Salomon X Ultra 4

This is a review of the non-Gore-Tex version of the X Ultra 4 low men's shoe. I’ve worn the Gore-Tex version and will review those too. They’re similar shoes—firm fit, supportive for a lighter, low shoe, great soles. These breathe better and have somewhat more forgiving fabric panels, fit-wise. A great shoe for day hikes and for longer hikes where you’re going light.

INTRODUCTION

I have worn at least three pair of Salomon X Ultra 3 GTX and X Ultra 4 GTX shoes; these are my first pair that aren’t Gore-Tex. The men’s version weighs (average) about 1 pound, 10 oz. per pair. Men’s sizes run 7-14, womens 5-11 in both GTX and non-GTX versions; the mens GTX low also has wide sizing. 

Macro takeaways are that this offers a more firm, supportive fit than many low hiking shoes, and they are a nice all-around shoe for hiking with some scrambling thrown in. I tend to like a shoe with more ankle support on really rocky trails, or when I carry more weight, but someone with ultralight leanings could use these for a long hike. 

HOW THEY FIT AND FEEL

They run roughly true to size, and the fit is solid, meaning that when you lace them up, they feel very secure. The width is about average; I have D/E width feet and wear the regular, not the wide, in the GTX version. Lacing is via speed laces, with a little grabber on top that keeps them tight. A nice feature is that the top of the tongue has a stretchy piece that’s open at the lower end, so you can stash the speed lace thing in there. The stock insole is basically a thin foam pancake: I remove them and wear full-length custom orthotics. They have enough volume inside to accommodate a basic aftermarket midsole. 

My take on speed laces is that some people really don’t like them, others like them, and some don’t care much. I hadn’t worn a shoe with speed laces in years before I started wearing Salomon shoes 4-5 years ago. I wasn’t looking for speed laces, but I don’t mind them. On the plus, they don’t loosen up during hikes. 

The midsole is on the firm side, and there may be a hard polyurethane partial shank embedded in there, which may account for why they feel more firm than many other low hikers. Usually, somewhere around the 1-2 year mark depending on wear, the mid soles start to feel harder, more mashed under my feet, so I start thinking about replacing them. 

The non-GTX version’s fabric panels have more give and flexibility, so they have a slightly more forgiving fit than the GTX version. 

CUSHIONING AND BREATHABILITY

I chose this shoe, despite also wearing a pair of the X Ultra 4 with Gore Tex, because I wanted better ventilation. These provide that, a significant upgrade over the GTX version for hot/humid conditions—which describes my summers in the DC Metro area. That said, they’re not waterproof or water-resistant without GTX.

The soles are a positive. The lugs are decent-sized and reasonably aggressive, but they are also distributed so they shed mud easily yet provide good grip. The rubber is a Salomon proprietary compound that is pretty good for scrambling. They’re not as grippy as an approach shoe. Soles last a reasonable amount of time, but if you put on a lot of mileage, expect to wear parts of the heel and the lugs under the balls of your feet down in roughly 12--24 months. 

HOW I HAVE WORN THEM

I wear the X Ultra 4 a lot in the summer and year-round for day hikes when it’s not raining, or when I don’t anticipate wet trails. I’ve worn them on a few longer hikes when I carried relatively light gear. These shoes also see a fair amount of pavement walking our dog. Though I tend to like shoes with more ankle for hard hikes, I wore them on a day hike up and down Mt. Washington last week. My feet felt good, traction was excellent, and I didn't really miss the lack of ankle support from my higher boots.

DURABILITY AND TAKEAWAYS

No failures and typical wear for a low hiker. If there has been a fail point for the X Ultra 4 for me, it has been tearing the fabric on the inside of the heels prematurely. Maybe I have a lumpy heel. REI replaced one pair that tore inside the heel after 3-4 months, which was the exception. These haven’t had a problem there.

These are a good general purpose hiking shoe that have a nice combination of support, light weight, and grip on the trail. Highly recommended.  

Background

I’ve hiked in Salomon shoes for several years, including the GTX version of this shoe. I’ve hiked in these for several months.