Mutant Series

I like Topo a lot in general, but for off-trail I have a preference for the Bushido III Wide which is much more enjoyable than any other Sportiva shoe. I wear the same size in them as Topo and they fit toes better than my upsized Mutants and Akashas did.

I’m surprised at the Zegama not performing - they have Vibram Megagrip on the outsole don’t they? Tends to work on wet rock. For scree you’d likely benefit from deeper lugs though. La Sportiva Mutant is probably your best shoe for wet Lakes in my experience. Generally the rubber that works on Lakes wet rock is VJ Butyl, La Sportiva Frixion White (the best I’ve personally tested) and Vibram Megagrip on various shoes. Edit: saw you ask about Salomon. Their Contagrip hasn’t been great at wet rock stuff traditionally but I know lots of people love the newer SLab Genesis. Lots of mountain runners wearing that particular shoe for big mountain races.

I’m surprised at the Zegama not performing - they have Vibram Megagrip on the outsole don’t they? Tends to work on wet rock. For scree you’d likely benefit from deeper lugs though. La Sportiva Mutant is probably your best shoe for wet Lakes in my experience. Generally the rubber that works on Lakes wet rock is VJ Butyl, La Sportiva Frixion White (the best I’ve personally tested) and Vibram Megagrip on various shoes. Edit: saw you ask about Salomon. Their Contagrip hasn’t been great at wet rock stuff traditionally but I know lots of people love the newer SLab Genesis. Lots of mountain runners wearing that particular shoe for big mountain races.

The Normal Kjerag Brut has a fantastic outsole for muddy and wet slopes but you should expect premature wear if you run on more abrasive surfaces. The La Sportiva Mutant are a good compromise but not as light as the Kjerag

I loved the Jackal 1 (haven’t tried the newer model but it looks great) and currently am in the Mutants for seriously rocky/bouldering/loose gravel and they’re like I have gecko feet on lol. I did have an issue with the Bushidos however; the middle of the sole doesn’t have any grip on the bottom, literally just a plastic plate with branding on it. I found myself slipping on rocks right jn that section of the sole which led to some of my biggest spills.

For technical terrain you probably want La Sportiva if you don’t have wide feet. Bushidos or mutants are the usual recs. Note that a shoe that is good for difficult terrain won’t be as comfortable for long miles, and vice versa so there’s a trade off there. If you aren’t actually running consider approach shoes too. They’re much better for climbing.

La Sportiva makes hands down the best runners for hard hikes or scrambling but they generally fit narrow. Bushido or Mutant are the usual recs I quite like my Altra Lone Peak comfort wise but they feel a bit shifty on hard hikes so I end up wearing my approach shoes

You could use the same shoe for trails, hikes, and easier/moderate scrambling but I would strongly recommend separate shoes for road. Roads will eat up trail shoe outsole lugs/tread and when they are worn smooth, you lose much of the traction you'd need for trails so they end up being heavier road shoes. La Spotiva Mutant has been ok but it is heavy for a trail shoe. Don't know exactly how wide your feet are, Altras and Topos fit my feet best but the Nnormal Tomir 2.0 has been good after breaking it in over 50-70 miles. Lots of outsole lugs, durable upper and midsole.

I think it's Horses for Courses with footwear. It's not a one size fits all solution, you've got to pick the right bit of kit for the job. In addition it depends on your level of fitness and getting your body used to hiking with loads  Generally for walking, I'll wear trail runners all year around. Grippy non maxed cushioned ones, generally I like La Sportiva Mutants or Karcals. These are really popular and designed for mountains/long distance. Yes your feet will get wet but they'll dry off, whereas goretex boots will never dry out.  For anything technical or day hiking, I'll take approach shoes. Great on rock and really supportive while being comfortable. The La Sportiva TX4s seem to be the most popular choice. For winter or when I know I'll be on rough ground or bogs. I'll take lightweight B2s, these are really waterproof, very supportive and the stiff sole is good for rough ground. Less comfy than trail runners, but still pretty good. My advice would be trail runners, if you're going somewhere boggy invest in waterproof socks. Also get vapor barrier socks or bread bags, of you're camping. When you get to camp take your wet socks off, put dry ones on and then the bag/vb socks over. This will stop your new socks getting wet and will dry out your shoes.