In this Article I will take a deep dive into the best Salomon hiking shoes.
Salomon has been known and praised by a lot of hikers and trail runners. The footwear is generally lighter than the alternative, the traditional hiking boot. Salomon is currently one of my favourite hiking brands and with good reason. They provide high quality shoes that are loved by so many of us – and for a fair price.
Salomon X Ultra 3
The Salomon X Ultra 3 is one of the best hiking shoes of all time. It has made it on many “best shoes lists”. These Salomon shoes have some really good features for hiking. Coming in at 365g the shoe is definitely one of the best lightweight hiking shoes currently on the market.
These shoes come in different forms, the GTX version is waterproof and there is also a mid version. On slippery terrain/rainy hiking trips I would highly recommend to bring the GTX version. However, I realize this comes down to personal preference, some people prefer a more breathable/less warm shoe for hiking. This shoe won’t only stop the rain from entering your shoe and making it soggy, it will also give it that extra grip that it needs to keep you standing out there. More information about GTX versions can be found later in this article.
One of the few things people dislike about these shoes is that they tend to be pretty warm. This is a great feature for cold weather hikes, but not so much for a hot summer day. Especially when you decide to go with the GTX version of these shoes.
Also, another very amazing feature that these shoes have is that they have a Descent control technology. This will allow you guys to go down properly and easily.
One more thing that you have to realize is that they have been around for over 70 years, so you know they are trustworthy. Also, when you look for reviews online you will see so many positive reviews/opinions.
The cheapest price can usually be found on amazon. I went ahead and collected all the links for men and women in GTX and non-GTX versions.
Men: Salomon X Ultra 3
Women: Salomon X Ultra 3
Women: Salomon X Ultra 3 GTX
Salomon OUTline
These shoes have a very good feature from the jump. They have rubber soles, which makes it very comfortable to walk and run with. Comfort I think all of you hikers know, is very important when hiking, especially in bumpy terrains. If you are not comfy, you will get something bumpy growing from your feet. However, on longer hiking trips where you have to cover a lot of difficult terrain, they tend to be less comfortable/suited for the job than the Salomon X Ultra 3.
Another key thing about these shoes are that they are very lightweight. 300g to be exact. That is extremely good if you are running and going uphill areas. Because it will add to the comfort factor plus it will give you a bit of a boost compared with other shoes. Just because they are comfortable and lightweight doesn’t mean they are weak. They have a protective toe cap and a breathable mesh, perfectly made for mountain adventures and hiking. It also has deep lugs on the outer soles for extra grip on the surface.
One of the flaws of these shoes is that they are less durable than the X Ultra 3 – especially the protective toe cap has received some complaint. Which makes them less suitable for longer and more difficult hiking trips and more suited for day hikes.
In conclusion: the Salomon OUTline is one of the lightest and cheapest options on the list, great for day hikes and maybe multiday hikes on well-established trails. However, the X Ultra 3 is a lot better as an overall allround hiking shoe.
These shoes are also available in a GTX version.
Men: Salomon OUTline
Men: Salomon OUTline GTX
Women: Salomon OUTline
Women: Salomon OUTline GTX
Salomon Xa Pro 3D
Just like the Salomon shoes, I showed you guys before, it has a rubber sole, which means already it is super comfortable on feet. However, unlike the last one, it has many other unique and cool features.
One of the unique features of these shoes is an aggressive grip. This is very important if you are planning to hike in the near future. It has the power to grip any surface no matter the weather. It does not care if the rock is wet, it will still grip on it.
Also, it has very good stability, which means you will have a minimal chance of slipping over things. I think you know why this is important. You don’t want obe slipping everywhere while getting to the top of the mountain.
These shoes, while keeping the same design of the brand, looks unique compared to its siblings. In my opinion, it looks way too good to be a hiking shoe. I think other people agree with that too.
The XA Pro 3D is definitely one of the best Salomon hiking shoes, it’s pretty similar to the Salomon X Ultra 3. So which one do you choose? Well, the XA Pro 3D is more suited for road walks and well-established trails. While the Salomon X Ultra 3 is more allround and a better match for rocky/muddy trails in poor conditions.
As usual, I collected all the relevant links for you guys:
Men: Salomon Xa Pro 3D
Women: Salomon Xa Pro 3D
Women: Salomon Xa Pro 3D GTX
Salomon Men’s Evasion 2
These shoes are basically classic Salomon shoes, they have a more classic look than other options on this list. I think a beginner who just started doing hiking might want to wear these -but they can also be a good . fit for experienced hikers-, also it can be for people who might just like the designs.
They are not as unique as the last one we showed you, however, they do their job. They have rubber soles which are a very good thing in shoes nowadays especially during hiking. Also, they have a neat thing you can do with it and that is removing the insole. In my opinion, that makes way for very good customization and I think it is really cool that they did this.
It’s a pretty good overall hiking shoe. One of the only complaints is that the grip is not as good as most other Salomon hiking shoes. Especially in very wet conditions, these shoes will not come out on top. That being said, overall, it’s still a very good hiking shoe, praised by most who have tried them.
If you want to check out the latest price, you can take a look at amazon:
Women: Salomon Women’s Ellipse 2
Salomon Men’s SpeedCross 4 Trail
Another absolute classic is the Salomon Men’s Speedcross 4 Trail. These shoes are absolutely great, they have are primarily loved by so many trail runners, but they have also become more and more popular among hikers, and for good reasons.
These shoes are the creation of the Salomon Xa Pro 3D and Salomon OUTline mixed together. They have the comfort of the rubber soles which makes it very usable every day.
They have monster grips that can grip to any surfaces no matter the conditions. They are lightweight so it’s easy to walk around with. It also has precise foot hold which will help you keep your feet in place in bumpy terrains. It also has 11 unique colourways for everyone.
They are loved by many people who love hiking. The durability is the best on these shoes according to this customer who used these shoes for over a year now, “Hands down the most durable shoes I have ever worn”-Scott A.Steiner. I agree with this man and I can believe by looking at all those amazing features, why would he say that.
As usual, lowest price can usually be found on amazon:
Men: Salomon Men’s SpeedCross 4 Trail
Men: Salomon Men’s SpeedCross 4 Trail GTX
Women: Salomon Men’s SpeedCross 4 Trail
Women: Salomon Men’s SpeedCross 4 Trail GTX
Should you get the GTX version?
I have been talking a lot about GTX versions in this article. For those of you who don’t know, GTX stands for gore-tex, which is basically a waterproof fabric. Generally this means three things for you:
- Your shoes are waterproof: However, if it rains really bad, water will almost always find a way to enter your shoes. Especially when carrying low-top shoes…
- Your shoes are less breathable: One of the most obvious trade-offs in footwear is breathability vs waterproofing. Gore-tex tends to make your shoes less breathable and warmer, so your feet will be likely to sweat during the day, especially on warm days.
- Your shoes are usually more expensive: not always the case, but most of the time the GTX version is more expensive.
So which one should you get? Well, it’s personal preference and it also depends on what type of hikes you do. My personal preference is to get the GTX version since I really don’t like wet feet. It’s as simple as that.
A lot of hikers prefer non-GTX because it’s more breathable and non-breathable shoes will make their feet wet because of sweat anyway…
Conclusion
So, I covered a lot of shoes in this article. Maybe you don’t really know which one is best for you? When in doubt, I would recommend the Salomon Ultra X 3 because it’s a good hiking shoe in almost any circumstance. Truly one of the best -maybe even the best- Salomon hiking shoes ever made!
This does not mean that it’s the right fit for every hiker in any situation of course. Otherwise this article wouldn’t be very useful of course, but the Ultra X 3 is the most obvious go-to hiking shoes when you don’t have specific needs/you want to be prepared for “everything”.
This was my list about the best Salomon hiking shoes! I know there are plenty other great Salomon hiking shoes that I did not cover in this article. I’m always appreciating other people’s opinions so if you have used any of these shoes, please let me know! Or if you have experience with other Salomon hiking shoes I would love to hear your opinion as well!
Credit for cover photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salomon_Running_Club_Ukraine.jpg