OK, SO YOU'RE NOT trudging up some distant 6,000-meter peak with a 55-pound pack. Instead, you're zipping up a well-marked trail in the Adirondacks. Why burden yourself with heavy rock-crushing lug soles and full-grain leather uppers for a day hike in August? Our selection of lightweight hikers are built to handle rough trails and daypack loads up to 20 pounds or so. (Indeed, with board-lasted construction, firm midsoles, and nylon shanks for rigidity, they're just
like hiking boots, only lighter and more comfortable.) But with grippy outsoles and reinforced uppers, they're also made to take a beating. With that in mind, we took nine of the best out for some serious punishment. Here's how they stacked up.