Campman Outdoor Gear & Apparel

Winter didn’t stay long this year, and right now the Wasatch is drying out faster than anyone expected. Dirt is showing at mid-elevation, the Uinta trailheads are clearing up, and if you were hoping to get a jump on the season, this is your window. Whether you’re day-hiking the Bonneville Shoreline, loading up for a multi-night pack into the High Uintas Wilderness, or eyeing technical terrain in Little Cottonwood Canyon, the right boot makes a bigger difference than most people realize, especially early in the season when trails are still soft, creek crossings are running high, and conditions can shift 3,000 feet of elevation in a single day. Here is what we’re recommending for Spring/Summer 2026.

Best All-Around Boot: SCARPA Rush TRK GTX

If you’re going to own one pair of hiking boots and they need to work everywhere—packed dirt, loose scree, canyon approaches, loaded multi-day carries—the SCARPA Rush TRK GTX is the answer. SCARPA’s RUSH Frame technology distributes load across the full footbed and keeps heel-drag exhaustion at bay over big days, while GORE-TEX waterproofing and a Perwanger leather upper handle whatever the trail throws at you. The Vibram Drumlin outsole grips confidently on wet and loose terrain. It’s the boot you bring when the weather is uncertain, the terrain is mixed, and you need something that won’t let you down from mile one to mile fifty.

SCARPA Men’s Rush Trk GTX

SCARPA Women’s Rush Trk GTX

Best Lightweight Boot: Salewa Pedroc Light Mid PTX

Not every day calls for a bomber leather boot. Sometimes you just want to move. The Salewa Pedroc Light Mid PTX pulls significant weight out of a traditional mid hiker without sacrificing structure. The Pomoca outsole bites hard on wet grass and loose talus, the Pertex Shield membrane handles the afternoon thunderstorms that show up unannounced at 11,000 feet in July, and the knit-and-mesh upper breathes well once the sun climbs. The mid-height cuff gives your ankle enough support for technical terrain without locking you into a rigid platform. For big days on the Wasatch Crest Trail or fast-and-light objectives in the High Uintas, this is the boot worth every ounce. Or rather, every ounce you’re not carrying.

Salewa Men’s Pedroc Light Mid PTX

Salewa Women’s Pedroc Light PTX Shoe

Best Agile Boot: La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3 Mid GTX

Some terrain doesn’t ask you to hike. It asks you to move fast. Scrambling over quartzite blocks above Albion Basin, picking through boulder fields on the approach to a Uinta summit, charging down a steep switchback where a flat-footed stomp ends badly. La Sportiva updated the Ultra Raptor 3 Mid GTX with a new Idrogrip wet rubber compound—better friction on wet rock, better bite on loose trail. The FriXion XF upper is protective without being stiff, the GORE-TEX Extended Comfort lining keeps feet dry without cooking them, and the STB Control System locks the heel in place on aggressive downhills so you’re not floating around in the boot when the grade kicks up. The boot for people who hike like a trail runner.

La Sportiva Men’s Ultra Raptor 3 Mid GTX

La Sportiva Women’s Ultra Raptor 3 Mid GTX

Best Waterproof Boot: Asolo Fugitive GTX

May in the Uintas means one thing: wet. Trail crossings where the footbridge is still buried, meadows that don’t show as wetlands on the map, snow you didn’t expect at 9,500 feet. The Asolo Fugitive GTX is the boot that won’t flinch. The full-length GORE-TEX lining keeps moisture out from top to bottom, the suede-and-nylon upper adds a solid exterior barrier, and the dual-density EVA/PU midsole cushions loaded carries without sacrificing stability on uneven ground. It’s a no-drama boot—you won’t be thinking about your feet. You’ll be thinking about the view from the ridge.

Asolo Men’s Fugitive GTX

Best Water-Ready Boot: Astral TR1 Merge 2.0

There’s a different kind of wet—not the caught-in-a-rainstorm wet that a GORE-TEX boot handles, but the deliberate, unavoidable wet of canyon hiking and river crossings where you’re going in regardless of what your boots prefer. That’s where waterproof membranes become a liability. The TR1 Merge 2.0 is intentionally non-waterproof, built to drain fast and dry faster. The upper won’t waterlog over hours of wet terrain, and the G-Rubber outsole is the same compound Astral uses on their legendary water shoes for gripping submerged rocks the way standard lug soles simply don’t. For canyoneers working routes in Zion or the San Rafael Swell, this is the smarter call.

Astral TR1 Merge 2.0

Best Leather Boot: SCARPA Terra GTX

Full-grain leather boots have a reputation for being stiff and heavy, but the SCARPA Terra GTX makes the case for why leather is still worth it. The upper molds to your foot over time, resists abrasion on rocky terrain far better than synthetics, and pairs with a GORE-TEX Extended Comfort lining that keeps water out without trapping heat. The dual-density EVA midsole absorbs trail shock without going soft, the outsole grips confidently on mixed Utah alpine surfaces, and the heel counter stays firm without punishing you on long descents. This is the boot that gets better the more you use it—and one you’ll still be reaching for in five years. Available in Men’s and Women’s.

SCARPA Men’s Terra GTX

Best Mountaineering Boot: SCARPA Zodiac Tech LT GTX

At some point the trail ends and the terrain gets serious. The SCARPA Zodiac Tech LT GTX sits at the top of the technical hiking-to-mountaineering spectrum. It's capable enough for crampons, stiff enough for front-pointing on moderate alpine snow, and light enough that you’re not paying a weight penalty for the capability. The C1 crampon-compatible sole accepts technical crampons for mixed snow and ice objectives, GORE-TEX Pro handles sustained high-output use in sustained bad weather, and the Vibram Mulaz outsole grips on everything from granite slabs to frozen ground. If your spring plans include technical routes in Big Cottonwood Canyon or Utah’s 11,000-foot peaks while they’re still in alpine condition, this is where the list ends.

SCARPA Men’s Zodiac Tech LT GTX

SCARPA Women’s Zodiac Tech LT GTX

Finding Your Boot

Wet alpine terrain and mixed objectives call for the SCARPA Terra GTX. High-mileage multi-day routes belong to the SCARPA Rush TRK GTX. Fast-and-light days are where the Salewa Pedroc Light Mid PTX earns its place. Technical scrambling and dynamic terrain call for the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 2 Mid GTX. For the soggiest early-season conditions, the Asolo Fugitive GTX keeps you dry without drama. Canyon approaches and deliberate water crossings are where the Astral TR1 Merge 2.0 makes more sense than a sealed membrane. And when the terrain turns truly technical, the SCARPA Zodiac Tech LT GTX is where the list ends. Not sure which one fits your objectives? Reach out to the Campman team—we’re happy to help

About the Author

Derek Newman

Born in the Wasatch, Derek has had an affinity for mountain life since day one. He was on skis the year he learned to walk, and as a high school graduation present he gifted himself rock climbing lessons. Nearly two decades later, Derek spends most of his time climbing up and/or skiing down most of the mountains around Salt Lake City, and he's traveled around the world multiple times for the sole purpose of peak exploration. When he isn't a man about camp, he's working in Campman's content marketing crew writing up blogs about backcountry skiing or rock climbing as well as describing products that he's used personally. He's climbed in most climbing shoes, toured on most backcountry skis, and ridden the resorts on skis, snowboards, and even some evac sleds.