Hiking Shoes And Walking Shoes

Hiking shoes and walking shoes are similar if they are both designed for easy urban terrain. The goal for these types of hiking shoes are to provide moderate support while emphasizing comfort. Comfort is designed in by having light weight materials for lighter shoes, padded mid-soles for a more shock absorbing cushion on every step and flexible materials to allow for more flex in the shoes. These shoes often use breathable materials to provide more air circulation to keep you feet cooler on long hikes.

All of those features sound great and for city and light trail hiking they are great hiking shoes. For rugged terrain or longer hikes there are better choices. Also, there are som great running shoes out there (like New Balance running shoes), but they are usually not the best choice for rugged terrain.