Hiking soles

The soles are one of the most important parts of a hiking boot. After all, its lug patterns and rubber compounds determine the type of hiking you can do.

Our collection of hiking shoes here at Columbia contains various types of soles, all designed specifically to work with your active lifestyle in certain conditions. Combined with our decades of expertise and dedicated research, we’ve created the right hiking soles for every situation.

Let’s take a closer look at how shoe soles can affect your hiking experience.

Before we look at the finer details of a shoe sole, let’s discuss the basics first.

All shoes, including your favourite Columbia all-terrain shoes, have a sole that affects its performance. The sole can then be divided into three layers:

• Insoles: Also known as the footbed, the insole is the surface where your feet rest while you wear your shoe. It’s usually made from breathable material that helps stop your foot from feeling sweaty. It may also have extra support for your heels and arches.
• Midsoles: This middle layer is where the shoe’s heel cushioning rests. Our footwear here at Columbia features one of our four unique midsoles: Techlite™ Plush, Techlite+™, Techlite™, and FluidFoam™. Each type is engineered to deliver superior comfort and cushioning for your feet while returning energy on every step and avoiding impacts, which will help reduce any potential pain in your heels.
• Outsoles: Flip a shoe over, and you’ll see its outsole. It’s the surface that makes constant contact with the ground whenever you take a step. As a result, its construction and pattern dictates how much grip you have on certain surfaces. Your favourite Columbia footwear contain one of the following types of outsole technology: Navic Fit, Adapt Trax, and Omni-Grip™.

Altogether, the soles support your ankles by providing foot stability.

Whether you own a pair of leather hiking boots, waterproof hiking shoes, or hiking sandals, they all have something in common: a well-made sole. Without one, you won’t get the grip and traction you need for your next trip.

A shoe’s outsole has two important components:

• Lug pattern: The shapes you see at the bottom of your women's hiking boots or men's hiking shoes are known as the lug pattern. Shoes feature different lug patterns depending on their purpose, which directly impacts grip and traction. Even the lug size can affect how your shoe feels when debris has accumulated under your shoe.
• Rubber compound: You won’t always learn about your shoe’s rubber compound when shoe shopping, but it’s an important thing to know. Rubber additives can alter the grip strength, while the compound itself can affect its softness or hardness. A soft rubber compound has more grip but isn’t as durable under stress, whilst a hard rubber compound has less grip but more durability.

In Columbia, we’ve created our own rubber compound to achieve the right balance between grip and durability. The results of our work are in our Omni-Grip™ line of products.

When you choose hiking shoes from Columbia, one of the things you must consider is the type of surface you plan to cross. That’s because certain shoes are suitable for specific trails, and you want to make sure you get the right one.

• For forest or rocky terrain, you want one of our long hiking boots with Omni-Grip™.
• For wet or slippery terrain, you want one of our products with Adapt Trax.
• For snowy terrain, wear one of our winter shoes with Omni-Heat™.
• For sandy or uneven terrain, wear one of our low hiking shoes with Navic Fit.

If you’re unsure about your plans, consider our footwear with Omni-Grip™ technology. It’s designed to conquer all sorts of terrain.

Now that you know all about our soles, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test! Browse our excellent collection of footwear, and take note of each shoe’s outsole. You’re bound to recognise most of them, and you’ll even be able to determine the perfect terrain for each shoe!

• Hiking sandals for men
• Light hiking shoes
• Waterproof shoes for men
• Wide shoes for men
• Kids waterproof shoes

Looking for the perfect accessory item for your next mountain hiking trip? Columbia’s range of hiking jackets, hiking clothes for women, and hiking socks has everything you need. We’ll even give you some hiking tips, such as finding the right hiking boot size.