Helly Hansen Women’s Cantabria Shoes

1st March 2026

Cantabria Women’s Shoes from Helly Hansen were conceived for short hiking adventures or everyday wear, writes Mike Gormley.

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Jean took a pair of these on our lengthy expedition down south, where weight was a real consideration and also footwear would have to deal with the many and varied situations and conditions we were to encounter.

A morning walk on the beach on New Zealand’s North Island after a stormy night and with a long drive ahead ~ these shoes worked well for both [©MG]

The Cantabria Shoes proved to be a really good choice. They look good and proved to be very comfortable for long and varied days of travel and walking out to see the sights as well as being able to keep the wet off if the paths were wet. Grip is good, which again is essential for this type of use.

Bright and fresh colours set these shoes off well ~ here you can see the open but effective tread pattern [©MG]

The tread design is open to reduce clogging if mucky and to provide grip ~ the heel tread is also open treads and designed to assist braking on slopes [©MG]

The tread on the sole extends around the toes for added grip and protection [©MG]

These shoes are packed full of Helly Hansen features and they use a lot of recycled materials in their construction, which I consider is always a good thing. The materials allow for very good breathability, which for the type of use Jean gave them proved very welcome as conditions were often warm to hot but with a tendency to be wet as well.

On a beach and track stroll out to see the famous Split Apple Rock on the coast of New Zealand’s South Island [©MG]

These are Rain Blue and there are two other colours to choose from, Purple Clay or Black, in half sizes from UK3.5 to UK8. These are a great choice for the more adventurous traveller.