No. 1 lightweight mid-cut hiking boot is the Sirio P.F.156-3. At about 400g per boot it's the lightest of the six, and the cheapest too. For people whose feet don't fit a 3E+ width, I put the Merrell Moab 3, which offers a wide, at No. 2.
The Gear Nerd's Pick
Unlike what's in the pack, a boot's weight is lifted again with every step. A 190g difference per boot, at 10,000 steps, comes to lifting 1,900kg again. So for day-hike and one-night hut boots, I sort by weight per boot first, then drop the ones whose width doesn't fit.
Key points
- The official weights are measured at different sizes. Caravan and Sirio are 26.0cm, Merrell 27.0cm, and The North Face a 9-inch figure
- Price per gram is ¥35.4–¥57.5. The lowest is the Caravan C1_02S and the highest is the Salomon X Ultra 5 Mid GORE-TEX; the lighter the boot, the higher the price per gram
- Only the out-of-ranking mont-bell Mountain Cruiser 400 is listed officially as resoleable. Among the 6 ranked, the Sirio P.F.156-3 is labeled as not resoleable
Among the same "mid-cut waterproof boots," weight differs by 190g per boot
Sirio's P.F.156-3 is about 400g per boot, and Caravan's C1_02S about 590g. Both are waterproof hiking boots that reach above the ankle, and the price gap is only ¥550.
This covers 6 waterproof mid-cuts for day hikes up to one-night hut stays outside snow season. The numbers are from the official pages of the maker or seller.
How I chose
The first thing I looked at was weight per boot. The 6 span 190g, so I first sorted lightest first. Next I laid the official price over it and checked how much you pay for lightness with price per gram.
Last, I split close ranks by whether you can choose a width and whether the official page names the waterproof membrane. This ranking is made from what you can buy on Rakuten.
Quick table of the 6 lightweight hiking boots
Scroll the table sideways →
| Model | Weight per boot | Waterproof-breathable material | Official price | Price per gram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Sirio P.F.156-3 | About 400g (26.0cm) | GORE-TEX | ¥20,350 | ¥50.9 |
| No. 2 Merrell Moab 3 Synthetic Mid GORE-TEX | About 470g (27.0cm) | GORE-TEX | ¥23,100 | ¥49.1 |
| No. 3 Salomon X Ultra 5 Mid GORE-TEX | 440g | GORE-TEX | ¥25,300 | ¥57.5 |
| No. 4 Caravan C1_02S | About 590g (26.0cm) | GORE-TEX | ¥20,900 | ¥35.4 |
| No. 5 The North Face Crestone Hike Mid Waterproof 2 | About 510g (9 inch) | HYVENT (the maker's own membrane) | ¥23,980 | ¥47.0 |
| No. 6 KEEN Targhee 4 Mid Waterproof | 570g | KEEN.DRY (the maker's own membrane) | ¥25,300 | ¥44.4 |
| Out of ranking: mont-bell Mountain Cruiser 400 | 524g (25.5cm) | GORE-TEX | ¥22,800 | ¥43.5 |
In an order where lighter boots cost more per gram, only the Sirio is the exception. It's the lightest and also the cheapest.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Sirio P.F.156-3
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥18,200 (as of 10/13). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥20,350, and change daily. The surest way to try boots is in the evening, when feet swell, wearing your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the shop's return and exchange terms before buying.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanThe sizes weighed don't match. The Sirio's number is for 26.0cm and the Merrell's for 27.0cm, so I didn't let a 10–20g gap decide the order.
Why this order
| Rank | Model | Why it's ranked here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sirio P.F.156-3 | The lightest of the 6 pairs, and ¥2,750 cheaper than No. 2 |
| 2 | Merrell Moab 3 Synthetic Mid GORE-TEX | Offers medium and wide, but 70g heavier than No. 1 |
| 3 | Salomon X Ultra 5 Mid GORE-TEX | No. 2 lightest, but ¥57.5 per gram is the highest |
| 4 | Caravan C1_02S | The lowest at ¥35.4 per gram, but the heaviest of the 6 pairs |
| 5 | The North Face Crestone Hike Mid Waterproof 2 | 80g lighter than No. 4, but the membrane is the maker's own and no width is listed |
| 6 | KEEN Targhee 4 Mid Waterproof | The second heaviest, and on the higher side of price |
No. 1 Sirio P.F.156-3
I'll say this with some heat. About 400g per boot, with both GORE-TEX and Vibram Megagrip, and ¥550 cheaper than the heaviest, the Caravan.
Here's the weak spot. The width comes in one type only, 3E+, and the label says the sole can't be replaced. It suits people with wider feet who walk with light loads from spring to autumn.
No. 2 Merrell Moab 3 Synthetic Mid GORE-TEX
The numbers are given down to the 5mm lug depth and the thickness of 30mm at the heel and 20mm at the toe. The wide is about 480g and ¥24,200, an extra of 10g and ¥1,100. What to watch is that from the July 2026 arrivals some specifications changed, so old and new will be mixed for a while.
The boot to look at next for people whom the Sirio's 3E+ doesn't fit.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Merrell Moab 3 Synthetic Mid GORE-TEX
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥17,954 (as of 10/13). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥23,100, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it at L-BreathSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanFor the new winter model for wet ice, I judged it in the Moab 3 Synthetic Ice review.
No. 3 Salomon X Ultra 5 Mid GORE-TEX
The wide is the same 440g and the same ¥25,300, so widening the width doesn't change weight or price. Here's the weak spot. Cutting 30g from the Merrell costs ¥2,200, about ¥73 per gram (2,200 ÷ 30).
Sizes run 25–31cm. It's a boot for people with large feet who put lightness first.
No. 4 Caravan C1_02S
Sizes run from 22.5cm to 30.0cm, so people with small feet can choose the same model. The width is 3E, and it comes with a half insole for fine-tuning size. Here's the weak spot. The pair is 1,180g, 380g heavier than the Sirio.
It suits people looking for an entry-level pair who don't care about weight.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Caravan C1_02S
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥12,800 (as of 10/13). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥20,900, and change daily. The surest way to try boots is in the evening, when feet swell, wearing your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the shop's return and exchange terms before buying.
RecommendedSee it at L-BreathSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanI looked at the reason for the weight and the difference from its sibling model in one article. Read the Caravan C1_02S review
No. 5 The North Face Crestone Hike Mid Waterproof 2
It has a 5mm-lug rubber sole and a shank (core). What to watch is the waterproof membrane: it's the maker's own HYVENT, not GORE-TEX. None of the 6 gives water resistance and breathability numbers, so the membranes can't be compared.
It suits people whose hiking is mostly day hikes and low mountains.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
The North Face Crestone Hike Mid Waterproof 2
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥19,990 (as of 10/13). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥23,980, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it at L-BreathSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 6 KEEN Targhee 4 Mid Waterproof
The construction has the most personality of the six. The upper is waterproof nubuck leather, and the sole and upper are made as one piece without adhesive. What to watch is that the membrane is the maker's own KEEN.DRY and there's no width code.
For people who put weight on a leather upper, it's a boot that would rank much higher.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
KEEN Targhee 4 Mid Waterproof (men's)
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥16,940 (as of 10/13). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥35,490, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it at L-BreathSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanThe new model that's 195g lighter than the Targhee 4 is written up in the Targhee Apex Mid review.
Out of ranking: mont-bell Mountain Cruiser 400 (bought at the official online shop)
It's 524g per boot (25.5cm) and ¥22,800, 124g heavier and ¥2,450 more than No. 1. In this article it's the only boot officially listed as resoleable. The wide is the same ¥22,800.
Read the stiffness of a hiking boot's sole by its "sole stance"
Sirio calls its guide to a boot's stiffness the "sole stance," and the stiffer the boot, the shorter this number. The P.F.156-3 is 10cm, a boot in the "light trekking" column of five levels.
That's a stiffness for walking well-kept trails with a light load, and on build it suits day hikes and one-night hut stays.
Who is it for?
This suits people who walk day hikes up to hut stays with a light load outside snow season. All six are non-snow, 3-season boots.
For traverses carrying a tent, rocky sections or snow season, there are other ways to choose. If you mostly walk on pavement and boardwalks, Sirio also writes officially that stiff hiking boots tire your feet.
For people who want to walk in lighter shoes, starting from how they differ from hiking boots, I compared them in trail running shoes for hiking rankings.
FAQ
How many grams per boot is light for hiking boots?
The 6 pairs here were about 400–590g per boot. The 400s are on the light side, and the high 500s on the heavy side.
Which hiking boots suit wide feet?
Only the Sirio's 3E+ and the Caravan's 3E have a width code on the official page. The Merrell, Salomon and mont-bell offer a separate wide, with an extra of ¥1,100 for the Merrell and ¥0 for the Salomon and mont-bell.
Can hiking boot soles be replaced?
Only the out-of-ranking mont-bell Mountain Cruiser 400 is listed officially as resoleable. The Sirio P.F.156-3 is labeled as not resoleable.
Gear in this article
Ad · Images: Rakuten IchibaSources
- Sirio official: Choosing shoes for the purpose (explaining sole stance, level chart)
- Sirio official: Suggestions (how to choose shoes, widths)
- Kojitusanso GsMALL: Sirio P.F.156-3 (the sales page opened from Sirio's official "purchase" link)
- Merrell official online store: Moab 3 Synthetic Mid GORE-TEX (men's)
- Merrell official online store: Moab 3 Synthetic Mid GORE-TEX Wide [men's]
- Salomon official online store: X Ultra 5 Mid GORE-TEX
- Salomon official online store: X Ultra 5 Mid Wide GORE-TEX
- mont-bell official online store: Mountain Cruiser 400 Men's
- mont-bell official online store, product search: Mountain Cruiser 400 (weight and price of the wide)
- Caravan official: C1_02S feature page
- Caravan official online shop: C1_02S
- The North Face official store: Crestone Hike Mid Waterproof 2
- The North Face official store: Crestone Neo Mid GORE-TEX
- KEEN official online store: men's Targhee 4 Mid Waterproof
