Picks checked on Amazon on 6 October 2026, for the 2026/27 Great Walks season.
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Quick answer: get a waterproof, mid-height hiking boot with a grippy sole, and walk it in before you go. For most people that is the Salomon X Ultra 5 Mid GTX. If comfort out of the box matters most, the Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof. If your feet are wide, the KEEN Targhee III. Pair any of them with merino socks.
The Great Walks are the best-maintained multi-day tracks in New Zealand: graded, bridged and signposted. But "well formed" in Fiordland still means mud, standing water, wet roots and the odd knee-deep stream after heavy rain. The alpine sections, Mackinnon Pass on the Milford, the Harris Saddle on the Routeburn and the Luxmore ridge on the Kepler, are rocky and exposed, and the descents are long. A mid-height waterproof boot protects your ankles on those descents and keeps your feet dry through the first few hours of rain. One exception: the Whanganui Journey is a canoe trip, so pack sandals and a camp shoe instead.
A light hiking boot with a Gore-Tex waterproof membrane and an aggressive sole. It feels closer to a trail shoe than a traditional leather boot, which matters over four long days.
Skip it if: you have very wide feet. Salomon fits narrow to average.
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The Moab has been one of the best-selling hiking boots in the world for years because it needs almost no breaking in. Cushioned, forgiving and waterproof.
Skip it if: you want the lightest boot possible; the Moab is a bit heavier and less precise on rock.
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KEEN is known for a roomy toe box, and the Targhee III is its classic waterproof hiking boot. If other boots pinch your toes on descents, start here.
Skip it if: you have narrow feet, which can slide around in it.
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Merino wool stays warm when wet and dries faster than cotton. Darn Tough backs its socks with an unconditional lifetime guarantee, which tells you how long they last.
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Most Great Walks sell out on opening day, and DOC keeps no waitlist. Cancelled hut nights go back on sale all season. See how cancellations work or set a free cancellation alert.
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