Salomon X Ultra 4 Gore-Tex Review

Our review team tested these shoes in a range of conditions, from the Sierra Nevada to Death Valley's canyons to the mucky trails of the Pacific Northwest. The shoes are rich with innovative features. The stability gained from the ADV-C Chassis and the snug Active Support system makes this shoe very supportive. Its unique lacing system stows away, leaving a clean look and removing the potential to trip on laces.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

Thanks to several advancements in hiking shoe technology, this is an overall comfortable shoe. At the same time, we have found some nuances that have kept us from proclaiming it as the most comfortable shoe in our review. It is fairly easy to slide into these shoes as the gusset opens very wide. The Ortholite sockliner provides a seamless fit, and it is difficult to notice any of the stitching from the upper's many panels. One thing we noticed immediately was the fact that the tongue slides down very easily because the gusset isn't sewn in. This means slipping the shoe on without holding onto the tongue and heel tab is less convenient, and more rocks and dirt can sneak inside if you're not laced up snugly.

The Quicklace lacing system, long a standard feature found on Salomon shoes, snugly secures the foot in place. In general, the system works as advertised, quickly providing a customizable fit. We found it to stow away in the tongue without issue, or if we were in a hurry, we simply tucked the remaining cord behind other laces. If the plastic lock on the laces were to break, though, it would be more difficult to do a field repair. At times we found the lace lock to be difficult to release, and at other times it loosened on its own — both of which can be frustrating.

When the laces are snugged up, side panels are pulled into place around the foot, providing a secure fit from the midfoot down to the toe. A molded toe cap keeps you from inadvertently stubbing your toe on a rock or a tree root (though it won't keep you from tripping on it in the first place). The only issue we had regarding comfort was the ankle cuff's height. It is a little higher than a standard low-cut cuff, so we had some rubbing when wearing short socks, something we didn't experience while wearing other models.

Support

As mentioned above, adding some new and innovative technologies has allowed Salomon to continue providing top-level support even while shaving weight. The ADV-C Chassis is the platform upon which this shoe is built, and it is evident from the first steps in this shoe that there is much more support and structure than found in your average hiking shoe. Stiffer than the majority of its competition, this is a shoe that will provide the right kind of support for trips where you might be carrying a heavier backpack.

In addition to the stiffer shank, there is also a quality EnergyCell EVA foam midsole, providing additional support and foot comfort from the rigors of long days on the trail. A new addition to this model is the Active Support side wings, which are panels of material that wrap securely around the foot when the lacing system is engaged, making the interface between the foot and the footwear much less perceptible. This addition is one of the notable upgrades to the X Ultra 4, as it makes the shoe much more stable in environments requiring a high degree of edge control, such as when leaping through off-trail boulder fields.

Traction

The outsole comprises a Contagrip MA rubber compound, a Salomon proprietary blend. The MA format falls in the middle when it comes to stickiness and durability, making it a great choice for this all-around hiking shoe that will likely have to tackle a variety of terrain types but also last for longer than just a couple of hikes. The rubber is soft enough that we found confidence smearing on slabs of smooth volcanic tuff and durable enough that we could kick steps into looser surfaces.

The Chevron lug pattern gives great gripping power when charging uphill and slows you down as you are braking your way down steeper descents. The lugs are sharp and well-defined, are deep enough to dig into soft slopes, but are spread out enough that getting caked with mud and snow is less of a concern.

Other shoes with less pronounced lug patterns with more surface area contact proved to be better at pure rock climbing, but these still did surprisingly well in advanced-level scrambling.

Water Resistance

The Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX uses a Gore-Tex waterproof membrane to keep water from seeping through and getting your feet wet. The flood height of these shoes is 3.25 inches, which is average for a low-top shoe. We had no issues with the waterproof lining failing during our testing period, as long as we kept from trying to walk through streams that were too deep for the flood level protection.

The upper material is treated with an additional water-repellent coating, which will help shed water before it can soak in and impact the Gore-Tex's ability to allow sweat from inside the shoe to escape. We did find that this material stayed wet for longer than other models we tested, which was surprising based on the light material used on the upper.

Weight

We were astonished to put these on our scale and see that they only weigh 1.76 pounds for a pair of size 11 US. Nearly a quarter of a pound lighter than their above-average predecessor, this new and improved model is among the lightest hiking shoes on the market. Yet, they do not have nearly the same diminished support or stability that is so often in these lighter-weight shoes.

This weight will have noticeable impacts on your day-to-day fatigue, as you won't be picking up any extra weight on each footstep. How did Salomon achieve this crazy drop in weight with the X Ultra 4 GTX? The EnergyCell foam EVA midsole is a place to drop a lot of weight, and the shank used, an ADV-C chassis is much slimmer than other thicker TPU shanks that impart structure and stability to a hiking shoe.

Durability

The X Ultra 4x is really light thanks to lightweight materials. Makes sense, right? The issue with lightweight materials is that they don't fare as well in rugged use. That is the trade-off. The mesh, exposed padding, and very thin speed laces all experienced some wear and tear during our extended testing period. Most of the seams that connect the upper's materials are welded rather than sewn, which should help stave off premature wear.

Should You Buy the Salomon X Ultra 4 Gore-Tex?

Few other lightweight hiking shoes provide the same performance across varied terrain types that the X Ultra 4 does. Comfortable and user-friendly as a day hiking shoe, it is also supportive and dependable on longer trips where a range of conditions may be encountered. This is not the most expensive shoe in our review by a long shot, and it scores admirably in our lineup. This tells us that it is a good deal, and we think it provides value to the buyer. They will not last forever, and may require replacement sooner than heavier models, which you should factor into your decision.

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