In one embodiment, a network device determines, for each particular path of a plurality of paths in a computer network, a hop metric distribution that indicates, for each interval of the hop metric distribution, a number of hops along the particular path that have a hop metric value within a corresponding interval. As such, the device may then select a path from the plurality of paths that minimizes the number of hops with correspondingly poor hop metric values along the selected path based on the hop metric distribution, and may forward traffic on the selected path, accordingly.