Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Hiking Shoe/Trail Runner

Tell me about Salomons....any good?

I wont spend a fortune, so have stuck with Merrell and Columbia. Currently have Merrell Moab, Moab2, Moab Vent...... gotta say not a fan of Merrell. Wide toe box just a bit too wide, outsole not near as grippy as Columbias(have probably 5 different pairs) and the Merrells feel like they just dont provide enough side support....im talking all lows here, no mids...but I find the Columbias much more "stiff" and supportive.

Columbias are, well, cheap. They dont last. Like I said, love the design of the outsoles, but they fall apart.

I need something with an outsole as aggressive as the one on the left, Goretex, good arch.....I hear Salomons are good, opinions?

BTW, these are all rarely worn. These particular ones, though I love the outsole on the left, hurt my feet on first hike so they sit.

Those Columbia Beartooth’s on the left are some of the best hiking shoes that I’ve ever had. I loved everything about em’, especially the soles. They were very comfortable to me, whether I was on rock (and those soles were grippy on rock) or whether I was doing rim to river to rim in Grand Canyon. Loved em’. I wish they still made em’. My Moab Vent’s are a piece of crap...for what I do, they’re not a good performer at all. The soles are soft and they’re not tacky at all...plus they hurt my feet, especially on long treks.

I got the salamon ultra and are good. I can go on a 16 mile hike and my feet feel pretty good afterwards. Salamon seem to make there shoes a shade bigger than most. There not bad for trail running arches dont hurt like in other shoes.

Only downside with goretex in any shoe is your feet feel clammy after awhile, you can change your socks to help.

Those on the left are actually Granite Ridge. Great outsole, pos overall though. The Beartooths actually have an outsole almost like the middle shoe.

I dont wear goretex once the temps hit mid 60s or so, they do "trap" moisture and ill end up with blisters. So I usually hve multiple pair for different seasons goretex/no goretex.

I had a pair of Salomon trail shoes. I wore them as everyday work shoes, but never hiked in them. They are made well and lasted me about 8 months before the soles were worn out. I would purchase again if the need arose.

Heres a pair on Moosejaw I was looking at...

https://www.moosejaw.com/product/salomon-men-s-x-ultra-3-gtx-shoe_10366965

Heard good things about the Salomon's other than they are Chinese mfg I believe.

Other than out of the box comfort, the Merrills did not hold up well for me and were squishy on the trail.

I’ve got two pair of Beartooth’s presently. One has the all leather upper, and the other has combination suede and cloth upper...both pair have soles exactly like the shoe on the left in the picture.

Barefoot?

Or moccasins work for me



All humor aside, I'm following this thread for interest in what might work for days I can't get by with my two favorite options.

Hmm, thats odd. Maybe not so...its Columbia. They seem to throw stuff together quick and change styles every month. Ive never seen the Beartooths in that config.

I do have a pair of Salomon hikers and a pair of Salomon trailer runners. They’re OK, but neither suited me like the Beartooth’s. The Moab Vent’s have been a disappointment.

That’s the shoe I had.

Salomon is what I see most of the AT thru hikers wearing. 4-5 pairs from Georgia to Maine IIRC.

Run the same shoe you run everywhere else.

I think Solomon are headquartered in France, they should know a thing or two about running shoes.

They call them “retreat shoes”.

No. Im not fond of injury or buying standard running shoes every 3 months.

OK

I have right-foot soreness at times.

I walk/hike in my Zamberlan boots about 35 miles per week, and my feet feel fine.

I have these Salomon hiking shoes:
https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/x-ultra-3-gtxr.html#color=10098

I can’t walk long distances in them without my right foot feeling like it’s broken. It’s probably because of the thinness of the sole. I even put a good extra insole in them, but that doesn’t help for some reason.

As an aside, a couple of hears ago, I started mostly going on long, 5-mile, hikes/walks everyday for lower-body exercise. Up until then, I loved the Salomon hiking boots, but they all start squeaking once I put over 60-90 miles on them or so. And that drives me crazy. So, I’ve already bought my last Salomon.