British walkers have a longstanding love affair with Salomon’s range of lightweight walking boots, but rather like identikit modern cars, it’s sometimes hard to tell them apart.
What makes the X Ultra Trek GTX a little different is that it uses waterproof Nubuck leather for the uppers – there’s also a ubiquitousGore-Tex waterproof liner – along with one of the highest ankle cuffs in the Salomon range.
And despite that, it still weighs in at a relatively feathery 1170g for a pair of size 43s (UK9). The boot also gets a good helping of Salomon’s signature technologies, like the Advanced Chassis developed originally for the brand’s excellent trail-running range, own-brand Contagrip outsole and a cushioned, injected EVA midsole.
It also features reassuring reinforcement at the toe and heel end of things and a lightweight ‘Mud Guard’ strip that’s effectively a protective rand. All stuff it shares with one of our all-time favourite lightweight hiking shoes, the X Ultra, which meant we were looking forward to using it.
First thing we noticed was that the fit feels a little closer and snugger than the classic Quest and the new leather Quest Origins, particularly in the forefoot, which means it might suit those with a narrower foot. And that ankle cuff really is quite high, albeit really well padded and reasonably flexible.
Snug everything up and has a surprisingly secure and supportive feel from the upper. We actually preferred it with the top lace hook left undone and you can also use the locking instep hook to snug up the forefoot for precise fit, while leaving the ankle section a little looser.
Underfoot the familiar Contragrip sole variant as used on the original X Ultra gives good all-round purchase and the boot feels noticeably more flexible than the Quest with its higher spec 4D chassis. That’s a two-edged sword, on the one hand it’s very comfortable underfoot, on the other, you can feel rocks and rubble through the sole, which could be tiring over the course of a long day.
It’s very much down to personal preference though and there’s plenty of lateral stiffness and good stability.
One point to bear in mind is that although the boot is ‘leather’ and has protective toe and heel caps along with a sort of rand, we wouldn’t expect it to be as durable as a classic leather walking boot. It’s very much a lightweight, though it’s good to see Salomon has taken reasonable precautions.
Although we’re fans of Salomon’s hiking range in general, the X Ultra Trek GTX isn’t one of our favourites from the brand despite its interesting mix of lightweight leather construction, high, supportive ankles and a slightly slimmer fit than other Salomon’s we’ve used.
The underfoot flexibility and high ankles seem like a slight mismatch and on balance we’d be tempted to spring the extra £20 for the leather Quest Origins GTX which gives just a little more underfoot support along with a slightly higher volume fit.
Alternatively, the fabric X Ultra Mid seems like a more harmonious blend of upper and chassis. That said, it’s all down to personal preference and the unusual mix of qualities could be just what you’re looking for.
Light weight, leather construction, decent grip, snug fit. high ankles, easy flexible walking, stable and supportive for a lightweight boot.
High ankles and underfoot flex possibly a bit of a mismatch, durability question marks.
Performance: 4.0
Reliability: 4.0
Value: 4.0
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