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Travel Himalaya Nepal
Footwear

Trekking Boots

Mid-weight boots for teahouse routes.

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.

Salomon Quest 4 GTX — The boot for a full circuit with a real pack on your back
Best overall

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

Salomon Quest 4 GTX

Mid-weight, above-ankle, Gore-Tex, ~1.3 kg/pair

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.

Ankle support that holds up on loose moraine

Sole stiff enough that a 12 kg pack stops hurting

Lasts several seasons rather than one trip

Heavy against a trail shoe

Needs 40-50 km of walking before it stops rubbing

Gore-Tex is slow to dry once it finally soaks

Not for you if: You 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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Lowa Renegade GTX Mid — The one to buy if you are short on break-in timeKindest 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.

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Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof — Enough boot for a teahouse trek, at a third of the priceBest 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.

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