Columbia Crestwood Review

The Columbia Crestwood made our head spin when we first put them on. We were sure that they at been priced per shoe, but no - these shoes are as comfortable and supportive as those that cost twice as much. We think that Columbia really nailed it with these shoes, as they did well in these metrics. Using mesh and suede leather, they are breathable but not waterproof. With average traction and durability, these shoes are going to be best for someone just getting into hiking and who wants a good deal, or for someone who just goes hiking infrequently on maintained trails.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

By using a combination of suede leather and mesh, the Columbia Crestwood are incredibly comfortable right out of the box. They are easy to slip into hands-free, or by using a pull tab on the back of the heel to pull them on. They are soft and flexible, allowing a comfortable stride and range of motion without sacrificing much in terms of support. Fitting much like a well-loved pair of sneakers, they are easy and enjoyable to walk in. By employing large mesh panels, these dump heat easily, which is an added bonus when hiking on warmer days or in arid climates.

This shoe is available in regular and wide widths, so finding the right fit is a lot easier. We found that the regular width was a great choice for our medium-volume foot, and the included footbed is of reasonable quality for a shoe of this price point, though it is not very cushioned. You may find that adding an aftermarket footbed will really improve the arch support and overall comfort, but it is not absolutely necessary.

Support

The Crestwood uses a Techlite midsole to provide structure and stability. It provides good support for low and medium intensity day hikes, and enough support for standing around on hard surfaces. The included footbed is pretty good for this level of shoe, but we found noticeable improvements adding in our own more supportive aftermarket footbed, as the plastic stiffening plate really improved upon the softer Techlite midsole.

These shoes lace up snugly and give the lower ankle good support in uneven terrain, though do not provide the same level of ankle support as a mid-top hiking boot. We feel like these are great for most maintained trails but would probably be outmatched on hardcore off-trail travel.

Traction

Columbia provides a proprietary OmniTech rubber outsole on the Crestwood shoes, which is soft and grippy. The lug pattern is shallow and wide, making them quite adept at smooth surfaces such as trails and rock slabs. Thanks to the more flexible midsole, they also conform to these terrain surfaces, allowing for more contact and traction.

In wet and loose trail situations, the shallow lug pattern does not provide as much bite, and the less rigid structure of the midsole does not allow for as much grip. These are much better suited to dry conditions, which is great since that is where they are the most suitable, given the lack of waterproofing.

Water Resistance

While the Crestwood hiking shoes have large panels of suede leather that does a good job of repelling water as long as it is well-maintained, the lack of a waterproof/breathable membrane and the inclusion of so much mesh means that these shoes are definitely not waterproof. We were able to walk through shallow puddles without our feet getting wet, but anything beyond about an inch will leave you with wet socks.

That is not necessarily a bad thing, though! We appreciate hiking shoes that are not waterproof when it is dry and we would prefer not to have our perspiration trapped by an impermeable waterproof barrier. These shoes will do much better in warm weather than a waterproof shoe.

Weight

The Crestwood hiking shoe has a surprisingly moderate weight for the shoe type, and we were pleased to see that they checked in at only 1.82 lbs per pair in a size 11 US men's.

They are only a few ounces heavier than models that are lauded as being super lightweight. They do feel a little clunky on the feet at times, though, so while they might not be the heaviest, we still think they do best at objectives that are mostly on trails and not in difficult or technical terrain.

Durability

We wore the Crestwood shoes for a couple of months of day hiking use and even started using them while doing a home construction project since they were so soft and comfortable! Even with all this use and abuse, we found them to hold up remarkably well for such an inexpensive shoe.

That said, there are a lot of exposed seams and mesh that will be the first point of failure after prolonged use. For casual and intermittent use, these shoes will likely last for at least a couple seasons of use before needing replacement.

Should You Buy the Columbia Crestwood?

The Columbia Crestwood provides great comfort, decent support for on-trail adventures, reasonable traction and enough durability to make them a recommendable pair of hiking shoes if you want a nice pair of shoes but don't want to spend a lot of money. These shoes offer great value for the price, and even though there is some diminished performance when compared to higher-rated shoes that cost twice as much or more, they are a great option for those who don't plan on doing any off-trail hiking.

What Other Hiking Boots Should You Consider?

If the idea of a non-waterproof hiking shoe is still appealing, then look to the Merrell Moab 3, which offers improved support but is still light and comfortable. For our favorite hiking shoe that is waterproof and still fits like a sneaker, the Hoka Anacapa 2 Low is a fantastic choice. For those who really want a super lightweight shoe that hikes well and does not have any waterproofing, the Hoka Speedgoat 6 is hard to beat.