More often than not, choosing the best hiking boots for your adventures comes down to personal preference and the types of trails you’ll be traveling on. Do you want a winter hiking boot that’ll keep you warm in frigid conditions? Are you searching for a backpacking boot that will hold up over long distances? What about size-inclusive or budget-friendly hiking boots?
Personally, I’m a big fan of boots and hiking shoes that are lightweight and versatile, and that provide protection and stability on the trail. I typically avoid heavy boots that weigh me down, and I shy away from stiff shoes that don’t flex with the ground underneath my foot. My top choice tends to be hiking shoes versus hiking boots, as I find they are often more lightweight and agile.
Enter the Hoka Anacapa 2 Low GTX hiking shoe. Hoka, a West Coast brand with a cult following, is known for its extensive collection of cushioned walking, road running and trail running shoes. The brand also makes a collection of hike and trail shoes, including the new Anacapa 2 Low GTX, which come in men’s and women’s sizing. Hoka also makes a high-top version of the new hiking shoe, the Anacapa 2 Mid GTX.
After hiking a full year in Hoka’s original Anacapa Mid GTX hiking shoes — one of my favorite hiking boots I’ve worn — I was stoked to test out the new and improved design that promised more comfort, stability and breathability than my original pair. Thanks to my prior love of Hoka’s ultra-cushioned footbed and an affinity for hiking shoes tailored to folks like me who live in the city but still love to get out in nature, I had a feeling the new Anacapa 2 Low GTX wouldn’t disappoint.
Versatility meets comfort with the Hoka Anacapa 2 Low GTX. These lightweight yet durable hiking shoes were built to support your feet by providing both comfort and stability on variable terrain — from dirt and pavement to rocks and riverbeds. With a super-grippy outsole and an interior Gore-Tex liner, these hiking shoes keep your feet connected to the ground beneath you and dry from the elements around you.?
What we liked about them
Lots of cushion
If you crave comfort in a hiking boot, you’ll love these trail shoes. Designed to look and feel like a street shoe but offering the support and protection of a rugged hiking boot, the Anacapa 2 Low GTX hikers are the perfect trail companion no matter if you’re on a day hike or long trek. Some might say Hoka boots and shoes look “chunky.” In reality, they’re packed with an impressive amount of cushion that provides extreme comfort on and off the trail.
The Anacapa 2 GTX were designed for your foot to sit within the midsole versus on top of it. This design approach provides support around your entire foot, what the Hoka design team calls its Active Foot Frame technology. I noticed this right away when sliding them on; it instantly felt like my foot was nestled in a protective cradle. Hoka shoes, including the Anacapa 2 GTX, have a rocker-shaped outsole that allows your stride to move from heel to toe. I find this adds a bit more fluidity while walking and hiking.
While scrambling up boulders in Zion National Park, hiking on nobby granite in Wisconsin’s Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and stepping across wet and mossy boulders in caves within Pinnacles National Park, my feet felt solid and stable during my multi-mile treks. I didn’t feel any sort of slipping or instability while hiking varying surfaces. If anything, I almost felt attached to the rock beneath my feet.
Extremely supportive and grippy
On the Canyon Overlook Trail in Zion, we hiked along several sections of a narrow trail that hugged the canyon walls and we scaled car-size boulders to get to the top of the iconic vantage point high above the canyon. Even when covered in a thick layer of dust and sand, and while navigating uneven surfaces as we made our way through the canyon, I never felt unstable on the sketchy terrain. At one point, my ankle started to roll when I stepped on a smaller rock on the edge of the trail, but the outsole of the Anacapa 2 helped catch my balance almost immediately. The Swallowtail design on the heel of the Anacapa 2 GTX aided in this support by providing independent suspension on both halves of the shoe. This allowed the shoe to flex and form to the terrain beneath my foot instead of resulting in a stiff and rigid response.
Waterproof yet breathable
Stomping around creekbeds in Zion and hiking through desert heat in Pinnacles National Park, I didn’t have any issues with waterlogged feet in the Anacapa 2 Low GTX. To test their waterproofness, I submerged my shoes in a muddy creek. Water instantly beaded off of the upper material of the shoes without any water seeping through. I repeated this test a handful more times and, still, felt no water inside. For as waterproof as the GTX version of the Anacapa 2 hikers are, I was also shocked at how dry my feet stayed within the shoes. Even when hiking in 90-degree California heat, my feet did not sweat inside.
Hoka attributes the winning combination of breathability and water resistance to the Anacapa 2 GTX’s Gore-Tex Invisible Fit liners. The upper fabric of the shoe, constructed of waterproof nubuck leather, keeps water out. The specialty Gore-Tex Invisible Fit liners inside the shoe help your feet breathe in warm and damp conditions.
What we didn’t like about them
It doesn’t feel natural to call out many flaws with the Anacapa 2 Low GTX. Quite honestly, they’re amazing hiking shoes. That said, there are a couple design features that might not make them the top pick for every hiker out there.
Holds onto mud
Deep lugs on the bottom of the Ancapa 2 Low GTX mean more stability and grip on dry trail and wet rock. But it can also cause a buildup of mud, sand and dirt in wet conditions. The day after a rainstorm, while hiking on a trail in the Zion Wilderness, these hiking shoes were like magnets to the mud underneath my feet. A solid half inch to full inch of mud was stuck on the sole of my Anacapa 2 hiking shoes within the first mile. While the mud eventually dried and fell off, it made for a heavy and slippery hike at the start of the day. Trying to navigate continually wet and sloppy sections of the trail with a layer of mud completely covering the outsole of my shoes was difficult. It almost felt like ice skates at times.
Slightly clunky
The design of the Anacapa 2 Low GTX outsole is purposefully “chunky” to provide extra stability and support for your foot while hiking. Between the Swallowtail design at the heel and the thick EVA midsole that provides added cushion in and around the foundation of the shoe, the Anacapa 2 Low GTX has some girth to it. That’s technically not a flaw in my eyes, but some folks who are used to a more sleek-fitting shoe like Vasque or Scarpa hiking boots might find these boots to be a bit clunkier while navigating rocky, rigid and variable terrain.
Slim toe box
One reason I love wide-width hiking and trail shoes is that my toes have ample room to move around. I also find hiking in shoes with wide toe boxes means less chance for problems with jammed toes, and as a result, damaged toenails. Brands like Altra and Merrell are known for wide-width shoes and wide toe boxes. Hoka’s Anacapa 2 Low GTX had a much slimmer toe box than these brands I’ve worn before. I did notice the first few times I hiked in these shoes, especially when traveling downhill, that my toes were a bit sore by the end of my hike.
How they compare
There are seemingly endless hiking shoes and boots on the market you can choose from. However, fewer brands design hikers that are built to feel more like tennis shoes than traditional boots. For hikers who are also into trail running, the Altra Lone Peak Hiker 2 is slightly less expensive at $160 and also weighs less at 10.6 ounces. The 11.5-ounce Xero Ridgeway hiking shoes are another lightweight hiker and are even better for your budget at $140. Keep in mind, though, that they won’t provide as much cushion and support as the Altra Lone Peak Hiker 2 or Anacapa 2 Low GTX.
Bottom line
Hikers traveling all distances who want lots of comfort and protection while on the trail will love the Hoka Anacapa 2 Low GTX hiking shoes. This versatile and supportive hiking shoe can stand up to technical terrain like slick rock and root-covered trails while also boasting comfort and style on and off the trail. Outfitted with Gore-Tex Invisible Fit liners and an upper fabric that sheds water, they’re as breathable as they are waterproof. Expect your feet to breathe in warm and wet conditions, and stay dry on damp days.
You might drop a good chunk of your paycheck on these hiking shoes, but in our opinion, they’re worth every penny. Hoka hits a home run with the Anacapa 2 Low GTX for hikers who want comfort no matter where the trail takes them.
