The best parts of your menswear rotation are often like a jack of all trades, with the perfect hybrid of utility and style – sometimes literally.
Meet your new go-to spring shoes, the best sneaker boots on the market. They’re just about exactly what it sounds like: A merger of a sneaker and a boot, usually blending the breezy, sporty sole of a sneaker with the durable upper of a boot.
Sneaker boots are ideal for going just about anywhere on blustery days this spring (or just about any other time all year long).
The sporty sneaker sole provides traction and a light feel underfoot, while the upper of a boot delivers durability. That’s just the tip of the iceberg – learn more and shop our favorite sneaker boots now.
First known for its classic, California-inspired slip-on shoes, SeaVees has evolved into a modern footwear brand that nods to the past while designing for the present.
Take the Maslon Desert Boot: It rests atop a natural rubber “power grip” outsole for lightweight traction, while the handsome leather boot upper only gets better with age. Plus, they’re reasonably priced.
Searching for that hard-to-find blend of California cool and rugged style in your sneaker boots? SeaVees delivers the goods with the Maslon Desert Boots, which blend a handsome leather upper with the brand’s breezy-yet-grippy sneaker sole.
The simple two-eyelet design calls to mind classic chukka boots, but the contrasting white sole is an eye-catching, modern touch.
When you want to step up your sneaker game a touch, away from low-cut canvas sneakers, consider the classy Maslon Desert Boots.
Plenty of the best boot brands on the market are trying their hand at the more lightweight sneaker boot. And yet, given the technology built into each pair, it makes perfect sense that one of the foremost running shoe brands would also try its hand at the innovative style.
The Anacapa Breeze Mid is a streamlined, sleek and impossibly cool set of stylish sneaker boots, boasting engineered air mesh fabric for breathability and a Vibram Megagrip rubber outsole. HOKA recommends wearing these for hiking and journeys off the grid, and we certainly agree.
The moc toe boot, with its reinforced stitching and versatile ankle boot profile is, well, precisely that: Exceptionally versatile, comfortable, able to pair with faded jeans or crisp chinos in equal measure.
LUCA’s well-made, springy take on the chukka, which blurs the lines between sneaker and boot, is a prime example.
Technical innovation rests at the core of plenty of hard-working Wolverine work boots, and when that’s translated into an equally hard-wearing set of sneaker boots fit for the toughest jobs, that’s all the better.
Wolverine threw everything but the kitchen sink into these rugged work sneakers, from the tough CarbonMax safety toe to the use of extreme cushioning via Wolverine DuraShocks technology. It’s all of the dependability of a set of leather Wolverine work boots, delivered handily in a pair of surprisingly lightweight yet strong sneaker boots.
The days of lacing up clunky hiking boots are far behind in the rearview mirror – the comfort and lightweight feel of the best sneaker boots is the way to go right now, and Salomon put plenty of design innovation into what it calls a “fully charged hiking shoe.”
They’ve used the brand’s proprietary Fuze Foam compound in the midsole for energy return and support, while Gore-Tex throughout the sneaker boot delivers abrasion resistance and weather-ready performance. Lace these up the next time you hit the trail, no questions asked.
Place your trust in one of the world’s premier bootmakers when it comes time to find a pair of the best sneaker boots: Timberland, with its history and knack for making rugged lace-up boots, won’t steer you wrong.
The Davis Square Chukka Boots incorporate much of the brand’s famed bootmaking technology, from the Ortholite insoles to Defender Repellent Technology and reinforced materials like Cordura for added toughness. Yet, they’ll keep you light on your feet while pairing perfectly with picks like tan chinos and a white Oxford shirt for high-low style.
OluKai makes plenty of beach-ready, vacation-approved sandals, but when you want something more sturdy and dependable for back home, its Molina Leather Boots could prove just the ticket.
The seven-eyelet lacing system offers coverage and support, while the moc toe design offers an added touch of reinforcement and style points. These also use premium leather, and the entire offering rests above a grippy rubber outsole.
While you’ll certainly find sneaker boots on the market that look more like chukka boots, you’ll also find some of the world’s largest footwear brands going ultra-futuristic with their own hybrid editions of the style.
One glance at the SFB Leather Boots is enough to prove that point handily. The injected Phylon midsole offers plenty of cushion and support, while the weather-ready leather upper turns these into boots you truly can wear out in the field (or perhaps to a music festival’s muddy grounds this spring and summer).
That’s right: Red Wing, makers of some of the finest heritage-quality work boots on the market (including the famed Iron Ranger) is lightening things up with sneaker boots, too.
Discarded plastic bottles make up the lightweight, breathable upper, which rests easily atop a chunky, recycled rubber Vibram outsole for supreme comfort. The best part about these sneaker boots is the fact that they’re practically work site-ready, thanks to the aluminum safety toe. They’re an ideal work shoe alternative when you want to stay light and fresh on your feet in warmer weather.
Famously known for its durable, rugged winter boots, SOREL takes that same formula (toughness mixed with comfort) and applies it to the Metro II.
Fear not, since the suede is waterproof and the rubber rand is vulcanized for maximum protection in blustery conditions. Plus, the sleek high-top design is tasteful yet fashion-forward.
Carharrt’s ready-for-anything workwear just got a bit more dynamic, at least in terms of your footwear rotation.
Trade in your toughest work boots for some equally tough sneakers from the iconic Michigan brand, a pair made with slip-resistant technology, a supportive high-top build and a sole finished with Carhartt’s iconic golden brown colorway.
Lace up and hit the trail with more than a Columbia puffer jacket – Columbia’s tough-as-nails hiking boots ought to do the trick, too.
Here, they’ve used durable Omni-Grip technology for a smooth ride underfoot, with a sturdy tread pattern and strong waterproof protection throughout. They’re as up for anything on the trail as you are.
A sneaker boot is a lightweight pair of footwear that blends both the comfort and cushion of a sneaker with the upper of a boot. Sometimes, this takes the form of a leather boot upper and a contrasting sneaker sole, and other times, the upper uses materials like textile, blended with a hiking boot sole.
Either way, the sneaker boot is tough yet streamlined, as well as just a bit sporty and highly stylish.