The Best Hiking Shoes For Women Released By OutdoorGearLab

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Sept. 21, 2014 - PRLog -- OutdoorGearLab.com recently announced the results of the 2014 Editors’ Choice awards for the top women’s hiking shoes, highlighting the best, best value, and best for certain applications. The OutdoorGearLab review Editors chose the following winners after extensive field-testing while hiking and building trails in the Sierras and also while hiking and backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, in Arches National Park, around Lake Tahoe and Thousand Island Lake, and in the Southwest Utah desert and the Rocky Mountains. Thirteen popular products were subjected to head-to-head tests to determine which stood out in the performance areas of: comfort, weight, traction, support, versatility and water resistance. The selection consisted of lightweight trail runners, shoes and boots and the review includes an explanation of each category and a helpful buying advice article as well. Once the testing was complete Gear Editor Brianna Valorsi granted Editors’ Choice, Top Pick and Best Buy award winners according to how well each contender scored and performed.

The winners are:

Editors’ Choice – Salomon Ellipse GTX

For being the best product all-around, the Salomon Ellipse was granted Editors’ Choice award. Gear Editor Brianna Valorsi explains, “Designed as a trail runner, this product stood out among the rest for having great traction and for being surprisingly water resistant and versatile enough for day hikes and backpacking. The Salomon Ellipses were the second lightest contender tested weighing less that one and a half pounds. They have a slightly aggressive tread that provided support and traction over all different types of terrain. The Ellipses have a sole that is flexible and comfortable and we appreciated the design for its very feminine flare.”

Top Pick – Ahnu Sugarpine Air Mesh

The Sugarpine Air Mesh won Top Pick award for being an incredibly lightweight and comfortable hiker. According to gear Editor Valorsi, “The Sugarpine Air Mesh comes in crazy cool and playful colors and were amazingly comfortable, durable and supportive due to the Numentum Hike technology and Vibram soles. The Sugarpines amazed us with how water resistant they were despite their mesh uppers. We waded in small creeks and streams and walked along lake shores and even though they are made with breathable mesh they still kept our feet incredibly dry.”

Best Buy – Merrell Siren Sport II

The Merrell Siren Sport II won Best Buy award for being super comfortable, simple, lightweight and durable while still remaining the lowest price product in the review. Gear Editor Valorsi reports, “The Merrell Siren Sport II’s have very comfortable and supportive Vibram soles and even though they were the lowest priced product in our review, they still have a lot of features that some of the higher priced models have. The Siren Sport II's weigh less than one and a half pounds, and the antimicrobial insoles are removable, which makes them easy to clean. In short, these sturdy, lightweight hikers can handle many miles while remaining comfortable and supportive and they won’t break the bank.”

OutdoorGearLab LLC, headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming, is dedicated to producing the world's finest outdoor gear reviews. For people who love the outdoors and participate in activities such as hiking, climbing, backpacking, and camping, the company website, OutdoorGearLab is a free resource. Reviewers perform side-by-side tests of outdoor gear and publishing the findings in comparative reviews. Each product is scored across a range of weighted areas, competing products are ranked, and awards are given to the top performing products.