Get your feet measured properly and avoid these boots if your feet are narrow. Fit:Įveryone's feet are different, but although I have found the boots comfortable and my toes seem to be in the right place, the right boot has still cracked where the top of the toes bend. I've found however that the laces tend to undo themselves quite regularly, so best to experiment with different knots. This is very useful as the lower lace which goes through the eyelets can be tightened independently of the upper hooks, meaning you don't risk losing all your hard work if you let go after the lace is put through the locking clasps. Half way up the lace where the foot becomes the ankle there is a pair of locking clasps which are excellent, holding the laces in place as they are pulled up and crossed via the ankle hooks. I get out every week though so perhaps this is to be expected. I would not say I have problems every time I use them but am starting to notice a drop in performance. Similar to their waterproofness, it started out as excellent, and I even took them on scrambles, but the tread is not very deep and the grip now has issues on grass. I'm going to try and glue the seam back together and see what happens, or return them. After some recent walks in wet conditions my left foot has stayed dry but my right foot is wet. I have since heard that they are best suited to wide-footed people and that the sides are known to crack if your feet are too narrow, or just normal. Unfortunately this is now in the past as a crack has developed in one of the seams on the right boot. I waded through streams and got wet in the rain but my feet stayed dry. There is no doubt they started out as waterproof. I have never experienced rubbing or sore spots. Despite offering great ankle support, as all boots should, they are flexible and feel as though you could almost run in them. Superb on both counts, the boots are both light-weight and very comfortable. As with any piece of kit there are good and bad points, but instead of giving a list of pros and cons, I wanted to consider each aspect in turn. They've gone pretty far over the last few months, from summer days in the Cairngorms to last weekend on a wet and muddy Dartmoor, and including 14 days continuously in Snowdonia. I was able to use them in some off-trail situations and they really are confidence-inspiring.After nearly always using Meindl leather boots, I thought I'd try something different so a few months ago bought the Salomon Quests, which are mostly fabric. The Salomon Quest 4 GTX is slightly heavier (23oz/655g) compared to other high-cut hiking boots with an average weight of 23.5oz/666g. I never found that the heel-to-toe drop was uncomfortable and it really offers less foot fatigue over high mileage days.ĭue to the nature of their construction, mine only took a few days to break in and offer extended comfort over rough and rocky trails. They offer a 12mm heel-to-toe drop which may be a bit much for some people. The boots offer a traditional hiking boot feel inside. Considering the Ortholite insole, ample ankle padding, and excellent lacing, they really lend themselves to immediate comfort, despite being somewhat stiff out of the box. The boots are the most comfortable backpacking boots I’ve used. Salomon boots have great comfort and the Quest 4 GTX holds true to that idea. The “wings” along the sides of the boot help to hold your foot in place and really hug your foot. It has plenty of room in the toebox to help with swelling. This boot offers a standard fit that runs true to size. I didn’t experience any slipping or sliding on wet roots or rocks. Salomon uses their own house-made grip called Contagrip and while it isn’t Vibram MegaGrip, it works quite well in wet and dry conditions. The grip of the Salomon Quest 4 GTX won’t fail you Even the outsole also appears to wear well and I haven’t noticed any early signs of sole wear. These are some of the most durable boots that I’ve used and they show no signs of premature wear in any area. These boots are made for rocky terrain and/or carrying a heavier pack, so they may be too much support and protection on easy trails.
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