Altra vs Columbia:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Columbia had more branded searches than Altra among hiking boot brands in Australia. Columbia had about 1,000 branded searches, while Altra had 590. Columbia made up 5.8% of all hiking boot brand searches we track, and Altra accounted for 3.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about hiking boot brands, Columbia appeared in one of the four answers and Altra in none.
Follow Altra vs Columbia and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top hiking boot brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Columbia was mentioned in one out of four: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Altra did not appear in any of the four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Merrell4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Salomon3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
SCARPA2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
KEEN2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
LOWA2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
La Sportiva2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
HOKA1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Columbia1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Kathmandu1 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Altra0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about hiking boot brands
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which hiking boots should I buy in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best hiking boot brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best waterproof hiking boots?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“hiking boots”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“walking boots”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 26, 2026.
Is Altra or Columbia more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Altra and Columbia by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 hiking boot brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Columbia, Altra. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Merrell | SCARPA | Salomon | KEEN | HOKA | LOWA | Columbia | Kathmandu | Altra | La Sportiva | Oboz | Meindl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 25.8% | 15.3% | 11.2% | 8.9% | 8.4% | 7.1% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 2.7% | 3.2% | 3.3% | 1.8% |
| Nov 2025 | 25.3% | 15% | 11.5% | 8.9% | 9.7% | 6.3% | 5.3% | 7.8% | 2.4% | 2.6% | 3.6% | 1.6% |
| Dec 2025 | 25.1% | 15.4% | 11.8% | 10.1% | 8.9% | 6.6% | 5.3% | 6.5% | 2.9% | 2.6% | 3.6% | 1.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 26.6% | 15.1% | 12% | 9.3% | 8.6% | 6.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 3% | 2.9% | 3% | 1.6% |
| Feb 2026 | 23.7% | 15.4% | 11.9% | 9.4% | 8.2% | 7.6% | 5.3% | 6.5% | 3.6% | 3.2% | 3.6% | 1.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 31.9% | 13.1% | 13.2% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 6.4% | 4.8% | 5.5% | 2.6% | 2% | 4% | 1.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 33.7% | 13.6% | 9.8% | 8.2% | 6.6% | 6.3% | 6.7% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 2.7% | 3.1% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 37.4% | 13% | 10% | 7.9% | 6.2% | 6.3% | 5.4% | 4.2% | 3.7% | 2.3% | 2.5% | 1.3% |
| Jun 2026 | 26.4% | 13.7% | 12.8% | 10.2% | 7% | 6.9% | 7% | 5.7% | 3.2% | 2.5% | 3.2% | 1.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 27.1% | 15.6% | 12.5% | 8.7% | 7.3% | 6.5% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 3.1% | 2.4% | 3.1% | 1.4% |
| Aug 2026 | 27.2% | 16.3% | 12.5% | 8.7% | 6% | 7% | 8.2% | 4.3% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 2.5% | 1.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 28.6% | 14.6% | 11.1% | 9.3% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 5.8% | 5.1% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 2.8% | 1.5% |
How has the Altra and Columbia comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Columbia was ahead of Altra in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Altra’s share of searches among hiking boot brands in Australia moved from 2.7% to 3.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 390 to 590.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Columbia’s share of searches among hiking boot brands in Australia moved from 6.1% to 5.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 880 to 1K.
How did search popularity change for Australia hiking boot brands in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, HOKA overtook Columbia and LOWA to rank 5th among hiking boot brands in Australia, with 7.4% of the searches.
In September 2026, Columbia lost share of searches among hiking boot brands in Australia, from 8.2% to 5.8%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Altra in Australia rose 51.3% over 12 measured months, from 390 to 590 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Altra’s and Columbia’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among hiking boot brands
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.