Women's Hiking Shoes?

Ahnu Montara. Available through Zappos and many other online vendors. Also REI and other outdoor stores. Light weight, comfortable, breathe, but waterproof.

I bought a pair of Keen's for our trip to Germany. They have a lot of choices for waterproof. I find them super comfortable and light weight. They last a long time, and I am hard on shoes. The bottoms have great traction. Each style comes in a variety of different color combinations too.

Donna,

The key with hiking shoes os to find a pair that are comfortable for your particular foot. As was suggested REI has a great selection. If you have a store near you go there and try on a few different pair. Remember to try them on with socks that your are likely to be wearing. Even though Italy is hot I still wear a light weight pair of wool hiking socks. Makes a huge difference. The key is the fit.

Good luck.

LOWA makes great hiking boots and shoes, they fit my feet really well.

Hi Donna, I'm in search of hiking shoes as well and just started the process of finding the right ones. I love Zappos.com because I can buy lots of shoes and return the ones that don't fit. I ordered about 8 pair so far and returned all buy 1 pair. I have been wearing them around the house to make sure I like them before I venture outside. Once the shoes go outside, then I can't return them. There are great reviews on Zappos as well for your to look at. Hope you find a pair. A vaca in Switzerland - sounds wonderful! I hope you tell us all about it. ;)

I was actually looking for some winter boots for girlfriend when we travel to Sweden and came upon a review. I personally like the Drew Glacier because I know the Drew brand and I've personally had great luck with them. Unfortunately Drew isn't available on zappos anymore but check out shoe buy, they have the same return policy as zappos.

I think it also depends on what kind of hiking you will be doing in Switzerland and what the rest of your trip looks like. I hiked last year on the RS Best of Europe tour and actually the trail we were on was more a walk than a hike as it was fairly flat, wide and smooth along with the jaw-dropping scenery, lol. I did not want to carry boots for just one day in Switzerland and did fine with Altra Lone Peak trail shoes. They have a bit more aggressive tread than their regular athletic shoes but even that was not needed the day I hiked. I would have been fine in my regular Altra athletic shoes.

I do have New Balance waterproof hiking boots which I use when I hike here in N. Idaho or in Yellowstone but they are too heavy to haul around Europe for me. They are better for a rockier or steeper trail where I need more ankle support.

I got all the above thru Zappos and yes, I love their return policy as well.

editing to add: I also like to wear merino wool socks. Costco has their Kirkland brand merino wool trail socks again this year. Great deal - $12.99 or so for 3 or 4 pr. They wash and last really well.

Hi everyone and thanks for all your suggestions! I did the RS GAS tour in 2010. I had a pair of Sketchers that worked fine on street surfaces but were sort of slippery on the trails. We were about 4 hours into a 5 hour walk in Murren when the guide told me I had the wrong shoes on…

This time we're doing the new 12 day RS tour of Switzerland. It probably will be more walking, walking up hills, etc. rather than actual hiking, but I'd like to be prepared. I'll take a look at the brands you've suggested on Zappos. We don't have a REI store here but I will be sure to stop in if I come across one. Thanks again.

Another vote for Keens. Lightweight. Sturdy. Excellent travel shoes. I've enjoyed my Targhee II low ankle hiking pair for over 4 years years now. They are worn for daily treks up to the Griffith Observatory in LA. They've been to the UK, Cuba, Ireland, Yosemite, and the Badlands of New Mexico. Will be in my my suitcase again next month as I return to the UK. I LOVE the Keen brand. Have 2 pair of their sandals and 2 pairs of the Toyah style. Best investments I've ever made as far as comfort and durability.

Donna, I absolutely love my Salomon waterproof hiking shoes. They are not boots but shoes with great soles and since they are waterproof they can take a rain shower or damp trails, etc. These are the shoes that I have used on Rick Steves tours for years now. I've hiked the trails around the Lauterbrunnen Valley and they have been great. The style numbers change each year but here's a link to the Salomon XA Pro Waterproof. http://www.zappos.com/salomon-xa-pro-3d-cs-wp-mystic-purple-cobalt-blue-black Watch on the other sites like 6pm.com or sierratradingpost.com for when they are on sale. Pricey, but they last a long time. If you like, a lot of them are in bright, fun colors. Also, they have the kind of laces that pull (hard to describe) and that is wonderful for taking them off for the TSA checkpoint! Have a fantastic time dreaming about your trip!

I love Ahnu shoes. They have a number of styles that would be suitable for hiking and fall between a shoe and a boot. REI carries some of their styles, but the Ahnu website offers free shipping and free returns so you don't really lose anything if you order a pair and they don't work out.

prepare two pairs,waterproof and lace ones

Another supporter for Ahnu watherproof hiking shoes. I just bought my second pair.