Salomon Men's XA Pro 3D Ultra 2 GTX Trail Running Shoe

This is one of my most comfortable trail shoes, but both pairs that I own started to fall apart after a few months. The first pair (labeled in the photo) started to develop several holes in about the same place on both shoes. I used it often on trails but I have hiking shoes that have gone through much more mileage, age, and in tougher terrain without the quick disintegration. The first pair wasn't really usable after 9 months. The second pair didn't see as many trails or mileage but the soles on both shoes started to squeak after about 6 months, so I only wore them in wet weather to walk my dog around the neighborhood. The soles have since separated even with relatively low usage. Mind you, I have a pair of NB All-Terrain 475 shoes that I have had longer and they show far less wear at less than half the price. As much as I enjoy the comfort, it's hard to justify spending $100+ a pop on something that won't last.

I have been wearing Salomon XA Pro 3D shoes for at least the past 7 years. Until recently, I only purchased the regular (non waterproof and non Gore-Tex). Given that I regularly hike and run in the rainy Pacific Northwest, I thought I would try a pair of the Gore-Tex and a pair of the waterproof (WP) shoes. The Gore-Tex shoe fits slightly differently, being stiffer than the others, especially on the heel area, causing some blistering during the first few uses. Otherwise, these shoes are largely the same, except that they are waterproof. The WP version is definitlely hotter than the Gore-Tex version since it doesn't seem to breath much.The real issue I have with these shoes is during recent bouts of cold weather, the lacing mechanism failed on 3 of the 4 shoes. By failed, I mean that the small latch that holds the laces tight, no longer holds onto the laces. You can tighten it up, take a few steps, and the laces come loose, making the shoes completely useless. If the shoes had been well worn, I might be forgiving of the failure, but both pairs have been worn for fewer than 20 trail runs. The rest of the shoes, including the soles, are in excellent condition. I have probably owned 10 pairs of the non waterproof XA Pro 3D shoes since 2008 and this is the first time the laces have failed. To have it happen on two pairs within a month indicates to me that they have changed something in their manufacturing process and the shoes are no longer reliable. Unlike normally laced shoes, you can't easily tie the laces up, meaning when you are 5km from home, you have to walk back with a floppy shoe. Not impressed Salomon.Now to try to figure out how to get warranty replacement for the laces...

These shoes work great for my uses. I usually wear running shoes for street walks and fairly civilized woods paths, but if it's cold or wet, or the path becomes more rugged--uneven, faint, full of roots or rocks--I like to wear these. The Gore-Tex keeps me much drier than my running shoes would. They are a little more stiff than ideal for me, but after some use they have become a little less stiff, and I find them comfortable enough anyway. They are not overly heavy or stiff as some hiking boots are, or some hiking shoes, which are just like a stiffer hiking boot but with the tops cut off. I don't find these to be that stiff--just more so than my running shoes, which are some of the most flexible shoes around so anything is going to be more stiff! The cord for lacing seems a little fragile due to it's narrow gauge, but after a lot of use, I still haven't had one break. I really like the cord tightener--just slide the stopper down as you want, or release it. There's a little pocket on top of the near end of the tongue to tuck in the cord and stopper so it won't catch on brush or something. I didn't realize that for a while and was tucking the excess under the tongue! But the little pocket is great. I recently got a new pair because my previous pair, after much use and abuse, was starting to show signs of the material giving out, in small frayed holes. They are still fully usable tho, and I feel good about how much usage I have got out of them. I wanted to start breaking in a new pair, get a little of the stiffness out of them.

I bought these for my husband. Mostly for a comfortable and good looking walking shoe. He's retired military and I thought he'd like the olive green and black style. Yep! Big hit!!!Some folks say it was a little big, others say it was a little small... in my husband's case, they fit perfectly. But we surely appreciated the free shipping and free return policy. It made us more confident about buying.My husband is a size 9 and we purchased the size 9. When we took them out of the box, we were afraid they might be too wide and too long. But they are just a bit bulky and rugged is all. It's the style. It's a very sturdy shoe. They look great and fit him very comfortably. He did say they felt heavier than his usual sneakers and he would never wear these to the gym.My son in law saw them and immediately ordered a pair of his own! They are sharp looking and get instant compliments.Sometimes a shoe will not fit depending on your build... like if you gain weight then you need a wider or bigger shoe. So I want to add that my husband is average height and a little overweight- some tummy. The shoe does come a little wide as he prefers as he hasn't been able to wear a narrow shoe since his younger and slimmer days. We ordered 2 other Salomon styles and these were the widest and most comfortable. He couldn't handle a narrow shoe.Another reason we order Salomon is for the laces. Easy peezy. Pull to tighten and be done. He's been wearing this brand for years and has never had an issue with the laces breaking. However, they do hang rather long. So it's important to know that this style comes with a little insert in the tongue where you can tuck in the laces. We didn't realize this at first with his last pair.We are very happy with this purchase!