through 80 km of walking that never needed it.

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Warmest

The one thick pair you keep clean for the pass and the summit day

Smartwool Mountaineer Classic Over-the-Calf

The warmest sock worth carrying, and the reason people sleep through a night at Lobuche — far too hot for anything below 4,000 m, so it is a single dedicated pair, not your daily sock.

Skip it ifTreks that top out below 4,000 m, or anyone whose boots are already a snug fit.

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Best value

Enough boot for a teahouse trek, at a third of the price

Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof

Covers every lodge trek below 5,000 m for a fraction of the money — the sole is softer and the upper wears out faster, which is fine if this is a one-trip boot.

Skip it ifYou are carrying your own load over a 5,000 m pass, or you expect this to be your boot for years. Buy once, properly, instead.

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Footwear

What you actually change into at 4 p.m.

The three pairs that do a whole trek

The boot for a full circuit with a real pack on your back

Keeps the trail out of a low-cut shoe

The shoe most people on a teahouse trek should actually be wearing

Cushioning for people who walk further than they planned

The one to buy if you are short on break-in time

For the four hours between dinner and sleep above 4,000 m

Worn under the main sock, for people who blister between the toes

Full-height, for passes with real snow on them

For high arches that ache by mid-afternoon

For routes with real scrambling in them

The one thick pair you keep clean for the pass and the summit day

Enough boot for a teahouse trek, at a third of the price