Outpath Pro GTX

Salomon Outpath have been good for me.

Both Asics gortex and Salomon gortex Ive found to be the best I've used.   I get probably 2-3000km out of them?   Say 8km a day of sandstone gravel fire trails and rocky escarpments for a year. I  would get 12-18 months out of them.   Sometimes I just wear out heel rubber and foam is still good so I build it back up using Sikaflex or something to go another 6 month lol 

I have the Catamount 2 and I really like it (ran in them today), but actually prefer the Cascadia. Also, another vote for skipping GTX. You probably don't need it (or want it) for most runs.

Massive hiker here. Noticed you asked for a shoe and not a boot. I understand this choice for a single buy. My favorite hiking shoes are the Salomon GTX or similar. There are a lot of models, so if you can try some on that'll fine-tune your personal preference. But this shoe hits my feet and ankles comfortably, AND has a wicked tread for the thousands of rocks it'll be bumping over on Phoenix and AZ trails. Hint for affordability: if you get your size in a brand, I often find that reputable merchants on a large online auction site sell NEW hikers at a bit of a discount. Runnerup brands would be On Cloud and La Sportiva. ymmv (literally) of course

I have a pair of 4 year old Goretex Salomons that are still waterproof despite the age and lack of care (never really cleaned aside from spraying off dirt), so might be a technical defect if the puddle never got past the tongue of the shoe to let water in (if it has no gusseted tongue). Though that is quite coincidental and unlucky you went through 2 brands/shoes like this. I'm also not familiar with La Sportiva since I mostly buy Salomon, but that material looks like mesh to me. I've never seen a pair of Goretex shoes with that kind of material.

I used to rock a pair of GTX trail runners from Solomon during walnut harvest... They stopped making them (boo), and I couldn't find any existing pairs that weren't stupid-overpriced. I went on a deep dive and tried every GTX model from Solomon, hoping for a replacement. They all fit differently. It was infuriating. So, a warning to all: Try all models of a given brand, because you can't rely on equivalent fit. I currently rock a pair of Altra lone peaks in blue for travel shoes, and they're the only shoes I've bought where I did not have to replace the insoles with my Soles. I was blown away.

In the winter, I play in Salomon Trail Running shoes with goretex. They were great. But they’re expensive, and they only last about one year before the traction runs down on my plant foot. Does anybody have a recommended waterproof shoe under $125? Or some thing that is more durable than the Salomons?