Provenance: Bought at Go Outdoors Penrith
Review: Long Term Testing*
* I’ve said long term – but boots get a hard life with me – so these boots lasted 4 months – but they did:
1200 km of distance, 81,000m of ascent, 5 countries – all on rocky mountainous paths.
So as ever with a footwear review I’m going to start by stating the obvious – the best boot for you is the one that fits the shape of your foot best – its well worth spending some time with a specialist boot fitter!
That said – if you’re here then chances are you’re interested in this boot – I’ll assume you’ve tried a pair on & are just looking for a bit more information!
So I’ve been wearing Salomon’s for years – but as they’ve chased down lighter & lighter designs I’ve become less impressed with the boots abilities to deal with mountain terrain – or at least the sort of places I like to go – I wouldn’t use them for full on scrambling – but I do like to get into the rocky stuff every so often – and certainly my Cosmic’s weren’t tough enough. So this year I reverted to a pair of Quests in the hope that the suede upper would last a bit better.
The first thing I notice with all Salomon boots is just how comfy they are – these are from box to trail boots – no breaking in should be required – and they’re not something you feel a pressing need to take off at the end of the day either, I was happy from my first to last kilometre in these – if I ever found myself needing an emergency replacement boot – this is what I’d go for – confident it would work right away. I think in part this is due to a relatively wide toe box whilst keeping (probably from their running heritage) a narrow heel – this coupled with Salomon’s superb Ortholite insoles and a (new to this model) slightly raised heel position means that your foot feels secure – but never gripped.
Salomon’s contragrip sole is one of the best non vibram products I’ve used – on wet ground it felt remarkably secure – and the design allows for a lot of traction on moving scree. Obviously for a boot this comfy there’s no real climbing performance – it has no edging ability – but neither should you expect that – but if you need to stick your feet down and slide on the scree – this is a good boot to be in.
However – there’s always a but… much as the boot comes with the industry standard Goretex Comfort layer – these were amongst the least waterproof boots I’ve ever worn – If I’d not been out on the trail I’d seriously have considered taking them back – they leaked from about day 20 onwards. Not really a problem for the time I spend in the Alps – the odd wet day can be managed – but if you’re spending time in wetter climates then you’d be advised to reproof them often. I had a lot of time in refuges to consider this – and I think the toebox design is just too busy – there’s too much stitching creating a weak area – definitely an area Salomon can improve.
Overall the boot has felt & behaved like a much more solid boot than it actually is – I for one wouldn’t want to go any lighter (I’ve tried) and expect any performance – whilst the Quest has matched much heavier boots that I’ve tried. One reason for this is the large & impressive toe rand – I’d have liked to see this extend perhaps another 50mm round the sides, but it certainly offered plenty of protection.
After a full summer season in the Alps mine finally died – but I think they did well & I’ll be buying them again.
Pro’s – can be got for a good price, so so so comfy, surprisingly durable.
cons – not very waterproof