Description
Stride forth into the wilderness.
- 3D Chassis construction combines a protective heel counter, a force-distributing stabilizing plate, heel cushioning, and a sole designed specifically for the entire mountain
- Energy Cell2 cushioning helps absorb heel impact due to rocks and obstacles to reduce joint fatigue
- Ortholite sockliner wicks sweat and moisture away from the surface of your feet to encourage evaporative cooling
- Asymmetricl Quiklacing tightens evenly with a single pull of the threaded cable for a secure fit
- Non-marking Contagrip running sole provides traction on worn trails, loose gravel, and mix surfaces
Terms And Conditions
This Usage Agreement (the "Agreement") governs your conduct while using various services on the web site Backcountry.com and its affiliate web sites (collectively, the "Site"). All references to "we," "us," and "our" shall mean Backcountry.com and all references to "you" and "your" shall mean the user of the Site and Site Services. This Agreement applies to various services and activities on the Site as well as to gear review and product ratings (collectively, "Site Services"). Please read this Agreement carefully.
BY ACCESSING, BROWSING, AND USING THE SITE, ANY SITE SERVICES AND OTHER SERVICES THEREIN, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THIS AGREEMENT AND ITS TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY SUBSEQUENT MODIFICATION THEREOF, DO NOT ACCESS, BROWSE OR OTHERWISE USE THE SITE OR SITE SERVICES, INCLUDING THE SUBMISSION OF ANY REVIEWS OR COMMENTS.
Your use of the Site is governed by this Agreement and any other agreements and/or terms of use adopted by Backcountry.com and/or its affiliates. This Agreement shall govern in the event of, and to the extent of, any inconsistency with the Site. For more information on our privacy practices, read the Privacy Policy to understand our practices regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information on the Site and with respect to Site Services.
Any comments, reviews (including gear reviews and product ratings), posts, feedback, questions, answers, notes, messages, images, video, audio, materials, documents, data, graphics, ideas, suggestions or other communications (collectively, "User Content") you submit on the Site are not private or proprietary. By submitting User Content on or through the Site, you grant, assign and transfer to Backcountry.com all of your rights, title and interest, including without limitation, all intellectual property rights and moral rights, in and to such User Content. To the extent the preceding assignment and transfer is ineffective, you hereby grant Backcountry.com an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual right and license to use, copy, modify, adapt, display, publish, archive, store, distribute, reproduce and create derivative works based upon such User Content, in any form, media, software or technology of any kind now existing or developed in the future.
By submitting such User Content on or through the Site, you are confirming that (a) you are the sole author of the User Content and the User Content originated with you and not copied in whole or in part from any other work; (b) you have obtained all necessary permissions associated with the User Content, including without limitation permissions relating to copyrights, trademarks, rights of publicity and/or rights of privacy; (c) the User Content does not contain hate speech or profanity and is not unlawful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortuous, defamatory, vulgar, libelous, obscene, racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable, an invasion of another's privacy, or otherwise in violation of this Agreement; (d) that you are not a minor and have the legal right and capacity to enter into and comply with this Agreement; (e) such User Content does not and will not, in any way, violate or breach any of the terms of this Agreement; and (f) Backcountry.com shall not in any circumstances be required to pay or incur any sums to any person or entity as a result of its use or exploitation of the User Content.
With respect to your conduct on the Site or while using the Site Services, you agree not to: (a) attempt to disguise the origin of any User Content transmitted to the Site Services whether through the Site or any third party site; (b) act in any manner that negatively affects other users' ability to use the Site and Site Services; (c) impersonate any person or entity, including without limitation, a manufacturer or owner of any product, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity; (d) interfere with the Site or Site Services, or servers or networks connected to the Site or Site Services, or disobey any requirements, procedures, policies, or regulations of networks connected to the Site or Site Services; (e) upload, post, or otherwise transmit any User Content that with respect to the Site Services: (i) is not relevant to the product, service, person or entity being reviewed; (ii) you do not have a right to transmit under any law or under contractual or fiduciary relationships (by way of example but not limitation, inside information, proprietary and confidential information learned or disclosed as part of employment relationships or under nondisclosure agreements); (iii) contains software viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment; or (iv) is unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid schemes," or any other form of solicitation.
By submitting any such User Content on or through the Site, you grant Backcountry.com permission to use your name, alias and any other information (as provided by you) to attribute such User Content to you. Without limiting the generality of the previous sentence, and subject to our Privacy Policy, you authorize Backcountry.com, its affiliates, and sublicensees to share the User Content across all affiliated Web sites, and to use your name and any other information in connection with its use of such User Content, as they may choose. You also grant Backcountry.com and its affiliates the right to use any material, information, ideas, concepts, know-how or techniques contained in such User Content. We are not responsible for the similarity of any of our Content or programming in any media to User Content submitted by you. Any and all rights granted in this section are granted without the need for any compensation to you in any form.
User Content does not reflect the views of Backcountry.com, and Backcountry.com does not represent or guarantee the truthfulness, accuracy, completeness, timeliness, integrity, quality or reliability of any User Content, nor does Backcountry.com endorse or support any opinions expressed in any User Content. In no event shall Backcountry.com have or be construed to have any responsibility or liability for or in connection with any User Content, Any gear reviews and/or product ratings submitted on the Site, if displayed, are displayed for entertainment and informational purposes only. Under no circumstances will Backcountry.com be liable in any way for any User Content, including but not limited to, any errors or omissions in any User Content, or for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of any User Content posted, emailed or otherwise transmitted via the Site or Site Services.
If Backcountry.com determines, in our sole and absolute discretion, that you or any User Content you submit violates this Agreement, we reserve the right, at any time, without notice and without limiting any and all other rights Backcountry.com may have under this Agreement, to: (a) refuse to allow you to submit further User Content; (b) remove and delete your User Content; (c) revoke your registration and right to use the User Content Submission Features; and (d) use any technological, legal, operational or other means available to enforce the terms of this Agreement, including, without limitation, blocking specific IP addresses or deactivating your registration, access to the Site and Site Services using your e-mail address, and your user name and password. Without limiting the foregoing, once User Content is submitted to the Site, Backcountry.com may take any or no action with respect to such User Content, including without limitation, deleting, editing, modifying, rejecting, or refusing to post such User Content, but is under no obligation to offer you the opportunity to edit, delete or otherwise modify User Content once it has been submitted. Backcountry.com shall have no duty to attribute authorship of User Content to you and shall not be obligated to enforce any form of attribution by third parties.
If, despite the foregoing assignment and transfer of rights in the User Content, it is determined that you retain moral rights (including the rights of attribution or integrity) in the User Content, you hereby declare that: (a) you do not require that any personally identifying information be used in connection with the User Content or any derivative works of or upgrades or updates thereto; (b) you have no objection to the publication, use, modification, deletion and exploitation of the User Content by Backcountry.com or its licensees, successors or assigns; (c) you forever waive and agree not to claim or assert any entitlement to any and all moral rights of an author in any of the User Content; and (d) you forever release Backcountry.com, and its licensees, successors and assigns from any claims that you could otherwise assert against Backcountry.com by virtue of any such moral rights.
You are prohibited from violating the security of any system or network compromising the Site or the Site Services, including but not limited to the following: (a) unauthorized access to or use of data, systems, or networks, including any attempt to probe, scan or test the vulnerability of the Site or Site Services or to breach security or authentication measures; (b) unauthorized monitoring of data or traffic on the Site or of the Site Services; (c) interference with the Site or Site Services including without limitation, any type of flooding technique or deliberate attempt to overload the system such as denial or service attacks; (d) forging of a message header or any part of a message header; or (e) using manual or electronic means to avoid any use or access limitation placed on this Site or the Site Services. Such violations may result in criminal or civil liability.
Backcountry.com reserves the right to report any activity or persons that Backcountry.com suspects has violated any law or regulation to appropriate law enforcement officials, regulators, or other appropriate third parties (including the disclosure of appropriate subscriber information). Backcountry.com may also cooperate with appropriate law enforcement agencies to assist in the investigation and prosecution of any illegal conduct. Indirect or attempted violations of this Agreement and actual or attempted violations thereof by a third party on behalf of any user shall be considered violations of this Agreement by such user.
BACKCOUNTRY.COM DOES NOT ENDORSE THE USER CONTENT, IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE USER CONTENT AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY TO ANY PERSON OR ENTITY (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, PERSONS WHO MAY USE OR RELY ON SUCH USER CONTENT) FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE (WHETHER ACTUAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR OTHERWISE), INJURY, CLAIM, LIABILITY OR OTHER CAUSE OF ANY KIND OR CHARACTER BASED UPON OR RESULTING FROM ANY USER CONTENT PROVIDED THROUGH THIS WEB SITE.
Share your thoughts
What do you think of the
Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra 2 Trail Running Shoe - Men's
? Share a...
NY/NJ Border Crossing on the AT
Ryan Conklin
Member since
These shoes tear through states (14 of 'em if you put in the miles).
yes, yes and yes.
jadp509277
Member since
Bought two pairs of these for an upcoming AT thru-hike and just completed the first 3-day backpacking trip with them.
Made it perfectly through rough terrain and several stream crossing ? drying very quickly. Insanely comfortable and the perfect weight for the job at hand.
Lost one star for the insoles ? they are worthless and should be replaced immediately in my opinion.
Best brand, hands down
cletus1984
Member since
- Gender: Male
- Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer
I actually bought these shoes to wear to work because my other Salomon shoes are so comfy. They have outperformed anything I've ever had as far as comfort. I used to get sore from being on my feet all day on the concrete and tile floor, not with these shoes! I will purchase them again, no doubt!
Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra 2 Trail Running
Backcountry Video
Member since
Not a question about this shoe, but a...
Nathan Flaim
Member since
Not a question about this shoe, but a question about this shoe's owners' ski boots.... I love these shoes, have for years, as they fit my foot fantastically. That said, I'm looking into getting ski boots, and wondering what those who favor this shoe's fit wears. Appreciate the opinion. (I have a high instep too.)
(BTW note: I replace my insoles with superfeet, which make the shoes last much longer, as the soles and the exterior of the shoes have a longer lifespan... may want to consider it)
Poor insole
twsp165739
Member since
I've had these shoes for less than 2 months , haven't even taken them in the trail and the top layer of the insole on both feet has come off of the bottom insole making it impossible for me to use these shoes. Thanks to Backcountry's superb customer service they will ship me a new pair but it shows for how cheaply the insoles are constructed. I hope the rest of the show will hold up when I get out on the trail.
Great style, Good fit, Quick lacing
Phil3074584
Member since
- Gender: Male
- Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer
The style got me interested in trying the shoe as it has a great technical appearance along with the Quiklacing. I bought the shoe wanting to try the Quiklacing system. As it is not perfect, however, I do prefer it over the cumbersome laces. One pull to adjust the tightness depending on the situation. To loosen the tightness is to press the fastner and slightly loosen the cable and done. It's much faster than re-tying and getting it just right.
Although comfort of a shoe depends on how well the shoe fits a particular foot but fortunately it works for me. The shoe support for me is not too stiff nor flimsy. It provided me a good balance of support between hard and soft whether I was running over a rocky and hard surface or running up a steep mountain which was dry hard packed. I go on fast pace hikes that are about 3 hours long and there have been no issues of pinching, rubbing, spot tightness, etc.
I gave it a 4 star rating since I personally felt it was a great product but not an absolutely perfect in every aspect. The lacing becomes slightly loose after awhile and I would have to give it a slight pull to re-adjust.
Pros
+ Quiklacing system
+ Comfort - toe room, heel, arch, upper
+ Design & Style
+ Quality
Cons
- Quiklacing not perfect
- No improvement change from previous
Best shoes I've bought in 10 years
Mazzachusetts
Member since
- Gender: Male
- Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer
When I first bought these, they were so comfrotable that I put them on everyday afterwork, even for just for sitting around. Trailruns, mountain biking, gym trips, they excel at everything. They still get daily use after almost two years of abuse and still going strong. The soles are wearing down but I've done everything to destroy these so I can buy new ones and its way harder then I thought. Highly recommended. Get the GTX if you want some water protection. The only downside is these breathe so well that a splash of water gets your feet wet. They dry fast though.
Soggy Bottoms
Tallahasee Rider
Member since
- Gender: Male
- Familiarity: I've used it several times
This is a very nice heavy weight take you anywhere trail runner that fits great and has piles of good qualities you can read about in other reviews. However, if you sweat even the slightest bit this is not the shoe for you. During the warm time of year this shoe will quickly fill with sweat and since there is no mesh on the lower portion of the shoe, the sweat is there to stay. You can actually fill this shoe a quarter way up with water and it will not drain. So if you live where it's always cool and dry this shoe is great for its intended purpose but if you live anywhere that the temperature gets over 80 stay away.
Thru-Hike Approved
Ryan Conklin
Member since
- Gender: Male
- Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer
I wore these on the Appalachian Trail during my thru-hike. My first pair lasted almost 1,000 miles! My second pair, 600; my third pair, 400, and my fourth pair is still with me with some 350 miles and counting. The reason they die is the foam side wall detaches from the rest of the shoe; when this happens, the inner stitching breaks and then your toes poke through or branches jet in.
I bought a size larger for the thru-hike as my feet were always swollen. Also, NO-GORETEX, these bad boys would dry from soaken wet to bone dry in only a few hours of wear, or after an hour in the sun. Goretex versions take much longer to dry, and when it is really raining, your feet are gonna swim, you can count on that, regardless of gtx or not. Might as well give them an advantage when it comes to drying out. I confidently say that 9/10 thru-hikers agree.
Also, the lacing system never slipped, not once out of all four pairs. The lacing system is bomber and when it's so cold you can't even make a fist, you'll be glad all you have to do is tug with one finger on these guys to set them tight rather than tie a knot. NO SLIPPAGE EVER! Salomon rules.
Ryan Conklin
Member since
Superfeet insoles really help these shoes serve you best.
Wish they worked for me
Badger
Member since
I really wanted to like these shoes. They have great cushion, support, and stability, while still being breathable. Its the lacing system that ruined it for me. I had heel slippage, which is easy to correct with normal laces. With this system all you can do is cinch it super tight, which then makes the rest of the shoe too tight. I tried everything including adding an extra elastic cinch cord through only the uppermost eyelets. Had to send them back.
Recommended
mik5546346
Member since
Good shoes so far. Only had them for one day of hiking but I wore them straight out of the box and they we're great...to be continued!
.
Sterling Watson
Member since
Amazing...
Sterling Watson
Member since
So I figure I'd write a review on these finally...considering i've owned three different pairs of this exact shoe. These babies fit my feet perfectly!! But not just mine, I havn't heard of anyone's they don't fit. I bought my first pair of these before going to an SAR school for a year...this included many LONG hikes with a pack anywhere from 35-50lbs. Never once got blisters! In fact I havn't had blisters with these since I have had them. I mainly use them for backpacking trips and some trail running. I'd say the best thing about these shoes is the fact that they last through some pretty strong abuse, and have a ton of foot room in the toe box. They are also very true to fit.
I'd recommend these to anyone and everyone, simply no other shoe compares.
Have the lacing eyelets been redesigned...
mark
Member since
Have the lacing eyelets been redesigned and improved in the Solomon XA Pro 3D ULTRA 2 GTX to reduce friction that causes premature wearing of laces and the lower eyelets that occurred to my Solomon XA Pro 3 Ultra GTX?
Guy Geva
Member since
Only the lower eyelet, now look like all the rest with the plastic on
XA Pro 3D ultra 2
Lance Taylor
Member since
Perfect shoes.
CREEK
Member since
I'm now on my 4th pair of these, and I dont plan on ever finding another shoe that supports as well, fits as well, and lasts as long as these do. From jogging on the street, running on trails, hiking, or just plain old walking they will give you everything you need to have happy feet at the end of the day. Pair them up with some Super Feet insoles and you can't go wrong. Perfection.
Well done, Solomon.
Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra good for backpacking!
eri2789971
Member since
Oftentimes we hold onto preconceived notions like they are rote fact. For a long time the conventional wisdom has been that you must wear heavy duty, high-top boots when you are hiking or backpacking, especially in rugged terrain. And for some people, this is probably true. But not everyone. I am a lightweight guy (5'10"/155 lbs) and for summertime backpacking I have all but thrown out my clunky hiking boots in favor of lightweight trail runners. The trick is to find a shoe with either a full, or at least 3/4 length, hard plastic plate running through the sole of the shoe, usually either nylon or urethane. This is what gives your shoes the extra support you need to accommodate the weight of a pack on your back, and also protects the bottoms of your feet from jagged rocks. The Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra has a 3/4 length plate, which means it runs from the heel to the ball of your foot, but not under your toes. There are a few different lightweight trail shoes out there with a urethane plate, but these Salomons are my favorite so far. I hiked the entire AT in these shoes (2200 miles in 130 days), hiked the Colorado Trail in them (450 miles in 25 days), have done Class 3 14ers like Longs Peak, innumerable trail runs, etc. They're absolutely great, and I no longer have any use for full-size boots unless there's snow on the ground. Now, that being said, I rarely carry a pack heavier than 40 lbs (usually 25-30). If you're the type of guy that likes to carry an 80-liter pack stuffed to the gills, with your trusty dutch oven hanging off the back, low-top trail runners may not be right for you. Similarly if you're overweight, or have a propensity for sprained ankles, etc. But don't shy away from them just because of dogmatic conventional "wisdom" about boots and backpacking! Lastly, I would not recommend going with the GTX, especially for multi-day hiking. I'm assuming you're wearing these in warm weather, and if you're wearing low-tops in the summer then they're going to get wet no matter what - whether it's sweat from your own foot, rain water trickling down your legs and into your shoes, stream water coming in over the sides, whatever. But the regular (non GTX) versions breath WAY better, and therefore will dry out much faster and be much more comfortable to wear throughout the day. Wide feet, take note - this shoe is also offered in a wide size, although not every retailer carries it.
Great Trail Running Shoe
Edward Stoklannd
Member since
The Salomon XA Pro 3D is a great trail running shoe but an even better mountain biking shoe. Its much more breathable than the GTX Version.
I like em, not in love though
stwennik1475377
Member since
very comfortable, and they have held up well (durable).
likes:
light, well ventilated, good fit
dislikes:
cable-lacing system works, but is gimicky and doesn't really provide much of a benefit over traditional laces. sole/lug pattern is very shallow and provides only mediocre traction. under heel the shoe is padded and protected from below. but under forefoot and front foot the shoe is very thin and offers almost no protection from objects you might step on. Why just the heel?
I've relegated these to around-town and now use Montrail Mountain Masochists for real trail running
and I'm experimenting with Vibram KSO Trek Sports. If you are going to give up on protection from below, you might as well go all the way.
Abe
Member since
I use these shoes for the sharp rocky hiking in PA. The protection from sharp rocks that don't move when stepped is unbelievable. On wet hiking days I go from sharpest point to the next sharpest point because I have no worry of foot pain from these shoes!
View all contributions... Be patient, it might take a while.

Abe
Member since