These are the most uncomfortable Salomon shoes Ive bought. Within a few hours of wearing them my feet are in pain. It feels like Im walking on concrete, it seems to have no cushion at all. Compared to my Quest Forces or the running shoes I have, I cant even wear these. Ive tried them on a hike and at work and Im limping by the time I get home. No clue whats up with this design but if you are older and looking for a comfortable shoe for being on your feet all day or doing day hikes this isnt it.Also the REI rep told me I could replace the laces but this just isnt true. Regular laces wont fit in these shoes unless you modify them because of the plastic inserts in the eyelets. I normally love Salomon and am not sure who these shoes are made for but they are useless ... MoreThese are the most uncomfortable Salomon shoes Ive bought. Within a few hours of wearing them my feet are in pain. It feels like Im walking on concrete, it seems to have no cushion at all. Compared to my Quest Forces or the running shoes I have, I cant even wear these. Ive tried them on a hike and at work and Im limping by the time I get home. No clue whats up with this design but if you are older and looking for a comfortable shoe for being on your feet all day or doing day hikes this isnt it.Also the REI rep told me I could replace the laces but this just isnt true. Regular laces wont fit in these shoes unless you modify them because of the plastic inserts in the eyelets. I normally love Salomon and am not sure who these shoes are made for but they are useless to for my use cases (working on concrete all day and/or day hikes).

Cat Pee Smell! Un-wearable!

Great shoes out of the box, well designed, not flashy, super comfortable. Got these for a trip to Europe which would involve a lot of walking, city streets, gravel roads, trails, etc. They were awesome for the first few days, I could walk in them all day in total comfort, and they looked good! Then one day on an early morning hike I walked through some wet grass, just dewey morning grass, not full soak water crossing, literally a damp morning dew on short grass...and within a few minutes I could feel the moisture seeping into the shoes. Not a ton of moisture, but my socks were definitely wet when I took the shoes off later. That was not a big deal to me. They were still comfy and looked good, I could deal with some moisture in my shoe. But then the smell ... MoreGreat shoes out of the box, well designed, not flashy, super comfortable. Got these for a trip to Europe which would involve a lot of walking, city streets, gravel roads, trails, etc. They were awesome for the first few days, I could walk in them all day in total comfort, and they looked good! Then one day on an early morning hike I walked through some wet grass, just dewey morning grass, not full soak water crossing, literally a damp morning dew on short grass...and within a few minutes I could feel the moisture seeping into the shoes. Not a ton of moisture, but my socks were definitely wet when I took the shoes off later. That was not a big deal to me. They were still comfy and looked good, I could deal with some moisture in my shoe. But then the smell came.....the stench, the most foulest odor imaginable. The thing that makes these unwearable is the smell that occurs after any moisture enters the shoe.....a horrendous ammonia/cat pee odor!! Like wow do these shoes STINK!! I can no longer wear them, they just REEK of cat pee, I've tried cleaning them, removing and replacing the insole, nothing works. They just STINK. And this is not the first time this has happened with a pair of Salomons, I have thrown out another pair that also suffered from this cat pee smell issue. It's definitely NOT my feet, or my socks, or anything to do with my own personal body odor, it is these shoes, something in them just REEKS of cat pee after any kind of moisture enters the shoe, and no matter how careful you are with drying them out or cleaning them afterwards, they will continue to STINK FOREVER! This is the last pair of Salomons I will ever buy. Just not worth the money for less than a week of wearing. BUYER BEWARE!!!!

Couldn’t tighten

I’ve lost all faith in Salomon with these draw string laced shoes. I have the boot version of this shoe and really like it so I thought I would like these. I tried them in two different sizes and no matter what I did, I could not get the shoes to tighten around my ankle. I pulled on these draw-string laces like a lawnmower and tightened them as hard as I could. After a mile or two, they would still feel loose around my ankle. I also noticed the dumb fastener wouldn’t hold. After a mile or two, I noticed some loosening. I inquired to see if these dumb draw string laces could be replaced with regular boot laces and they could not. It seemed like it was only a matter of time until the fastener or the strings broke. Nothing replaces a quality pair of laces on a hiking ... MoreI’ve lost all faith in Salomon with these draw string laced shoes. I have the boot version of this shoe and really like it so I thought I would like these. I tried them in two different sizes and no matter what I did, I could not get the shoes to tighten around my ankle. I pulled on these draw-string laces like a lawnmower and tightened them as hard as I could. After a mile or two, they would still feel loose around my ankle. I also noticed the dumb fastener wouldn’t hold. After a mile or two, I noticed some loosening. I inquired to see if these dumb draw string laces could be replaced with regular boot laces and they could not. It seemed like it was only a matter of time until the fastener or the strings broke. Nothing replaces a quality pair of laces on a hiking boot or shoe. I would not recommend these and I’m now considering other brands of shoes all together after enjoying the boot version so much.

Great Fit! Salomon Support for the Win!

These are my second pair of XA Pros. Last pair materials wore out on me. Salomon warranty helped me get a new pair(decided on the ultras - my third pair) but turns out the new stability system hurts my foot so I asked for an exchange and decided on another pair of XA Pros. Colors were a bit different than the pictures but the fit, support, and customer service made my experience great. Been a lifetime Salomon fan since rollerblading in the 90s and now skiing in the sierra the last 10+ years. Warranty and customer service at Salomon is unbeatable. Thanks for being a great company.

Great shoe for 2022 AT thru-hike

I had hiked in Vasque boots for years but when prepping for my 2022 thru-hike, I knew I needed something that weighed a lot less. I was not comfortable in trail runners and started with the mid-top version of this shoe that wore blisters on my ankles. I quickly swapped over to Solomon X-ultra 4 (non-gortex). I paired these with the Superfeet Terra insoles and was consistently pleased with them throughout my hike and got 550-650 miles out of each pair - the uppers would start to stretch towards the end and would get snagged by brush. The Superfeet insoles typically wore out with slightly less mileage. The Solomon soles were never a problem and traction on rocks going through northern NH and southern ME was very good.

Laces broke in 4 months

I have been wearing only Salomon XA Pro 3D’s on trail since early 2000’s. I run an extremely intense and rough high desert mountain trail and these shoes give me the ability to run up and down steep technical terrain right on the edge. Have only had the highest regards and accolades for these amazing shoes because their traction saves my life about every time I’m descending.So Salomon’s latest model the XA PRO 3D V9 has a bit of a larger fit but still awesome as always. But the laces broke on this pair in 4 months and I only wear these on trail once a week. This is the first time that has happened to me. And Salomon return is saying I have passed my return date.I got this pair because my last pair a chunk of the sole got tore off in only the first 4 months of ... MoreI have been wearing only Salomon XA Pro 3D’s on trail since early 2000’s. I run an extremely intense and rough high desert mountain trail and these shoes give me the ability to run up and down steep technical terrain right on the edge. Have only had the highest regards and accolades for these amazing shoes because their traction saves my life about every time I’m descending.So Salomon’s latest model the XA PRO 3D V9 has a bit of a larger fit but still awesome as always. But the laces broke on this pair in 4 months and I only wear these on trail once a week. This is the first time that has happened to me. And Salomon return is saying I have passed my return date.I got this pair because my last pair a chunk of the sole got tore off in only the first 4 months of running my trail once a week. That is also the first time that has happened in such a short period of trailing.I’m so hoping Salomon hasn’t sold out and is now using poor quality materials like so many other companies.

Poor Quality. Wears out quick. DO NOT BUY!

I have been using this model of shoe for over 10 years now and I have seen a gradual progression to a poorer quality shoe. I have never had any problems up until the current model. After a few months of wear, holes have formed in the outer mesh around the fold line created while walking. This has never happened with any of the previous models I've owned. I feel no thought has been put into making the shoe good quality, instead they have focused more on aesthetic appeal.I definitely do not recommend buying this shoe. There are many other trail runners out there, which are higher quality, at lower prices. I think Salomon dropped the ball on this one.I did reach out to them to let them know about flaws in the new shoe, but they didn't seem to care about my input.I ... MoreI have been using this model of shoe for over 10 years now and I have seen a gradual progression to a poorer quality shoe. I have never had any problems up until the current model. After a few months of wear, holes have formed in the outer mesh around the fold line created while walking. This has never happened with any of the previous models I've owned. I feel no thought has been put into making the shoe good quality, instead they have focused more on aesthetic appeal.I definitely do not recommend buying this shoe. There are many other trail runners out there, which are higher quality, at lower prices. I think Salomon dropped the ball on this one.I did reach out to them to let them know about flaws in the new shoe, but they didn't seem to care about my input.I wish I could get a refund, as I'm now stuck with an inferior shoe, and I believe the waterproof layer will fail next.I expected much better from such a reputable company. They have now lost a long term customer.DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS SHOE!!

Some Loss of Faith

Purchased 2 new pairs of this model a little over a month ago, fit seemed a bit snug but still appeared to have room in the toe box. I have worn this brand (and the same shoe and others) in a size 10 since day 1. They have always fit well and been extremely comfortable (especially with my weaker left leg & numb foot they always provided the comfort and support I needed until now.) I talked to staff and they suggested different insoles or just putting the older insoles in the new shoes. Unfortunately this didn't working but spent some days trying to convince myself they would stretch out. Main issue is I keep running my toes into the ends despite tightening the straps. Pretty much at the end of my rope, and after hearing from a few others that things have changed a ... MorePurchased 2 new pairs of this model a little over a month ago, fit seemed a bit snug but still appeared to have room in the toe box. I have worn this brand (and the same shoe and others) in a size 10 since day 1. They have always fit well and been extremely comfortable (especially with my weaker left leg & numb foot they always provided the comfort and support I needed until now.) I talked to staff and they suggested different insoles or just putting the older insoles in the new shoes. Unfortunately this didn't working but spent some days trying to convince myself they would stretch out. Main issue is I keep running my toes into the ends despite tightening the straps. Pretty much at the end of my rope, and after hearing from a few others that things have changed a bit with structure and materials will be trying to find a new brand again which is really to bad as that is always a chore.

Something's changed with these shoes

These has been my go-to footwear for a looong time. I bet I've been through more than 20 pairs of Solomon XA Pros (or whatever they're called) over the years. I've kept buying them because they fit my feet and work very well. This most recent pair I purchased are different. They do not fit the same as all of the previous pairs I've had, which have been remarkably consistent over time.This new pair was made in Vietnam. I looked at some of my old pairs and they were made in other far east locals... so maybe Solomon has a new factory in Vietnam and they are using different lasts or molds or whatever they use to build shoes around? I don't know... I'll not buy another pair of these without doing some more research... kind of a bummer.

Ultra 4's are Definitely NOT XA Pro 3D

Shoes started out just ok. The toe box is bigger and is space I didn't need, but some may. The foot bed also felt different, but that could just be going from a consistently worn pair, to a brand new shoe. That said they never became as comfortable as the XA Pros.The big issue is the quickly deteriorating heel section. First it rides much higher than the XA Pros. The heel tab is very tall. I found the fabric was wearing thru quickly and now there is hard plastic cutting into my heel.If this were my first Salomon experience I'd never be back. Thankfully I rotate thru XA Pros and have 2 pair of boots, and 3 pair of shoes to use.I'd avoid these and stick to the better quality XA Pros.