Columbia Sportswear is a company with a long legacy of producing excellent gear for hikers, sportsmen, and even the casual outdoors enthusiast. While Columbia infuses a high amount of energy, durability, and quality into each and every product that they manufacture, Columbia has a special and unprecedented understanding for hikers and their need for good hiking shoes. Columbia understands that hikers prefer shoes that will remain comfortable no matter what they come in contact with.

For a hiker, nothing is worse than a hiking shoe that is unable to keep the hiker's feet dry, blister free, and safe from rocks and other sharp or otherwise harmful objects. Columbia hiking shoes fulfill all of the criteria of a good hiking shoe. Each one of the hiking shoes is manufactured with Omni-Shield technology to repel water and dirt. To ensure comfortability, each shoe is outfitted with Techlite shock absorbtion and padding. Columbia's main goal for their hiking shoes is to keep the hiker grounded so that they stay outside and enjoy the outdoors longer.

Columbia hiking shoes come in three main styles. The hiking boot, the hiking sneaker, and the sneaker boot fusion. The hiking boot follows the traditional hiking boot model but introduces a few nuances. The upper is constructed of suede leather and nubuck with treated with the OmniTech waterproofing technology. The inside of the Columbia hiking boot is lined with fleecy soft Thinsulate Insulation. The out-sole is thick, protective, and soft with a sort of sneakerish look.

The Columbia hiking sneaker is a low-cut shoe with all of the benefits of the boot, but with better flexibility. The sneaker-style hiking shoe is very light-weight and also waterproofed to insure maximum comfort and protection for the avid hiker. The inside of the shoe is outfitted with soft and comfortable materials which wick away moisture have also been subject to anti-odor treatments to keep shoe stench to minimum. The non-marking tread of the shoe is durable, rugged, and deeply grooved to provide stability and traction even on the slickest of trails.

The sort of boot-sneaker hybrid hiking shoe brings the best of both the boot and the sneaker into one amazing shoe.  Like both of its influencers, the hybrid shoe's leather and nubuck upper is coated with a special waterproofing coat to keep water out and dirt off of the shoe.  The front of the shoe is constructed out of rubber to give the toes maximum protection.  The hybrid is constructed on a rugged but stable rubber tread with a Techlite cushioning mid-sole attaching it to the upper of the shoe.  The hybrid style Columbia hiking shoe is mid-rise offering anke protection, while still letting the foot and leg remain comfortable and breathable.