Salomon

X Ultra 3 GTX Wide Hiking Shoe - Men's

Excellent Shoe but Durability?

I bought this shoe a month ago. Have used it for hiking, trail running, and walking. It is very comfortable and practically a perfect shoe. The laces have already started to fray and they are an essential part of the shoe and this has me a bit worried about durability.

10+(?) Years - w/6+ Deployments - Awesome

DOD issued my X-Ultra GTXs so long ago, I've forgotten when I got them (2011?). I've taken these on many deployments overseas, and they've been one of the most comfortable and sturdy hiking shoes, period. I've worn Lowa, Keen, & Merrill - if you're interested in low-cut shoes, these are awesome. Great for colder, wet weather. However, they are a bit hot for the desert obviously, so the non-GTX would likely be better for warmer climates.

I love this shoe

But, they appear to have discontinued it and no longer carry my size. The one I received as too narrow - thought I ordered the Wide version.

Amazing except…

Amazing shoes. Super comfortable and light weight for every day use and hiking/walking. Unfortunately, learned the hard way that they are SUPER flammable. Apparently an ash from my fire tonight landed on my toe and burn a hole straight through the material. Lesson learned. Would still buy again. Just be more careful next time.

Regular too narrow, Wide too big

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Size Bought:

11.5W

Height:

5' 9"

Weight:

200

I first purchased the X Ultra Hiking Shoe in the regular sizing based on reviews and Solomon's website that said the shoes fits true to size. I wear an 11.5 in nearly all types of shoes that I own, so that is the size I ordered. When I receive the shoes they were very narrow, but length seemed to be correct. I returned the shoes and ordered an 11.5 Wide and selected the more expensive 2-day shipping because we had a trip planned to CO 4-days from placing the new order. I received the new 11.5 Wide in time for the trip, however, now that the width was good, the length was about a half size too big. I wore them for three days hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park in various types of terrain. Overall, the shoes are very comfortable. We spent about 6-7 hours hiking each day and my feet felt great, weren't sore or fatigued. The shoes provided outstanding grip on dirt, dry rocks, and in some wet areas but did not perform that well when we encountered quite a bit of snow at higher elevations. The waterproof feature was true to it's claim as we spent a good bit of time drudging through deep snow and crossing a few creeks. My feet stayed dry the entire time. Even with thick wool socks, the 11.5 Wide were too big (long) and the laces needed to be cinched as tight as possible (which then left excess laces that needed to be tucked and wrapped around itself. Regarding the laces, they are very thin and use a one-pull system versus tying traditional laces. Some may prefer this type of lace system, however, I found that it kept loosening throughout the hike and each time I cinched it back tight it seemed as if the laces grew in length. I also felt if I pulled too tight that either the lace would snap or the cinch mechanism would break. Thankfully, Backcountry has a great return policy, and I was able to return the shoes for store credit. Save for the sizing and laces issues, these shoes were very comfortable and performed well in the conditions for which I used them. Because of their comfort and performance I have ordered another pair, this time in the mid version and have selected 11 Wide, so we'll see how those fit.

Great Shoes

Great shoes I don't know why on earth Salomon is discontinuing them. I tried on a pair of the Ultra 4 GTX at a store but they were very uncomfortable so I didn't buy them.