Salomon  OUTline Low Hiking Shoes - Men's

I picked up a pair of these Salomon Outline Low Hiking Shoes after the shoes I had originally planned on picking up (Salomon Men's X Ultra Prime) turned out to rub against a tender spot on my ankle. My daily summer hikes are in a hot, dusty, California region and I opted to get the non Gore-tex version of the shoe to. So far, I am delighted. The shoes were comfortable from the first moment I put them on, they provide me with more support than I was expecting, and my feet don't roast in the 100+ weather. I have also been very pleased with their grip. I've hit an age where keeping active is important and I try to walk steeper fire trails. The trails are usually dusty and with a lot of loose dirt. These shoes have kept my feet firmly attached to the trails and with the barest minimum of slippage. I have owned plenty of walking shoes, hiking boots, and sneakers, and not one of them has had the holding power of these Salomons. I am very happy with the purchase and will recommend them to friends.

I normally hike with fairly minimalist trail runners and was looking for a comparably light shoe designed for hiking rather than running. First off on sizing, if you have tried the GTX version on in-store, these non-waterproof versions do fit a bit looser. I normally wear a size 10 in most street shoe brands, but these in size 9.5 are still a bit more roomy than I prefer, even with my thickest socks (but I think I'd hit my toe on a 9). On my first day hike with them I found them to be a bit clunky and overly supportive and almost returned them, but I decided to give them a try backpacking. With a pack on is where they really shined for me. The break-in also helped them to give a little better ground feel. They still feel fast and light but give good support around the heel of the foot and I find myself less likely to roll my ankle than my trail runners. My big complaint is with the soles - they have good grip but the lugs are spaced too far apart. Maybe this is to save weight, but I find that on the rocky terrain I hike on, I can feel the individual lugs right through the sole, and it's really rather uncomfortable. I can even see on my shoes with only light wear how the sole is caving inwards around each lug on the forefoot. A different sole with tighter lug spacing would really take this shoe to the next level. Overall, they'll be good for some people (I'd say more on dirt surfaces), but for me I'll keep looking - though unfortunately mine have too much wear to be returned at this point.