Salomon Men's Quest 4D GTX

I REALLY wanted to love these. And I am not super picky. I went into it thinking they'd be awesome because of the reviews and was super excited, but I think it's a testament to the fact that everyone's built differently. I am sure it's a great boot for many, but it was far from it for me. I have a long (size US 13) and narrow foot. I also have a fairly skinny ankle. I tried everything to make these feel good (different lacing tightness, different padded insoles, various thickness hiking socks, etc) and simply put it always felt like I was walking around in a ski boot no matter what I tried. I don't quite understand all the "wear em right of the box" reviews because they felt stiff to me and rode quite high up my ankle/shin - i guess maybe compared to a full leather boot or mountaineering boot they're not "stiff", but for long hiking which I do, they were pretty stiff to me out of the box (not a deal breaker of course, just saying they do need some break-in time like most boots). The lower part of the tongue chaffed my lower shin like no other's business and the boot just felt bulky on my foot. Also some people love that they naturally "propel you forward" but I hated it. Especially going uphill it almost has the opposite effect and causes the boot to feel like it's pushing back against you (for me anyway).

Waterproofing was great, stood in a creek and completely submerged it and it was dry as a bone. Definitely comfortable insoles, although I kind of like a slightly "harder" yet flexible feel and not so "tennis shoe" feel on the bottom as it gives me better sense of the terrain below my foot. Definitely not a Summer boot - go with some Merrell Moab Ventilators for Summer. The irony is I chose these over the Asolo Fugitives because even though the Fugitives had great reviews too, some people said they were too much "flash" without enough practicality, but I just bought them after returning the Quests and find them to be the opposite. People seem to love the lacing system on these Salomon Quests and I wanted to love em too, but... I didn't. The Fugitives are more "simple" to me and easier to get on and off. They also seem to be truer to size for me (the Quest 13's left space behind my heel and the Fugitives don't). The Fugitive's tongue is slightly lower and more mendable as well and does not chafe like these did to me.

Anyway, I've already probably bored you if you've made it this far in my review, but just throwing it out there, don't go buying these solely (no pun intended) based on the rave reviews of others. Everyone is different not only in their anatomy but their preferences of what they believe is "comfortable". Honestly I still probably love my Merrell Moab Ventilators the best, but they're not quite as durable as some of these other boots (though I do think the Vibram soles are better than both Quest and Fugitives for traction), and so far, I love the Asolo Fugitives. I also have quite a few military friends (marines) and you'll get differing opinions on this too - some love/hate both Fugitive and Quest - some have complete other brands they love. Do yourself a favor and REALLY try on SEVERAL pairs/sizes of the different brands out there in the store and go from there. I bought the Quests based only on reviews here and that was a mistake for me (duh, I know, haha).

Happy trekking!

I don't understand how/why everyone seems to like these boots!? I have a normal to narrow foot, and the toe box is so ridiculously big that I find myself clutching with my toes to feel like I have any stability/control. Sure you likely won't get a blister, but they provide you no control. The heel fits fine however.

The other main issue I have with these is the way the laces work with the "lock" system. It is very difficult to get the bottom half tight enough even with the lock system at the ankle because the way the laces don't grip the lace holes at all, so you can't get the individual lace "regions" to stay tight. Basically, if you pull the laces tight at anything below the lock at the fifth lace hole/holder without locking the laces in, and then let off any of the tension, everything just slips right back to completely loose instantly and you lose all tension. -they don't catch/stay tight. This results in a boot for which you can not tighten down "sections" of lace one "section" at a time to get the right tension at the right spots.

And, finally, the laces will absolutely come undone unless you double knot, they are way to slippery for themselves and the lace holes. I actually started to develop finger blisters from trying to tie/tighten the shoes because of the whole slippery lace and lock system.

I bought these last week based off of reviews and thinking they seemed to fit okay in the store. I was really hoping to like them once I started to wear them around the house and outside just a bit, but they are terrible. I rarely, if ever have returned anything to REI, but these are going back to the store tonight.

I am a professional field biologist and I bought these boots after my old Vasques bit the dust. I wear heavy hiking boots all the time when I am working, which involves a great deal of off-trail hiking. These boots are very comfortable and breathe well, but these few good qualities do not make up for their shortcomings.
I have worn these nearly every day for the past 2.5 months and they are already slicked out. Granted, the area I am working in has very harsh terrain, characterized by woodlands with lots of broken rock, but I was extremely disappointed with how quickly my boots wore out. At first, the traction was great, but now that the soles are flat as a board my feet are always slipping out from under me. The lacing hooks are also problematic, as they pinch the laces and prevent me from easily removing the shoes. I can't afford to buy new shoes every few months, so I don't think I will be buying another pair of Solomons any time soon. Its the sad state of outdoor footwear that boots are no longer built to last. These boots would probably be great for someone who uses them only a handful of times a year, but professionals and avid adventurers should avoid them.

After much research on a good new pair of hiking boots i settled on these because of the reviews I was viewing. After wearing them for 50-60+ miles I thought they were pretty much broken in. In early July I left for my JMT through hike very excited to hit the trail. However after only hiking out of Yosemite Valley, I could already feel the hot spots on the back of each one of my heels. Sure enough when I took my boots off at camp my skin had been rubbed right off and was raw. Due to the cup in at the end of the shoe where your heel is supposed to fit there is a ridge that connects that part of the shoe to the ankle support. This ridge rubbed the space on my heel so raw that by the time I was at Reds Meadow I had to bail out of my trip because there were 50 cent coin sized sores on each of my heels. This is with the application of moleskins to the boots as well as my feet. I would not recommend these boots for any sort of long distance or through hike.

I took these boots to Yosemite this March and put them through the ringer, and they couldn't hack it. I subjected them to hard 6-7 hour day hikes and they were absolutely cosmetically destroyed by the 3rd or 4th day.

This, however, is not what's important. What's important is that both boots - the left first, the right second - developed hideous squeaks. I sounded like a squeaky toy by the end of the trip - every step excruciating. Employee at local REI says both shanks in the boots were broken.

Yosemite hiking is harsh, but not absolutely brutal. 2 weeks and 120 miles of hard hiking should not destroy a $220 pair of Salomon boots designed for EXACTLY THAT PURPOSE.

I don't think this was a fluke pair. The trip destroyed them both functionally and cosmetically. For lighter hiking, they would be great. They feel AWESOME. It's a shame they can't hack a simple Yosemite trip. I returned them and will be buying a pair of Asolos.

I agree with every positive review concerning feel, fit, and performance - but durability is not there.

right after I got these boots I was worried about the waterproofness of them... I got them home and filled the tub a few inches... stood for a few minutes and the feet were dry. I was happy enough about it, but a little worried sense the water seemed like it was absorbing into the fabric.

Well I took these on a weekend backpacking trip and on the second day I had to hike 20 miles in the rain and through puddles. The boots held up for a couple hours, but after a that my feet were squishing water through the boot.... I wouldn't care, but they claim to be waterproof and clearly they are not. besides that they are/were extremely comfortable and had zero break in time.

I bought these boots to hike the Appalachian Trail. They have great traction and were very comfortable. The boots were water resistant when accidentally stepping in water, but when it is going to rain all day it is only a matter of time (30 minutes) before your feet get wet, and once they do they stay wet for three to five days. The boots only held up for about 300 miles before the soles started to peel from the bottom. I replaced them with a pair of trail runners that held up for about twice as long. Not what I would expect for a pair of hiking boots.

These boots appear shorter than north american sizes - toes hit. The are also quite hot. They feel sloppy and a number of times the lace up hooks on the side caught the side of the boot - this could lead to a trip and a fall. Generally not pleased and will likely return. There are better boots out there.

The first couple of long hikes these were great.

After that, I developed bad blisters on the tops of my ankles. I had to return them after a year of hikes. Thank god REI is great for returns. Now looking at some Asolo boots instead.

They are way too narrow for people with wide feet, and they are not worth the money.

I have had the chance to hike a few days in these on the south end of Kodiak Island. We did a little cragging and hiked around in the tundra/alpine with very light packs. I bought these to try to replace a light pair of Asolo Fugitives that were great but were a bit too narrow.

The good:

These feel pretty good right out of the box. They are extremely wide in the forefoot and there is really no break in needed. They feel like running shoes (see below). The sole traction is great with seemingly sticky rubber. Lacing is easy and they generally feel comfy, though the tongue did rub my lower shin on steep climbs. Overall the padding is reasonable and on flat ground they don't feel as clunky as many hiking boots. The locking eyelet between the forefoot and the ankle seems to really grip the laces and you can dial in totally different levels of tightness for each part of the boot.

The bad:

These are too much like running shoes. If you grab the toe area in one hand and the heel in the other, you can fold them in half in the metatarsal area. Twist the boot and it winds up like a dishrag. The ankle is nice and high, but very soft. The lack of stiffness all through the shoe's last means going straight up hill transfers a lot of flex on the ankle area, and I think that is what led to my shin getting tender. Even the heel cup is not that rigid. This makes for nice walking on flat ground and with light (or no) loads. However, side-hilling or climbing straight up a steep slope is not as nice. The boot offers no help and flexes and twists at will. Some people may well like this, but for a boot this heavy, I would expect some support. They only weigh 2.8 ounces less per boot than my Scarpa Charmoz, and those are mountaineering boots(!), plus the Charmoz are orders of magnitude more supportive. Not that the Quest 4D is meant as a mountaineering boot, but given the extremely soft flex I would hope they could drop the weight a lot more. These are basically basketball hightops with a meaty tread.

If you have a very wide foot and either hike on smooth, low angle trails, or want a very comfy, running-shoe-style flex, you may like these. I'm not that impressed.

I purchased these boots to replace a pair of Asolos after reading the positive reviews on them. I also have had a couple of pairs of their gore-tex trail runners. In fact I still have a 5 year-old pair that is still waterproof that I use for bad weather and yard work.

These boots require very little if any break in. The soles are surprisingly stiff at first, but after a couple of miles they feel great. Not as thick as serious backpacking boots, but they are pretty light weight.

I just returned from backpacking 40 miles on the AT with these boots. At first they were amazing. Very comfortable, and the locking lace nut really helps get the perfect lace job. They offer superb support for the 30 lbs I carry. Unfortunately on the last day we were hiking out in the pouring rain so I decided to test their waterproofness. I stepped into one puddle that was maybe 2" deep and the boot just filled with water. I was very disappointed, but at least almost home. I finished the hike with the gushy right foot. I retested them at home just to make sure, and one boot does leak.

This might be an isolated instance, but I will return these and try something else.

I would recommend smart feet insoles or something that fits your feet well as they have little arch support, and the ortholight insole looses its shock absorbing ability after about 12 miles of rocky terrain. At this point your feet get a bit sore. I did however experience no blisters or hot spots with these. A size 10 fit me perfectly where I usually wear a size 10.5 in Asolos.

I've finally given up on my long-time love affair with Salomon's hiking boots. While I absolutely love the fit, comfort, and support of Salomon's boots, the durability just isn't there. I purchased this particular pair in March 2013 and by the end of the year noticed multiple areas of both boots starting to separate (specifically the layers of the soles and the rubber cup at the front). Also, while the boots at first seemed waterproof, by month four I found my feet soaked from merely walking through the morning dew on a grassy field, another disappointment.

While I certainly used these boots, it wasn't so extreme as to justify the short lifespan (REI noted that the soles were far from worn out when I returned them), especially when my coworkers put their various boots through the same use with no comparable problems. Recognizing this, at the 10 month mark I returned this pair of Salomons for a pair of Asolos. This marked my second consecutive return of Salomon boots for poor durability. The first pair were Salomon Fastpackers.

If Salomon steps up their durability, my feet will be back in their boots in a heartbeat because I love everything else about them. I just can't justify spending over $200 on boots that can't last a year.

I wore these boots for a couple of weeks before taking them on the AT for a 500+ mile trip, carrying a ~35lb pack.
The first thing I did was chuck the insole and replace with superfeet green.
The boot is comfortable out of the box. I really like the ankle support. My ankles are a little beat up from years of competitive tennis, so I like a good bit of ankle support. These provide good support and feedback without ever feeling stiff.
You can tell by looking at this boot that it is not built for really heavy duty use. For what it is, I think it performs pretty well. My big disappointment was that the goretex broke down at around 400 miles. You know the goretex will break down, but I would like to have gotten through the trip before it happened.
I would have preferred a stiffer sole, but couldn't find one that was comfortable. I took these boots knowing that they were not as stiff as I would have liked. Sure enough, soles of my feet were bruised by rocks and roots.
After 500 miles, these boots are done. They are now lawn mowing boots.
I wouldn't recommend them for heavy backpacking, but they are great for short trips and day hikes.

When looking to replace my Lowa Renegade's I considered that those boots are not rated as "backpacking" boots which is what I normally used them for. So this time around I did some looking, found these boots, tried them on at the store and everything felt great.

Unfortunately, I wanted to wait for the 20% coupon and ended up buying them here, online. The boots which arrived never quite felt as good as they did at the store.

I spent over a month breaking them in as well as a 23 mile 'walk' around NYC 3 days before my Presidential Traverse attempt. I completed the Presidential Traverse last Saturday but with some major blisters and unhappy feet.

I should have just bought another pair of Renegades.

These never felt as secure on the mids of my feet as I wanted them to be which I attribute to the lacing system. I'm sure these are *great* boots but just not for me.

Also of concern was the material around the reinforced toes started to flake during my Traverse. They don't seem very durable.

I'll be returning this pair, my first *ever* return to REI.

I love Salomon's products. I believe they are an all-around great company. However, I was a little disappointed in this boot. I am a wildlife biologist and generally start the day on the trail but frequently go off trail. I have only owned them for two years, and I could confidently say that they are now made of more duct tape and shoe-goo than original materials. For [$], I expect a little more life out of them. I owned a pair of Salomon backpacking boots previously and they lasted me a good 4 years. I was very pleased which is why I went with the Salomon Quest 4D GTX's. Don't get me wrong, this boot is very comfortable. Spending all day on my feet across uneven terrain was never a problem. I loved these boots for the first year. I would recommend them if you are the type of person that would just use them for the occasional backpacking trip. But if you are the type of person who wears his boots more than any other shoe, I wouldn't recommend these for the price. The durability is not worth the cost to your wallet

I went looking for a replacement for my tread-worn LaSportiva Trango Treks. These Solomon's were billed as comparable. They are not. I do big day hikes and long multi-day trips. A typical day hike is 8 to 10 miles with around 4000' elevation gain. We push for time and speed. These boots seem comfortable, but have too much shoe nature and not enough boot nature, although they look like boots. I have long term bruising in the metatarsals from lack of support while doing quick descents on rough trails. The cam lock lace gizmo's at the instep seem like a neat innovation. Makes it easy to adjust lace tightness over the instep separate from the ankle. They really work - too well. Its a pain getting them to release when you want to get the boots off. The inner side is easy, but its hard to reach around to the outside of your ankle to get the lace to release. This boot is probably okay for casual day hikes on very easy trails, but it doesn't give the support or protection for anything hard core.

These felt great in the store and for the first couple of hours on the trail. After a few hours they started to rub the skin off the top of my two outer toes on both feet and high on the back of both heels right where the cloth and the rubber part of the boot meet. I couldn't feel a seem inside with my hands but it must be there behind the inner liner. I wore sock liners and trekking socks and it still had these pressure points on both feet. REI was great in taking them back. I am back to my Timberland boots which are so comfortable but don't offer the same ankle support as the Solomon boot do. They may not have been right for me but they seemed to be of good quality and at a competitive price.

After years of just using my steel-toed work boots, I broke down and bought these for my first "real" hiking boots. They fit great out of the box. I have a long, but narrow foot and was in awe at how perfect the fit was. The next day I took them to Shenandoah for a few miles of hiking. Wound up with no blisters, and after crossing several streams, my feet were still dry.
However, these boots had NO traction on wet rocks, period. Since the elevation change was over 3000 feet (down and back up), that was a lot of near falls and groin stretching splits that left me sore for a week.

Having previously had a pair of Trek 7's that lasted 6 years of constant abuse I decided to go Salomon again. I was a little concerned with the material looking a bit on the flimsy side. They fit perfectly, are ultra comfortable and feel great. I used them for day hikes initially but after the 3rd trip carrying a moderate load (40 pounds) for around 5 days the water proofing failed, soon after layers began to separate and fall apart. This boot is not capable of lasting more than a year with someone who hikes relatively long and frequently.Very disappointed