Salomon Eskape Aero

High quality, entry-level hiking shoe.

To first start off, this shoe is super comfy. Nice materials and are used for the tongue and upper, while still remaining tough and rugged. SENSIFIT foot wrapping is snug and comfy and their wasn't any movement in the shoe. The shoe is lowcut and that can usually cause problems around my ankles but there were none!

Lace up is quite easy and tight. All the eyelets on this shoe are metal. Laces were a little short IMO, but the tension was perfect.

Water resistance is subpar. What do you expect? If you want waterproof, buy the GTX version or coat it in Nikwax.

Contragrip is grippy. Performs just as well as Vibram and I also like the chevron tread pattern. It extends out the the center of the toe to reinforce the toe box. It handles wet surfaces well except for some rocks.

Ventilation is good. My feet felt pretty cool and they didn't feel very congested despite the tight feel.

Construction quality seems high like always from Salomon. 

Other shoes you might consider: Merrell Moab Ventilator , TNF Hedgehog III, Patagonia Drifter.

EDIT 10/26/13:

Still a great shoe. I've been a lot of hiking in the shoes and they're still performing well. I've also been doing some rock scrambling in these shoes and they've been able to grip onto rocks at steep inclines. 

The shoe is still holding up and has shown no signs of wear. The only visible wear is see is that the lacing hardware is scratched up.