Nepal is open for the autumn season, and glad you are coming.
Everest, Annapurna and Thorong La are open. Langtang treks stay paused while the Rasuwa road is rebuilt; Mustang and Manang roads are still being repaired.
Merrell Moab 3 (low)
Low-cut, wide toe box, minimal break-in
4.6 on Amazon (3,027 ratings)
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.
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Do not buy this if: You are carrying 15 kg yourself, or you have rolled an ankle before. Take the boot.
Not every route needs it. These are the ones where our guides would put it on your list.
Everything else we recommend in trail shoes, including the ones we think suit a different trekker.
Best for long daysHoka 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.
Best on rockLa 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.
