Salomon - XA Elevate GTX

Second this, with trail you have to factor in the surface & elevation in terms of it slowing your pace but also increasing your HR. I dabble in both road & trail, they are both quite different but great. And just like in the road sector, trail shoes have been evolving over the years. I started with 2x pairs of Salomons (speed cross for the mud/snow & Elevate GTX for everything else). Eventually got the 1st gen Brooks Catamount for when it was dry/events. Now got a pair of ASICS Trabuco 14 GTX that I absolutely love. A hydration pack is helpful, you can often find them cheap in the middle aisle in Aldi or decathlon is a good shout. And if you get into the longer distances then you get to eat actual food, which is nice.

Salomon makes wide versions of most of their stuff, although color choices are sometimes limited I've never had an issue with durability over the last 10+ years or so or wearing them, mostly the XA's BUT I also don't get gore-tex shoes - it's not necessary (and a bit hot) in my climate, & in my experience the goretex elements always fail long before the shoe/boot gives out, no matter what the brand, but I'm also kinda hard on shoes.

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 

Solomon’s are great. The mud doesn’t pack up op the sole, super waterproof. The tread is ultra durable. $120-$150 but I play 300 days a year and they lasted about 18 months.

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?

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.

Salomon Gore Tex sneakers. My second choice are Saucony Gore Tex sneakers.

However, I wear these, and they fell apart within the first month. Weak lace loops ripped and the waterproof fabric is tearing. Keens are still the only shoes that last longest, stay waterproof and don't wear on the outside over time compared to any other shoe I've tried

Salomon waterproof trail runners are amazing. Easy open and close, comfy, and they have phenomenal traction - they’re my goat shoes. The only thing I’ve ever slipped on when wearing them is snow-dusted sheer ice. That, and wet wood.

Salomon trail runners. They’re my goat shoes - the only thing they don’t get a grip on is wet wood.