there's no other name for this shoe.
On trails, it provides you the best stability with its "low to the ground profile" and it has some unique off trail skills as well. Wide toebox provides plenty of room for your forefoot, multilayer protection makes the XA pro #D a real shield against rock shocks, and the 3D chassis protects your foot from sharp rock pinching while controlling the lateral motion of the heel. In addition to these features that ease your trail running experience, you get the grippiest compound with Contagrip and an efficient quick lacing system which allows "on the go" tuning to adapt the foothold to the terrain.

While these trail shoes are very comfortable & are generally perfect for what I usually run (trails with relatively even surfaces), they do have 2 minor flaws that will likely make me think twice before going for them again (I've had 3 pairs over the past 2 years). First, the soles wear unusually fast, lasting only 3 months of approximately 25 miles/wk (~75 mi/month) before the rubber in the forefoot & heel is nearly completely gone. Second, they tend to develop a hole in the mesh upper right where they flex near the toe after only 2 months, which in my experience has quickly expanded until I couldn't use them at 3.5 months for my latest pair. For this much money I would expect a better quality shoe, especially with regard to sole durability.

I've taken my XA Pro 3D Ultra's into several different situations, and I've been very pleased. During trail runs, the shoe locks onto your feet, and there is very little movement, which is essential for a comfortable run. The support in the heel and at the instep is much better than its competitors, and could even be used on shorter, easier backpacking trips. The sides are very breathable, which means two things. On a summer day, they keep your feet more dry and cooler than the average trail running shoe, however that also means that your feet are also much more susceptible to cold weather and water. Because of this reason, I'd pay the extra 20 dollars and invest in the Ultra with Gore-Tex and get the best of both worlds. The only other con to these shoes are their weight, but that's because of the added support.

Since I picked up a pair of these i've become a huge fan. I've used my pair for everything from marathon-length hikes to casual trail running. I've never had any issues with fit either, which is a rarity with my feet. The support is more than adequate, the lacing system is foolproof (i'm qualified to say this) and they feel great on your feet even after a long day of effort.

Also, the regular (non GTX) version is more breathable and dries much more quickly, which is a boon for situations like long, lightweight, multi-day hikes where getting wet is inevitable but getting dry is necessary.

I am a lifelong Salomon supporter- this shoe is a testament to the quality of Salomon. Very comfy trail runner and a perfect shoe for fastbacking/ultralight backpacking. Breathable, light and the quicklace system is killer- works great with gaitors.

I am a trail runner and for the last 4 months I have tested the XA Pro 3D Ultra 3 days a week on runs approximately 26 - 30kms in length over some tough shoe wearing trails; mix of sand, sharp rocks, elevation and loose gravel. They still feel comfortable, are intact and gave me reason to buy another pair last week.

First and foremost they fitted me in the shop. I wont buy any shoes unless they feel right 100%. In comparison the WT model felt slightly tight on the sides of the toe box which in no uncertain terms would have meant pain on the trail; dont let the salesperson tell you otherwise!

When trying on shoes make sure you team them up with the socks you intend to wear. I have found Ultimax silver socks are good for temperature regulation and moisture wicking and work well with the XA Pro shoe material.

The lacing system is tough, quick and efficient and holds at the selected personal setting. Make the most of the lacing system to tighten or loosen off when your feet tell you.The excess lace and toggle fit well in the mesh pocket on the tongue and don't fall out.

The shoe gives good support and protection on rocky trails. Of note when you look at the rubber toe box after a run you can see scuff marks from rocks as high up as the logo, which fortunately you didn't feel thanks to the well thought out ergonomic design.

After a run on the dry trails my shoes, socks & legs are covered in brown dust and grit. Take out the insoles, shake out any loose material you have picked up, and carefully wash the outside of the shoes then the insides. Give the insoles a tap and wash as well. Inspect and then wash with a mild detergent and brush. Your shoes will last a lot longer and your tough trail buddies will do the job they were intended for.

For me the XA Pro 3D Ultra are winners, so if they fit you give them a go.

I love these shoes so far. I have a long narrow foot and these seem to fit my foot pretty good. The lacing system seems to work well holding my foot in place uphill and down. I have yet to put all that many miles on so I can't say much for durability right now, but they seem to be pretty well made shoes.

I wear these everywhere! Around town, on the trail, to the crag, in the snow...these shoes are fantastic and fit incredibly well. They are also very durable and can take a beating.

I've had these shoes for a while now and have to say that these are the best all round shoe I've had. They are super comfortable yet give great support. Very agile and light on the trail. Great laceup system and they look great. Venting to the shoe is phenomenal but if you want them for the winter go with the goretex version. Know that if you go with your size they will seem big since they are a trail running shoe and are made to have space in the front so your toes don't ever jam on the downhill.

I thought the construction was excellent on these shoes. I also enjoyed the lacing system. I never felt like the laces loosed after I secured them. The problem I have is that they just seem a bit too wide for my feet and the arch is a little too built up.

Great shoe, just not for me.

I keep coming back to Salomon for the best shoe I ever had. I've tried others, but can't say enough good things about the XA Pro 3D Ultra Trail Running Shoe. Currently in Niger, and they are awesome for the enviroment and any terrain I encounter. Get a pair and see for yourself!

Best shoe I've ever had! Solid performer on the trails or on the road. Lacing system is excellent, never have to worry about your shoe coming untied. This is my fourth pair. Salomon has made small, but improved changes to each model.

Very good shoe overall. Great lacing system, good support, the thick fronts are great at preventing stubbed toes. The only real complaint that I have is traction over wet/slick surfaces. other than that a very well designed shoe that is comfortable over long distances.

I have bought 3 pairs of these shoes and they are the best shoes I've ever had. They are very comfortable, breathe very well and I am a huge fan of the quicklace system. I use these shoes mainly for just wearing around casually. I also use them to mountain bike, and trail run.

I love this shoe. Let me preface it, however, with the fact that I am not a trail runner. I use it for indoors in the gym. Most recently, cardio boxing class, and other indoor work-outs. It is light weight compared to what I had been wearing (ie. Nike / NorthFace). It is very nice looking, and the lacing system is truly sic. Aside from the boa system on my NorthFace, this is the slickest lacing system. It works great and stores the lace in it's own little pouch. The cushioning doesn't seem quite as thick as some, but it feels adequate, and I would think you might like the extra "feel" of the trail if you were outside running. It breathes nicely, unlike my NF's that have Gore-tex, and seem to heat up my feet too much. I am a big fan of these shoes, and will be a repeat customer, if they hold up to some wear and tear. They are too new for me to tell how durable they will be, but so far so good. I ordered 1/2 size large, as I normally do (because everyone else's shoes seem to run small). They have plently of room, and you could probably order your true foot size and be just fine.

Seriously. The lacing system alone is worth the price of admission. The laces stay tight during your runs and when you're wearing them casually you don't have laces floppin all over the place.

I'm going on my 5th pair of these soon, and while it's true that the tread does wear rather quickly, you can't beat the combination of true running shoe that grips great, is super light and cradles you foot perfectly.

These shoes are perfect. comfortable, durable, great grip, good looking... definitely get yourself a pair!

I have only had these for a month now so I can not comment on their long-term quality, but these are the best trail running and best running shoes I have ever owned. Worth the dough. Fits true to size, I wear US 12 for running and these were no different. i have an average to wide foot and these are comfortable.For me, these are what I have always been looking for in a running shoe... they feel like I am not wearing anything. Super comfortable.Great service through backcountry.

I'm a fan of Salomon trail shoes and have used these shoes on 5 runs (5-12 miles) in the southern appalachians. Here is the good:
1. Well made
2. Good lateral & front end support
3. Very breathable
4. Runs true to size

The Bad:
1. Narrow toe box- got toe blisters on both feet on nearly all runs with several different socks.The shoe is properly sized.
2. The shoes have an annoying Squeak which doesn't go away.
3. With superfeet green insoles the arches of both feet hurt a bit after every run. I normally use these insoles without any problems on other running shoes.
4. Grit & dirt pass easily thru the mesh sides/top of shoe. My feet were black with dirt thru the socks even on a short 3 mile run!

I bought 2 pairs of these shoes and have since returned the unused pair as these shoes just haven't worked out for me. Hope this info helps.

On my 3rd pair. I beat them to death and they are great until the end.

these shoes are awesome. ive tried other running shoes, but these are the perfect fit for me. i put well over 350 miles on my first two pairs and had to retire them due to my 200 pounds squishing the crap out of them...and they dry extremely quick. i have run 2 50k bighorn runs in them and splashed through every stream i saw cause it was fun and i didnt even have to worry about my feet

Never tried Salomons before but so far so good. My feet run a little wide so definitely wear some thicker socks your first couple of runs or you will get some pinky toe blisters. Now that they are broken in they are great - sole is a little thin and you start to feel it on longer runs.

These shoes are amazing! They fit, feel, and work great! I purchase the XA Pro 3D last May and used them at a summer camp as a counselor and have worn them to class on many occasions in the fall, winter, and now spring. But the reason why I haven't written a review before now is b/c this weekend I put them to the real test! I went on a weekend hiking trip in Tennessee and so I took my Salomons thinking that I would be just fine since the terrain isn't terrible. Well we find out Friday night that it is suppose to snow on Saturday night through Sunday morning, well everyone else had boots and I had my trusty Salomons. Well needless to say I hiked 5 miles in 2 inches of snow on Sunday morning and not once did my feet get cold, uncomfortable, or WET!!! I was wearing Smartwool socks but even so my feet didn't get WET in the dang SNOW!!! So every penny put into these shoes is worth it!!!!!! Thanks Salomon! Enjoy you purchase!

I've used mine both on and off road and find they perform pretty well. No complaints yet. Definitely have a good bit of cushion so I don't feel like I'm beating myself up on the road. Lace-up system works well. Take everyone's advice and get a half size smaller.

Having wide and completely flat fleet (no arches - have to use orthopedic inserts) I was looking for a shoe that had a little more support which landed me here. After the overwhelmingly positive reviews I figured I would give them a shot. Unfortunately, these shoes are simply too narrow and had I known that they offered them in "wide" sizes, I would have purchased them elsewhere. If you have wider feet, look for someone who offers the wide size, otherwise, you are in for a world of pain.

The fit is my favorite thing about this shoe. It offers great support in a lightweight package. I don't trail run, but I walk and day hike in this shoe. Been thru 3 or 4 pair in the last few years!

I purchased these trail shoes with the primary purpose of using for adventure racing. I first used salomen's Tech Amfib for a rather wet race 2 years ago, and literally put 20+ miles on them for that race without problems. I was very pleased with these new salomen trail shoes despite getting them only 2 weeks prior to the race and not being able to fully break them in prior to racing in them. They fit my feet very well, including my heel which tends to be on the narrow side. I'm not sure how well these would fit someone with a wide foot. The lacing system is quick and trouble free. I did roll my ankle slightly on a root, I don't feel a different trail shoe could have prevented that. They seem to hug the various surfaces of the trail well.
I considered getting the gortex version, but decided against it due to the fact that my feet will get submerged at some point and the shoes I wear must be able to vent water and dry out. These shoes did just that. Honestly, I can't think of one negative on these shoes. I haven't used them enough to comment on the length of wear. Overall, I would highly recommend these shoes for trail running and 12 hr+ adventure racing.

I exclusively run in mine - about 25 miles a week - cement, asphalt, sand, rocks, hardpack dirt, lava fields, etc. These shoes do it all at a very high level of competence. I own several pairs and rotate between them. These last better than everything I've owned from other companies. I don't know what I'll do if they ever stop making this model.

I've had these for a while now and I couldn't live without them. They are very well made shoes.
They are flexable in the front and stiff in the back, very good support. I've taken these babies everywhere and they performed valiantly. Now the small downside; they are cold in the wintertime, because of the vent on the top of the shoe which lets wind in. Great in the summer though. Overall an awesome 3-season shoe, for anyone. I defininately recommend them.

Just wanted to say what a great shoe this, I completed my sigthing run for the Mt Fuji Cross Country Climb, 21k of straight up, these shoes rocked the course up and down. I went from pavement to trails with every surface known to man, then on the mountain, complete confidence in my footing, loose rock no worries, sharp rocks no problem, the sole is amazing, 15 plus hours in my shoes and not one hot spot or discomfort.
Even when my foot was in ice cold puddles (melting snow) the shoe drained fast with no worries after a few minutes. Either running or trekking, this shoe is a keeper...

I just got my XA Pro 3D Ultra's today. They felt good as soon as I put them on. It was 107 out today and my feet werent hot at all. Good flex, just the right amount. The shoe provides good support and bounce without affecting your natural balance like some shoes with too much padding will do sometimes. So far I believe I have made a good purchase. More reports to follow as the miles add up.

Great trail running shoe.
They are a bit on the narrow side and the sizing is a bit big.
Drop a size (or 2) and it should fit.

i have a pair of Salomons before, and i went with these shoes again... good times... good support, may have a thinner sole than some, but i'm a fan of this, so... yeah, chose these over the La Sportiva Fireblade (think that was the name (?)), being as the Salomons were wider (and i've had good experiences with them)... ok, peace out, monkeys - N

Just a very good trail shoe, my second pair!

I got a pair of these just to wear around town and to class. The shoe is very comfortable and runs a little small. I wore these for about 4 months and the majority of the tread on the bottom is gone, I expected them to last a lot longer. I imagine the softer tread increases grip while trail running, but since that wasn't what I was doing in these I find it slightly annoying.

Great shoes if you have narrow/long feet. My feet are a bit wide and these shoes, unfortunately, cause my toes to feel a little too cramped. Other than that, I thought they were great.

These shoes work really well for trail running in all conditions. They have great support and tons of cushion. I would recommend these shoes to anyone who wants a really comfortable trail running shoe on and off the trail. They also run true to size and would fit most feet well.

flimsy lacing system that breaks at the slightest snag, sloppy toebox for a medium volume foot, and too damn heavy.