Salomon - XT-6

I’ve done 2 long-term travel stints primarily in non-goretex xt-6s & thought they were excellent. Comfortable, look good, technical enough to handle legit hiking w weight in your pack. A few words of caution: I have not found them to be the grippiest due to the traction pattern / material. While they hold of reasonably well, durability of the mesh upper is not incredible & the “lacing” system is risky in that you have no ability to lock down the shoe if the cable snaps. Lastly (as everyone else has mentioned), gore-Tex is not the move here - too hot & too long to dry once wet

trail running shoes are the best compromise. love me some salomon xt-6

Salomon XT-6. They’re lightweight and comfortable, with a grippy sole that’s great for hikes but also easy to walk in. The mesh upper keeps my feet from sweating or smelling, and they dry quickly if they get wet. Plus, they’re not bulky and come in a lot of nice color options.

I live in my Salomon’s and hike/run in them 4-6 times a week. I have a narrow heel and find that I have heel slip and therefore blisters in anything more stiff than a trail runner. The Xt-6 works well for me and I’ve had like 4 pairs in a row. The sizing is weird on them so I recommend trying on in store. I also don’t get the goretex versions because I don’t care if my feet get wet 😜. I prefer my shoes to breathe. I’ve had Merrell, hokas and asics as well but found the hokas too soft so they irritated my feet and they were too lifted and therefore unsteady on rocks and roots. Asics were also too soft and more for running only. The Merrells were probably the best hiking boot but i find them bulky and tooo stiff for daily walks. To each their own. I have worked with shoes for 8+ years and can tell you that a strong midsole with good stability will be better for your foot longterm than flexible and cushy runners.

I have owned 3 pairs of Salomon XT-6’s and I find them to be incredibly comfortable but somewhat lacking in durability. Again I’m on my third pair so for me the pros greatly outweigh the cons but they’re not my go to trail runner. If you’re looking for something else at an even better price point I’d recommend the La Sportiva Bushido II. They’re my favorite pair of trail runners I’ve tried.

I slaved over this question recently and went with Salomon xt6. More fashionable but also comfortable and fairly durable. So far happy with them.

i wear salomon xt-6s to golf occasionally and they are great!

God I hate the XT6. I wear the X ultra pioneer from years ago. The XT6 is marketed towards gullable 20 year olds who will pay anything to look cool, fair play - genius marketing by Salomon. My shoe is essentially the same thing without the wanky silver paint job and a lot more comfortable.

XT-6 model is based on a trail runner from 2013. The newer models have newer materials, but aren't really for trail running/hiking anymore. I know this because 3 years ago I used a pair as my main hiking shoe and they started having holes in them very quickly and I complained to Salomon. They gave me a credit, but told me that the XT-6 is more of a casual/city shoe and not intended anymore for actual trails. Basically it's a gorpcore shoe for trendy fashion. There are tons of other models from Salomon that will work better. Their website even has a little quiz you can take to help pick shoes. Most major brands have that now.

Yep, I had a pair and they started getting holes at 100 miles. I complained to Salomon. They gave me a credit, but said that the sports style shoes aren't for hiking. They are for fashion.

The XT-6 was a top of the line trail running shoe around 2016/17. Built for ultra running. However now Salomon re releases this model in different colors constantly as part of their Sports Style shoe line. Basically Gorpcore and street/fashion wear. They will work, and look snazzy, but Salomon has lighter and way better midsole foam shoes out that are built for hiking. I rock a pair that is black and orange, but for hiking they started getting holes in the fabric about 100 miles in. So now I just wear them running errands.

I was intrigued by Salomon’s as well but the most common knock on them was a narrow foot box. I decided to get them anyway but even after a few weeks I went back to Merrill due to the indeed small foot box.