10 Best Salomon Hiking Boots in 2021
If the best hiking boots are what you demand, we give you our tried-and-tested top picks from a brand that needs no introduction—Salomon.
The kicks that await you here are the crème de la crème under Salomon’s fantastic roster of 20+ magnificent boots. Whether you’re looking for a pair that can give you a burst of speed both on and off the trail, or you require something quite well-rounded, here is the corner for you.
Overview of this guide
How we come up with the best Salomon hiking boots
Here at RunRepeat, we do our best to deliver honest and professionally written reviews. Our means to that end are as follows:
- We buy Salomon hiking boots with our funds. This ensures our reviews come out as unbiased as possible.
- Every piece is put to the test, taking a closer look at each one’s level of comfort, setting-specific performance, and longevity, among other parameters.
- We reflect hundreds of expert and user opinions in our Salomon footgear reviews.
Having all that in the bag gives us the RunRepeat CoreScore, on which we base our top picks.
Best overall
2 colorways available 2 colorways available Here you go: The X Ultra 4 Mid GTX is the epitome of sheer magnificence in virtually every area imaginable!
The amount of traction we got out of its Contagrip outsole was simply off the charts. Nothing the trail threw our way made us lose our footing. The X Ultra 4 Mid GTX’s adhesive performance was particularly impressive on muddy terrain and mossy roots.
Stream-crossing was quite enjoyable in the X Ultra 4 Mid GTX. Granted, we made sure to keep to the shallowest part of the stream, avoiding the water to flood in our feet via the shoe’s mid-top shaft. But anyway, we took our time during the test (we even stood for minutes in about three inches of water), and we found not a single trace of moisture inside!
All that jaw-dropping greatness in the performance area is not without mesmerizing comfort to match. Indeed, the Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid GTX gave us pampered feet with its plush lining. Its impressive breathability and lightness (the boot is only 850 g a pair) also played a big role in keeping our tootsies comfy for hours!
So, what are you waiting for? Grab the X Ultra 4 Mid GTX and show the outdoors no mercy!
4 colorways available 4 colorways available Looking for something mighty to aid you on your daily excursions and pack adventures alike? Then set your longing sights on the Quest Prime GTX.
As cliché as this may sound, we want to assure you about the Quest Prime GTX’s tough-as-nails build. It’s a remarkably solid boot, a force of nature in the area of longevity. We tested the boot where rocks were pretty sharp and abrasive roots were everywhere, yet the Quest Prime GTX only received minor bruises.
This cowboy of a boot is also darn comfortable and straight from the box, at that. Its plush tongue, padded ankle cuff, and cushy footbed deserve extra credit here. They pampered our feet non-stop throughout the entire test-slash-trip.
Its waterproofing is quite commendable, too. Armed with a Gore-Tex membrane, the Quest Prime GTX fenced out all manners of moisture during our test hike.
We also want to emphasize its incredibly supportive arch zone. Because of it, we needn’t catch a break during the first half of our six-hour-long trek. Yup, getting tired feet is impossible in this bad boy!
We just wish its laces were a bit less unruly. Still, the Quest Prime GTX had us going on our backpacking ride like real pros!
Best for speed hiking
4 colorways available 4 colorways available Can you go faster than ever? In a Salomon boot? Yes, and yes, with the OUTline Mid GTX!
At 420 g men’s and 350 g women’s, the OUTline Mid GTX is a light-yet-supportive must-buy. This extraordinary attribute of the boot allowed us to bolt across obstacles with cunning speed.
That said, it wasn’t just lightness that converted us into real speedsters while in this shoe. No, we were gliding on trails thanks to its spot-on underfoot flexibility and moderately rockered forefoot zone.
But what is a speedy hike without slip resistance? Thankfully, we had tons of friction in the OUTline Mid GTX during our testing. Its Contagrip outsole proved to be our best ally over rocky tracks, muddy paths, and grassy hills.
We needed no break-in period with the Salomon OUTline Mid GTX. The moment we put our pairs on, we were greeted with amazing plushness all over. No one from our group got blisters throughout our adventures. Oh, but you have to experience its Achilles heel rest—it’s so soft and comfy!
On the waterproofing front, the OUTline Mid GTX didn’t disappoint, either. This Salomon hiker deflected moisture without fail. We give its gusseted tongue extra credit for allowing us to play around in some three-inch water without getting our feet drenched!
Yes, it’s THAT good. If speeding up is your thing, you got to try the OUTline Mid GTX ASAP!
3 colorways available 3 colorways available Don the Cross Hike Mid GTX and transform your trail experience from slugfest to speedfest!
Yes, this Salomon boot kept us going, and at speeds so much faster than before, at that. Its flexible Achilles heel, the beveled design of its rearfoot, and the boot’s rockered front end all worked together to give us great momentum on the trail.
The Cross Hike Mid GTX is among Salomon’s lightest bunch, not exceeding 800 g a pair (men’s). This extraordinary weightlessness contributed greatly to our agile performance.
Did we get tired legs or feet in the Cross Hike Mid GTX? Nope. Its midsole was cushy enough to pamper our tootsies for extended periods. That said, we have to hand it to the boot’s generous arch support. Without it, we would’ve taken breaks, but we didn’t.
We also want to commend the Cross Hike Mid GTX’s waterproofing. It simply worked brilliantly for us. Not a single drop or trace of moisture invaded its comfy interior in the entirety of our speedy adventures!
One thing that we wish the Cross Hike Mid GTX had was an extra pair of eyelets at the top. Still, this Salomon bad boy is a beast. You’ve got to try it to believe it!
Best premium boot
Got some dough to burn? Then splurge on the Quest 4D 3 GTX and be a total champ on the trail!
Grip-wise, you get what you pay for in the Quest 4D 3 GTX. Its proprietary outsole, Contagrip, empowered our every step with high amounts of stickiness. Muddy tracks, wet inclines, even icy surfaces—we conquered them all with the boot’s amazing surface traction!
Another thing that smote us about the Quest 4D 3 GTX was the way it handled extra-rocky terrain. We didn’t need to mind our balance at all. We were left singly focused on the path ahead, heavy pack in tow, and never once lost our footing.
And the Quest 4D 3 GTX’s level of comfort? Mighty generous! This is definitely one of the areas where you’ll be compelled to say, “Wow, this Salomon boot really gives a lot of bang for my buck!”
This premium hiker also lives up to its name (at least the GTX part). Yes, the Salomon Quest 4D 3 GTX didn’t give us a headache while crossing this not-so-raging stream. We got through it (several times) with nary a drop winding up on our fresh and pampered feet!
3 colorways available 3 colorways available If you have the cash to spend, make sure you include the Quest 4 GTX in your hike-centric shopping list!
In our books, backpacking has never felt this good until the Quest 4 GTX came along. Our extended trip with loaded packs in tow was memorably comfortable. We had to get the initial stiffness out of the picture, though, by completing a few short hikes prior.
Long mileage is yours in the Salomon Quest 4 GTX, too. We can say this with a straight-yet-happy face because the boot in question is just super-tough! After our lengthy adventures, we couldn’t find a single trace of wear on it. And the outsole? Not a scratch!
Speaking of the boot’s outsole, it worked to our expectations and then some. You see, in our strong opinion, this proprietary outsole rivals Vibram in that it gave us remarkable grip on both wet and dry surfaces, particularly slick rocks.
In terms of waterproofing, the Quest 4 GTX is stellar. That said, we did experience minor hotspots here and there during the trek.
So, where there are thousands of miles to cover spanning several days, the Quest 4 GTX has you covered!
Best winter boot
We dare say this: The X Ultra Mid Winter CS WP is unbeatable in the realm of cold-season hiking!
Armed with Thinsulate at 200 grams, this Salomon hiker is a real charmer in the snow. Our feet stayed toasty in our trip’s entirety—a trip that lasted for at least 3 hours at no colder than 5°F.
The X Ultra Mid Winter CS WP is comfy by default, whether or not coldness is in full swing. While there’s no question as to the plushness of its padded confines, it was the soft-but-supportive footbed that stole the show for us!
As for traction, there’s a lot of great things to say about the Salomon X Ultra Mid Winter CS WP. That said, we want to highlight its performance on icy terrain and packed snow. None of us slipped in the boot, and so we avoided shame and embarrassment completely!
After our rigorous tests were over, negotiating frigid trails and whatnot, we discovered not a single scratch on the X Ultra Mid Winter CS WP. Its Contagrip outsole also didn’t sustain any major dents.
So, if you want to last and thrive in the cold in something that lasts, don’t hesitate to get the X Ultra Mid Winter CS WP ASAP!
2 colorways available 2 colorways available Yet another Salomon doozy in the winter is the OUTblast TS CSWP!
Let’s talk insulation first. The OUTblast TS CSWP is cozy. Warmth greeted us without question the moment we slipped into our pairs. Its coziness can be likened to room temperature, which serves as a portable campfire to your tootsies.
At the onset, the OUTblast TS CSWP was pure comfort. Its insulated interior has a furry lining, which spoiled our feet to the nines, especially our ankles.
The same outsole tech seen in our top pick is what makes the OUTblast TS CSWP a real treat on ice. While its lugs aren’t that deep, and it practically has no heel brake, we got incredible slip resistance on it on frigid trails. Snowed-up inclines were no match to the boot’s grippy outsole, as well.
And before we forget, the OUTblast TS CSWP (at no more than 800 g a pair) is among Salomon’s lightest bunch.
If ever the OUTblast TS CSWP gets a next-gen upgrade, though, we want its breathability improved. Still, if you don’t want the biting cold to get in your way, and the X Ultra Mid Winter CS WP is nowhere to be found, this is THE alternative to get!
Best budget boot
Out of all the 20-something Salomon hiking boots we’ve tested, we got a clear winner when it comes to budget-friendliness and performance—the X Ultra 3 Mid Aero!
With its 130-dollar MSRP, the X Ultra 3 Mid Aero is a godsend. You wouldn’t know how affordable it is just by looking at it, really. We know because it fooled us, too. That said, we’ve no complaints!
From the off, the X Ultra 3 Mid Aero felt quite cozy. We usually break in boots of this type for hours across several days, but this one is an exception. Props to its dreamy collar—its comfy padding enchanted us and didn’t give us that rubbing feeling at all.
Speaking of its amazing collar, the X Ultra 3 Mid Aero gave us the ankle support we needed. There’s enough flex to it, too, so we weren’t deprived of lower-leg mobility, either.
And at last, we brag about the X Ultra 3 Mid Aero’s oh-so-sticky Contagrip outsole. Its aggressive lugs granted us safe passage across slippery soil (think mud), and slipping on wet inclines didn’t occur.
Yes, we consider the X Ultra 3 Mid Aero the ace up our sleeve as far as limited budget is concerned. Grab it now!
2 colorways available 2 colorways available If you thought the fun was over in Salomon’s corner affordability-wise, think again. The OUTsnap CSWP is also the life of the budget-friendly party!
Having the same 130-dollar price tag as our top pick, the Salomon OUTsnap CSWP has what it takes to impress. For example, wet terrain is its forte. If you’ve never been surefooted before on mud, dewy grass, and soft soil, you will be in this grippy bad boy.
Equally stunning is the boot’s incredible lightness. For a winter hiking boot, the OUTsnap CSWP’s is featherlike at only 360 g per shoe. We were energized to pull off more aggressive strides because of it!
But is the OUTsnap CSWP a comfort machine? Yes, but to give you a clearer picture, we’d dare say it’s far more comfortable than most sneakers on the market.
And have we mentioned its unyielding durability yet? We put the OUTsnap CSWP to the test on different types of terrain (also on concrete), yet its outsole remained relatively unscathed.
The Salomon OUTsnap CSWP’s insulation could be better, though. Still, for its price and well-rounded performance, this offering is a fine second pick, indeed!
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