Where To Buy Salomon Shoes

Salomon is an outdoor sports manufacturer based in the small Alpine town of Annecy, France, founded in 1947 by François Salomon. The brand is best known for its high-quality Salomon trail running shoes, hiking boots, and winter sports equipment for skiing and snowboarding.

where to buy salomon shoes

Gorp core hype has made people think differently of Salomon street-style sneakers, edging into luxury streetwear with their technical running shoes. What started as an ultra-comfy functional running shoe has become the go-to shoe for city folk, including Bella Hadid, Rihanna, Kanye, and A$AP Rocky.

Salomon shoes are known for their high-quality outdoor footwear, trail running shoes, and durable boots. Additionally to the top-notch footwear, the Salomon clothing line features a variety of categories, including accessories, shirts, outdoor jackets, backpacks, and winter sports equipment.

In 2013, the Salomon XT-6, originally designed for long-distance trail running shoes, was released, marking the beginning of Salomon street style as a breakthrough among the urban and fashion audience.

These boots have a few downsides: Most notably, the Quests are the heaviest of our picks; they may be too much boot for shorter hikes. They have a rigid build and are heavy, so it can take a while to break them in: It took about 10 miles of walking to break them in, whereas most boots we tested felt broken in after 5 miles.

The Vasque Breezes have a narrower fit than our other picks, so be sure to try them on before you buy. They do come in wide variations, though. If you buy them on the Vasque website, you have 30 days to wear your shoes before returning them, if needed.

The momentum in hiking footwear is moving away from bulky boots toward lightweight shoes and even trail runners that are faster and more comfortable. You do lose some ankle support when carrying a heavy pack or traversing rocky trails, but the weight savings and feathery feel are worth it for many. Below are our favorite hiking shoes of 2023, from ultralight options for fast and light trips to more supportive models for carrying a full pack. For more background information, see our hiking shoe comparison table and buying advice below the picks. And if you prefer an over-the-ankle style, see our article on the best hiking boots.

Hiking ShoesFor the vast majority of day hikers, and even a good number of backpackers and thru hikers, a hiking shoe that falls just below the ankle is the perfect match. Shoes like our top-rated Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX are stiffer and more substantial than a trail runner for carrying a light load over mixed terrain but don't feel draggingly heavy like a full-on boot. Furthermore, hiking shoes often have a tougher construction than trail runners, with increased use of leather and durable nylons as opposed to mesh. Protection from obstacles like rocks and roots come courtesy of rubber toe caps and medium-stiff midsoles. Hiking shoes also are great options for folks needing a substantial shoe for daily wear, just be aware that the outsoles will wear faster on pavement.

As a reflection of the push for lighter gear in all facets, hiking shoes are moving away from the traditional stiff construction of a hiking boot in favor of flexibility and a nimble feel. All hiking footwear (excluding some minimalist trail runners) does retain a degree of stiffness thanks to built-in shanks or internal supports. These features are part of what separate a hiking shoe (and approach shoe) from a super flexy cross trainer or road-running shoe.

Hiking shoe upper material is not the most exciting topic, but checking the construction can give helpful insights into its performance. The type of material used will correlate directly with a shoe's durability, water-resistance, and ability to breathe. Most often, hiking and trail shoes are made with a mix of nylon, mesh, and leather to balance cost and longevity. Below, we spell out the pros and cons for the most common materials used for hiking footwear.Synthetic Nylon and MeshWoven synthetic (often nylon) as well as open synthetic mesh panels are commonly used to aid breathability. These materials are not as well known for their durability, but they do a great job of cutting weight. Exceptions include shoes like The North Face's Vectiv Exploris, which is made of tightly woven synthetic upper that has comparable levels of durability to some Nubuck leathers.

Digging a little deeper into the shoe's construction, we'll look at midsole construction next. Its importance lies in cushioning your feet, working as a shock absorber from impacts, and providing an additional layer of protection from sharp rocks. Depending on the design, midsoles vary from very thin (minimalist trail runner) to stiff and substantial (burly hiking shoe). Most include EVA, TPU, or a combination of both in their construction.EVAFoam EVA midsoles are a common site on running and hiking footwear. The cushy soft material takes some of the sting out of your heel or midfoot impacts and is also extremely lightweight. While nearly all shoes on this list use some sort of EVA, the proprietary versions can vary from super soft to mildly stiff. For logging serious miles on tougher terrain, we prefer a firm and supportive midsole as opposed to too much cushioning. Those overly soft midsoles also have a tendency to break down overtime, much like a road-running shoe. In general, you pay more for an improved midsole design and a higher-quality EVA compound.

Perhaps the biggest point of differentiation between hiking shoes and boots is height: Shoes have a low-top fit, while boots generally sit above the ankle. Hiking shoes excel on smooth trails where rolled ankles are less of a possibility, if you keep your pack weight down, and for those who want to move fast with less on their feet. Tradition tells us that hiking boots are the better choice for heavy packs and rough trails, and in most cases that holds true today. The tall height, along with laces that hold the shoe snugly around your ankle, offer a more secure fit, greater stability, and more protection. Given the choice, we most often select a hiking shoe for their light feel, but both are viable options for day hiking, backpacking, and non-alpine peak bagging.

With such extreme terrain diversity in trail running and the specific needs of our feet and bodies, there is no single best trail running shoe for everyone and every condition. In this section, we profile five incredible shoes that cover a breadth of ground as far as for whom and for what conditions they excel.

While we included some cushioned trail shoes in this guide, we took a deeper dive with a dedicated best cushioned trail running shoes guide with a larger set of both highly cushioned and moderately cushioned trail running shoes.

Most trail shoes should handle a moderate amount of mud, but for the muddiest of runs, you may want to consider dedicated shoes with enhanced traction. To find some great options, look no further than our best trail running shoes for mud guide.

Folks with a longer history of running in traditional running shoes might want to stick to trail shoes with higher 8- to 12-millimeter drop like found in the Salomon Speedcross 6 or Brooks Cascadia 16, or, at most, very gradually transition down to lower-drop shoes if desired. These days, the majority of trail shoes come with moderate drops of 4 to 8 millimeters, like the Saucony Peregrine 13, Nike Pegasus Trail 4, and Brooks Catamount 2, which seem to work for a wide range of runners.

Most other trail shoes will have 3- to 5-millimeter lugs that are a bit more closely spaced and work in a great variety of conditions, such that unless you live in a notoriously wet environment, shoes with lugs in this range are likely to work as your everyday trail shoe.

Quite frankly, in all but the most extreme situations, any pair of running shoes will work on the trails. That said, read the next point as to why you might want to pick up a pair of trail shoes after all!

Unlike even road surfaces, the uneven surface of trails can lead to rocks or roots poking through and irritating (or injuring) the bottom of your feet. The most common solution here is one of many forms of a rock plate underfoot that provides push-through protection for your feet. Trail shoes with thick midsoles and/or very deep lugs might skip a rock plate altogether if those components provide adequate separation between the trail and the sole of the foot.

When used for their intended purpose of running on trails, trail running shoes can be more durable than their road running cousins. This increased durability is primarily through material choice and construction patterns in the upper.

The paragraphs above highlight some of the aspects of trail running shoes that make them different than road running shoes. Road running shoes can reduce weight by minimizing outsole lug height, eliminating any rock plates for underfoot protection, and having more minimal uppers that are lighter and possibly more breathable.

On the other hand, trail shoes designed for softer terrain often have taller, more pronounced lugs as well as less midsole, as such shoes factor in the ground providing some cushioning. This combination can lead to discomfort during prolonged stretches on pavement.

Many gaiters can be attached to nearly any pair of shoes, while some brands make gaiters that easily integrate with their own trail shoes, such as the Altra Lone Peak 7, Altra Olympus 5, and Topo Ultraventure Pro models noted above.

Interestingly, there did seem to be a pause in the price increases of all running shoes a decade ago when brands hesitated to break the $100 per pair barrier. Once Hokas and the Salomon S-Lab Sense came onto the market, that ceiling was destroyed, and there was a diversification of prices. 041b061a72