Great news. These are also available in a men’s version.
Pros / Reasons to Buy
- Light weight
- Good build quality
Cons / Reasons to Avoid
- Ankle cuff not as supportive as some others
- Wider toes box may not suit those with very narrow feet
There’s a general rule of thumb with lightweight gear that it’s built to be light at the expense of other desirable factors – and with hiking footwear, that often means that you can’t expect it to be durable, supportive or to give good protection from the elements.
Somehow, though, Salomon’s X Ultra 4 boots manage to hit a very impressive weight point without compromising in other areas. Whilst they are not as tough as some of the other, heavier boots we’ve assessed, they are certainly not flimsy either and, coupled with their often-reasonable price point, these boots become a very attractive option.
Editor’s note: This article is part of our guide to the best hiking boots, be sure to check out the rest of this guide for our top buying tips:
Compare to Similar Products:
Danner Mountain 600 Leaf GTX | Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof | Salomon Quest 4 Gore Tex | Columbia Newton Ridge Plus Waterproof Amped | Zamberlan 996 Vioz GTX | Salomon X Ultra 4 Gore-Tex | Lowa Renegade GTX Mid | La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX | Hoka Kaha 2 GTX | Vasque Breeze Waterproof Hiking Boots | |
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Buying Options | ||||||||||
Our Ratings | Best Overall Women's | Most Comfortable | Best for Mountain Walking | Best Budget | Best Waterproof | Best for Summer/Hot Weather | Best Leather | Best for Day Hikes | ||
Pros | Extremely comfortable. Wears in quickly. Excellent fit for wider feet | Excellent comfort. Excellent durability | Sturdy and ready to take on anything. Good toe placement and great ankle positioning | Very comfortable, pretty much straight out the box. Great price point | Excellent build quality. Can be resoled | Low weight. Good build quality | Available in three widths and a variety of sizes. Extremely comfortable | Cutting edge materials, good breathability to waterproofing ratio | Extremely supportive and comfortable. Stylish. | Excellent durability. Rigid build |
Cons | Not great for narrower feet. Sizing for buyers outside the United States can be limited | Slightly confusing product range. The design looks dated. | Break in takes a little while. Rigid. | Isn't as breathable. Could do with a more robust sole | Expensive. The design may be too utilitarian for some | Ankle cuff not as supportive as some others. Wider toe box may not suit those with very narrow feet. New | Expensive. Isn't visually that striking | Expensive for what they are. We don't find them suitable for longer treks | Expensive. Leather feels cold after walking through significant water. | Dated design. Stiff upper may not be to everybody's taste. |
Traction | Excellent | Very good | Medium/deep thread pattern | Good - but not as good on technical terrain | Excellent | Excellent | Vibram outsole - excellent | Excellent | Excellent - uses Vibram Megagrip | Very good |
Breathability | Good | Very good | Gore-Tex upper and well insulated | OK | Low | Good | Good | Excellent | OK | Very good |
Ankle Support | Good | Very good | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
Arch support | Regular to good | Good | Average | OK | Average | Good | Average | Regular | Average | Average |
Fit | Fits a little large, size down a half size if in-between, available in a single width | Fits true to size. comes in standard and wide widths | Suits normal to wider feet | Standard fit, runs small - best to go up a half size | Standard fit - runs small | Fits true to size. Comes in standard and wide widths | Comes in standard, narrow and wide fit options and wide range of sizes | Runs narrow | Standard fit | Runs a little small. Available in standard and wide fit |
Materials | Grain leather upper, metal lacing hardware and synthetic/rubber soles | Synthetic and pig suede upper. | Leather and synthetic | Upper leather and suede and synthetic | Mostly leather with synthetic lining and rubber sole | Fully synthetic | Leather and synthetic | Leather and synthetic | Leather and synthetic | Nubuck leather and synthetics |
Appearance | Modern hiking boot | Slightly dated design | Modern | Modern hiking boot with traditional feel | Traditional hiking boot | Modern hiking boot | Modern hiking boot | Modern hiking boot | Modern hiking boot/trail hybrid | Slightly dated design |
Durability | Excellent | Very good | Excellent | Sole feels quite lightweight | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Average | Good | Excellent |
Water Resistance | Gore-Tex membrane | In-house waterproof, breathable membrane | Gore-Tex membrane | Waterproof (Omni-Tech) | Gore Tex lining and water resistant coating | Gore Tex membrane | Gore-Tex membrane | Gore-Tex Surround membrane | Gore-Tex lining | In-house waterproof, breathable membrane |
Weight (pair) | 900g/2lb per pair | 800g/1lb 12oz | 1070g/2lb 6oz | 791g/1.8lbs per pair | 1.28kg/2lb 13oz | 740g/1lb 10oz | 950g/2lb | 900g/2 lb. 1 oz | 1015g/2.5 lbs | 990g/2lb 2oz |
Insoles | Standard insole | Padded insole | Padded insole | Standard insole | Padded insole | Padded. shaped insole | Standard insole | Standard insole | Standard insole | Padded insole |
Break-in Period | Minimal | Minimal | Some break in needed | Very minimal | Some break-in required | Minimal | Minimal | Slightly longer than average | Minimal | Medium |
Lacing system | Regular laces with metal lacing hardwear for durability | Standard laces | Standard laces | Standard/regular laces | Standard/regular laces | Standard laces | Standard lacing system | Standard/regular laces | Standard - eyelet with grip lacing around the ankle | Standard laces |
Toe Protection | Rubberized toe rand | Rubber rand around toe and small toe cap | Rubberized toe rand | Rubberized toe rand | Substantially reinforced toe offers excellent protection | Rubber rand on toe and small toe cap. | Substantial rubber toe rand | Rubberized toe rand | Rubberized toe rand with reinforced stitching | Rubber rand around toe and small toe cap |
Analysis and Test Results
Salomon are a well-respected brand in the hiking world and their X Ultra 4 is the latest incarnation of one of their key product families. We’re assessing the mid-high boot version here, but these are also offered as shoes – the Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX Hiking – which we’ve reviewed too – and were very impressed with. These boots offer a fantastic combination of light weight, good foot support, excellent durability and water resistance.
Those looking for boots for more extreme weather conditions or for more technical terrain may well favor more rigid and heavier alternatives, but for general hiking (that could include some more challenging terrain), nature walking and even a bit of trail running in more temperate weather, these boots make for a very compelling choice.
Performance Comparison
Traction
The X Ultra 4 comes with Salomon’s in-house sole that features a medium-deep, aggressive thread pattern. As we’ve come to expect from Salomon’s footwear, this offers excellent grip on a range of different surfaces, with the slightly softer rubber the soles are made from helping out on wet, slick surfaces. Whilst the soles are grippy, there are always some conditions, like muddy grass, very smooth, wet rocks and, of course, ice, that can prove too much for even the best gripping soles.
Breathability
These boots feature large areas of finely-woven synthetic mesh in their upper section and this, whilst not specifically ventilated, does contribute towards these boots maintaining good breathability. If you are after the ultimate ventilation for hiking in very warm and dry conditions, then there are probably better, more specialized options out there, but for hiking through the hotter months of the year in more temperate locations, the ventilation these boots offer is more than adequate. Remember too that wearing socks made from a naturally moisture-wicking material like Merino wool can make a big difference to the comfort of your feet.
Ankle Support
We’ve assessed the mid-high version of the X Ultra 4 (it’s also available as a shoe). Whilst this is a mid-high boot, the ankle cuff is not as high or supportive as some of the other boots we have assessed.
However, the support offered by the ankle cuff is still absolutely there and it’s noticeably better than what you get from a hiking shoe. Adjusting the tension on the top two pairs of lace eyelets gives you some control over the ankle support.
Arch Support
The Salomon X Ultra 4 Gore-Tex comes with a shaped insole that offers gentle arch support – in this regard, they offer slightly more than some of their competitors, but the arch support is still fairly neutral – though most buyers will likely be totally fine with it as is. If you do need more arch support, then the supplied insoles can easily be swapped out for an after-market or custom-made alternative.
See the Salomon X Ultra 4 Gore-Tex in more detail:
Fit
The Salomon X Ultra 4 Gore-Tex absolutely falls into the category of modern, trainer-inspired hiking boots. As such, they are inherently comfortable and feel a world away from the chunky, rigid hiking boots of the past. Whilst they do fit like trainers, they are still slightly rigid – nowhere near as much as the Zamberlan Vioz 996 we’ve assessed elsewhere – but still, more rigid than some other trainer-style boots and enough so to make your feet feel well supported and protected by the boots.
They are offered in sizes ranging from US 5/UK 3.5/EU 36 to US 11/UK 9.5/EU 44 in both regular and wide fit versions. Sizing is generally true and it’s worth noting that even the regular width version has a generously wide forefoot.
Materials
In common with an increasing number of hiking boots, these are fully synthetic. The choice of synthetic materials is certainly a major factor in how Salomon are able to achieve the excellent combo of low weight and ruggedness these boots provide.
Appearance
These are thoroughly modern looking hiking boots and it’s clear that they take as many of their design cues from the world of trainers and sports shoes as they do from traditional hiking footwear. We think these are good looking boots – modern without being too in your face. Salomon makes good use of playing off contrasting material textures in their design. Salomon offers these boots in a number of colorways and uses more muted versions of what could easily be very vivid or garish combos to good effect.
Durability
Lightweight hiking gear is often criticized for lacking durability. In many cases, there’s a lot of truth to this, but looking at these X Ultra 4 boots, we think that Salomon have managed to strike a good balance between low weight and durability.
Whilst it’s true to say that these boots are not as absolutely tough and durable as some of the more traditionally styled leather hiking boots we’ve assessed elsewhere – like the Zamberlan Vioz 996 or Danner Mountian 600 Leaf GTX – their durability gives us no cause for concern. The synthetic materials used are tough and the general build quality is very high.
Sustainability
At the time of writing, Salomon do not publish any specific sustainability data on these boots. however, the company has a range of sustainability commitments including reducing waste and maintaining high standards of worker welfare.
Water Resistance
As the name suggests, the Salomon X Ultra 4 Gore-Tex features a Gore-Tex membrane – designed to keep water out whilst still allowing the boots to be breathable. They also feature gusseting on the tongue to help keep the boot waterproof up to just below the ankle cuff. The result of all this is that these boots offer great water resistance. They’ll keep your feet dry in heavy rain and will also keep the water out if you need to cross a shallow stream. Do remember, though, that water can still enter the boots via the ankle cuffs or soak in via your socks.
Weight
Weight is one area where these boots excel. Coming in at 740g/1lb 10z for a pair, these are certainly light boots and what’s even more impressive is that they achieve this weight without sacrificing durability or coming in at a very high price point. Low weight has often meant compromising in other areas, but these boots seem to get the balance right and as such, we can see them appealing to a wide range of hikers.
Insoles
These boots come with a pair of cushioned insoles – Salomon calls them ‘Ortholite’ insoles – that offer gentle arch support. We think that most buyers of these boots will be more than happy with these, but, if you want to add deeper cushioning to the boot, extra arch support or fine-tune the fit, then swapping out the insole is an easy and (usually) inexpensive way to achieve just this. After-market options are readily available and it’s also possible to have insoles custom-made to precisely fit your foot.
Break-in Period
These boots were comfortable straight from the box and, whilst we would argue that no footwear is completely without a break-in period, our reviewer felt that these boots were good to go on a long hike after just wearing them around their home for a couple of hours. They are certainly a world away from how breaking in hiking boots used to be – as we’re sure some of our readers will remember!
Lacing System
These Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid high boots use regular laces. It’s interesting to note that the shoe version of the X Ultra 4 uses a different ‘Speed Lace’ system – we wonder why this did not make it over to the boot? Whatever the reason for this, we’re not unhappy to have regular laces as they allow you to fine tune the fit of your boots by adjusting the tension at different pairs of eyelets. You can also experiment with different lacing patterns to further refine the fit of your boots.
Toe Protection
These boots feature a reinforced rubber rand around the toe and the sole also extends up to form a small toecap. Whilst this won’t give the same level of protection as heavier duty mountaineering boots, it’s still more than enough to soak up many of the bumps and knocks your feet will encounter if you kick into a rock or trip on a root.
Conclusion
Salomon have come up with a winning combo in the X Ultra 4 Gore-Tex. Those who do more intense technical hiking might rather choose an all-over more rigid boot, but for many hikers, this will tick all the right boxes as it offers a great mix of low weight, good foot and ankle support, durability and water resistance. They may not be suitable for the absolute coldest of weather, but for those in more temperate climates, they could be a great choice for year-round do it all boots and could well be the only pair of hiking boots you need.
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