Salomon  X Ultra 4 Mid GORE-TEX Hiking Boots - Men's

For those who really liked the previous X Ultra 3 GTX in mid and low, here's my experience with the X Ultra 4 incarnation. Fit is pretty much the same but perhaps a touch roomier in the toe box (a plus for me). Weight is a bit lower by 1.5 ozs. I can't tell if the uppers, outsoles, or both got lighter. The 2nd lacing hook from the top of the boot is no longer a hook but is closed like a tunnel. This is convenient because you only need to lace one hook now. But if the end of your shoelace becomes frayed, you'll have to deal with threading the lace into the tunnel (not a huge deal since it only needs to be done once). I haven't detected any difference in the way the Contragrip outsoles perform. They seem to work the same as the Ultra 3 in dry/wet conditions. The insoles are the same as the Ultra 3 (though different colorway) - they don't offer much in the way of arch support so I always swap in a 3rd-party insole since I have high arches. With laces tightened properly, foot and ankle support felt about as good as the Ultra 3 in off-camber and rock-hopping situations. This is based on three long 8+ mile day hikes and a bunch of shorter 3-4 mile hikes, all in typical SoCal sandstone/rocky trails with creek and scree field crossings. I'll give it a few more months to assess durability before stocking up on more (I always buy 2 or 3 pair once I know a boot fits). I was initially concerned about the lighter weight but it hasn't made a difference so far. Although I miss the Ultra 3 from the appearance viewpoint, at this point I'm happy with the Ultra 4's trail performance.

Had these boots for just over a year. Good fit, light weight. Went for a short hike and trip over a small stone. Didn’t fall, but plantar flexed my foot. The top fabric tore open across top of boot. Rock did not touch the top of the shoe. Solomon stated it wasn’t Covered. I’ve stumbled before & have never had a shoe rip like that, especially a hiking boot.