Salomon Quest 4D GTX / Backpacking Boot Review

Salomon Quest 4D GTX / Backpacking Boot Review
Two weeks ago, I went up Stove Mountain to St. Mary's Falls. You have to hike up a fire road to get to the trail head, so it wound up being a little over a 6 mile hike round trip with about 1,500 feet of elevation gain, ending up a little over 9,000 feet. I was relatively fine on the way up, but my 10 year old North Face boots just can't hack the down slope any more. They're worn almost totally flat. It made for a precarious descent.

I decided for my 40th b-day, I'd treat myself to some new boots. After trying on Asolo, Vasque, Merrill, and about 10 other kinds, I wound up getting the Salomon Quest 4D GTX boots.

http://www.salomon.com/medias/produc...ct2/128653.jpg

If you ask 10 people around here what the best boot brand is, you'll likely get 7 or 8 different answers. The Asolo boots, despite their great reputation, did not fit my feet at all. Loose in the heel, tight toe box... I really wanted to like them, but just couldn't do it. The Vasque boots I was looking at seem to have a reputation for the sole cracking, even though it's Vibram (I've sworn by Vibram soles for years). That was a bit of a turn-off.

Anyway, on to the Salomons. They have really taken their strength (running / cross fit type shoes) and applied it to a waterproof backpacking boot. It's the most comfortable boot I've put on yet. Salomon seems to have a reputation for making a pretty soft boot, but the sole and shank on these boots is more stiff than I expected. The rubber toe and heel caps are a must for me anymore, as I've just seen too many boots without them experience the sole separating from the upper. They have a generous gusset around the tongue, the laces and hooks just work perfectly for my foot. I won't call their Contagrip soles the most aggressive I've ever seen, and they do seem a little soft compared to a hard Vibram sole, but I tested them on Mt. Cutler today (with a 50 pound pack to be fair... I got some strange looks), and they were very grippy on the rocks. Time will tell how durable they are and how they are on wet rocks. Plenty of room in the toe box coming down the mountain. If you've ever had a pair where the length of your toenails made the difference between a nice hike and absolute misery, you'll know how important the toe box is. Strangely enough, these boots needed almost no break-in. Snug fit in the heel and decent ankle support. They're waterproof, pretty light at 2lbs 13 ounces, Gore-Tex lined and most of all, they are super comfortable. They really thought these through.

So... after all the praise, here's the catch - I'm doing mostly day hikes of 4-7 miles with maybe 25 pounds of gear including water. I'll do a 2 or 3 day backpacking trip once or twice a year with a 50-60 pound pack. So for what I want a boot for, these are perfect. If I was doing serious backpacking on a regular basis, I'd likely look for a beefier, stiffer boot, the trade-off being weight. So they're probably a bit heavy duty for a day hiker, a bit light for a backpacking boot, but it's perfect for me. Here's the other gripe - the Salomon boots are made in China. Other than Danner's top of the line boots (which also didn't fit my foot well) it's hard to find a good backpacking boot made here.

Anyway, sorry I didn't take any pics today as I didn't bring my phone. I hope anyone looking for boots found this helpful.

Always heard great things about Salomon. I dont think you would go wrong with them

Thanks for the info! I'm in the market for a new pair myself this summer. Your hiking sounds about like ours. Mostly day hikes with a backpack trip or two.

I have had nothing but great luck with Salomon brand.

I'll try these out when I go look.

Great review. I am looking to replace a pair of Merrells and your review is going to get me to check the Salomons out.

I have a pair of Merrell Moabs, and while I like how breathable they are for hot day hikes, they are basically a tennis shoe. Very soft boot.

For the heavy duty stuff, I'm still wearing a Cabela's Brand hunting boot (IIRC, they called it the Switchback - don't see it on their site anymore). They've been impressive given their cost.

Again, I thought the Asolos were really well built, they just didn't fit me right. Kinda like motorcycle helmets - you either have a Shoei head or a Arai head. One will fit great, the other will make you nuts.

Agreed about the shape, I have an AGV head myself.
Where did you pick up the boots?

I got the boots at Mountain Chalet downtown here in the Springs. They usually aren't the cheapest, but I know a few of the employees, and like to keep it local if I can. FWIW, I paid $220 for them. I should have tried on several pairs and then found a deal online, but like I said, I really like the local shop. They've hooked me up on lots of stuff in the past. Plus, it was my birthday, and I feel I'm worth it. [ROFL1]