The low and mid X Ultra 5 GTX, about $150 to $165 on Amazon, how each one fits, and what owners say after the first miles.
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About as steady as a light hiker gets on rocky trail, if your feet aren't wide. Get the Mid.
Want the low shoe? Salomon X Ultra 5 GTX · about $165
Want the low shoe? Salomon X Ultra 5 GTX · about $165
The version owners rate highest and the one that fits true to size. Regular laces, a higher waterline, and about $40 under Salomon's price on Amazon.
Get the X Ultra 5 Mid GTX, about $150: it's the light hiker that keeps your foot steady when it lands on a root, a tilted rock or a loose step coming down. Salomon molds a chassis into the sole, and the reviewers I read all land on the same word for it on rough ground: stable. It's waterproof, it's light for that much support, and plenty of owners say it was comfortable from the first walk.
Get the X Ultra 5 Mid GTX. It fits true to size where the low runs short, its regular laces let you snug the heel and leave the toes loose, and it sells for about $150 on Amazon, less than the low. Take the low X Ultra 5 GTX if you want three ounces less on each foot, and order it half a size up. Either way, this is a shoe for narrow to average feet. If yours are wide, start with the alternatives at the bottom of the page.
The version owners rate highest and the one that fits true to size. Regular laces, a higher waterline, and about $40 under Salomon's price on Amazon.
16 oz per shoe GORE-TEX Regular laces
Three ounces lighter per shoe, with a one-pull lace. It runs short and narrow, so order half a size up if you're between sizes.
13 oz per shoe GORE-TEX Quicklace
Also on Amazon:WideThe two versions share the same sole, foam and GORE-TEX lining, so the choice is really about the collar and the laces. The Mid covers your ankle bone, adds a gusseted tongue that keeps water out a little higher, and laces up the old way. The low saves about three ounces per shoe and closes with Quicklace, a single cord you pull tight and tuck into a pocket on the tongue. It's quick, but it tightens the whole shoe at once, so you can't loosen the toes while keeping the heel snug.
On the kind of trail I hike most, Pisgah's wet roots and steep, rocky descents, I'd take the Mid. Salomon also makes a low with no membrane, about $155 at full price, which breathes better in summer, and women's versions of both GTX shoes in a regular width only.
| Weight | 13 oz per shoe for the low, 16 oz for the Mid, as Salomon lists them |
|---|---|
| Drop | 11 mm on the low, as Salomon lists it; RunRepeat measured about 12 mm on the low and 12.7 mm on the Mid |
| Outsole | All Terrain Contagrip, with a molded chassis in the sole for side-to-side support |
| Upper | Woven textile reinforced with Kevlar |
| Waterproofing | GORE-TEX on both. Salomon also sells a low with no membrane |
| Laces | One-pull Quicklace on the low, regular laces on the Mid |
| Widths | Medium and wide for men, same price; women's in a regular width only |
| Full price | About $175 for the low and $190 for the Mid at Salomon |
The complaint you'll read most is about width, and it's much louder on the low. About a quarter of the low's reviews say it's narrow, short or both, including most of the unhappy ones. One pair of wides, bought for a husband, went back as too short and too narrow for something labeled wide. Another, who had owned three pairs of the X Ultra 4 in wide, measured the soles with calipers and found the 5 narrower in the toe box, still tight after three months. A longtime XA Pro wearer spent a whole weekend with toes ramming the front. Several owners simply went up half a size or a full size and were happy after that. On the Mid, about one review in ten mentions a snug fit, and almost all of those owners kept their pair anyway.
The second complaint is how firm it is. A few unhappy owners of the low call it the stiffest shoe they've worn, or say it took a week to break in. Testers agree: RunRepeat rates the low one of the least cushioned hiking shoes it has measured, and Switchback found the stiff midsole wearing on long days. That firmness is also why it feels so planted on rock, but if your knees want something soft under them, this isn't it.
The laces split people. Most owners of the low like the one-pull Quicklace, and a hiker who averages 80 to 90 miles a month calls it fantastic. One finds the laces work loose on the trail, and another couldn't loosen the toe box enough to stop it pressing on the big toe. On the Mid, one owner says the laces won't hold and come untied, something two earlier pairs of X Ultra 4 never did.
Wet feet are rare in the reviews. Mid owners describe stepping in ankle-deep water every day in Iceland, sixteen miles on a flooded trail in a rainstorm, and a full day in the snow, all with dry socks. One longtime X Ultra wearer finds the waterproofing not quite as good as on earlier pairs. The low's collar is the real limit: once water comes over it, it's in.
Durability is mostly good news. That 80-mile-a-month hiker got about 600 miles out of a first pair of lows and bought a second. A landscaper who wears the Mid at work and on weekend hikes gets about a year out of each pair. One pair fell apart halfway through a Philmont trek. On wet rock, owners and testers don't agree: some call the grip great on slanted, wet ground, while hikingfeet slipped on smooth boulders and one happy owner finds the sole a little slick on some wet surfaces.
What owners love is how light and steady it feels. Happy owners of the Mid talk most about the weight, or the lack of it, and the support, and plenty say there was nothing to break in.
The low runs short and narrow. Order half a size up if you're between sizes, if your toes already touch in your current shoes, or if you wear thick socks. RunRepeat's readers call it half a size small, and so do several owners.
The Mid fits true to size for most buyers, so start with your usual size and go up half only if your feet are on the wide side.
The wide helps, but it isn't very wide. Four buyers of the low wide and two of the Mid wide still found it tight. If you need a truly wide shoe, the Moab 3 or the Targhee IV below will fit better. The women's versions come in a regular width, sizes 5 to 11.
RunRepeat measured both versions below average for breathability, so on a humid August day you'll feel it. For summer, the low with no membrane is the cooler choice.
The X Ultra 5 keeps the 4's idea and most of its tread: RunRepeat found the lug pattern barely changed and the low about the same weight as the X Ultra 4 GTX. What's new is above the sole. The upper is a tightly woven textile reinforced with Kevlar, the ankle collar has more padding, and the toe cap is tougher. Several owners of both find the 5 more comfortable but narrower. If your X Ultra 4 already felt snug, go half a size up or try the wide.
If the X Ultra is too narrow or too hard for you, one of these fixes it.
| Shoe | Weight per shoe | Drop | Membrane | About |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salomon X Ultra 5 Mid GTXThis review | 16 oz | About 12.7 mm (RunRepeat) | GORE-TEX | $150 |
| Salomon X Ultra 5 GTXThis review | 13 oz | 11 mm | GORE-TEX | $165 |
| Merrell Moab 3 GORE-TEX | About 16 oz | 11.5 mm | GORE-TEX | $185 |
| Merrell Moab Speed 2 GORE-TEX | 12.9 oz | 10 mm | GORE-TEX | $170 |
| KEEN Targhee IV Waterproof | 18.7 oz | 12 mm | KEEN.DRY | $145 |
Roomier through the toes, with a wide at the same price. About a pound per shoe, like the Mid, but softer underfoot and less precise on rock.
Same weight and same full price as the low X Ultra, on a foam Merrell built for bounce, with a plate inside. The one to try if the Salomon feels too hard.
The roomy one, and the cheapest here at about $145. Nearly 6 oz heavier per shoe than the low X Ultra.
For the wider field, every one waterproof and over the ankle, my best waterproof hiking boots list ranks six.
I went through Salomon's specs for both versions and their wide and women's models, then every owner review on Zappos for the four versions with the most reviews, 245 in all, along with their answers on size and width. RunRepeat's lab measurements filled in weight, width, grip and breathability for each version, and the reviews at Switchback Travel, CleverHiker, OutdoorGearLab, hikingfeet, Better Trail and Mountaineer Journey showed where testers and owners agree. Prices come from Amazon and update on this page.
Yes, especially on rocky or steep trail. They're light, waterproof and very stable, which is why they suit day hikes and trips with a light pack. They're less of a fit if your feet are wide or if you want a soft, cushioned ride for long days on hard ground.
The low does. It's short and narrow for many buyers, so order half a size up if you're between sizes. The Mid fits true to size for most people. Both come in a wide, though the wide is still on the snug side.
Yes. They have a GORE-TEX membrane and a gusseted tongue, and owners report dry feet through creek crossings, flooded trails and snow. Water still gets in if it comes over the collar, which happens sooner on the low.
The sole and tread are close to the same. The X Ultra 5 has a new woven upper reinforced with Kevlar, a more padded collar and a tougher toe cap. Several owners of both find the 5 more comfortable but narrower, so go half a size up if the 4 was already snug.
It depends on what hurts at the end of the day. The X Ultra is firm and close to the ground, which keeps you steady on rocks but doesn't soften much. Hoka's hiking shoes are built around thick, forgiving foam, so they suit long days on hard trail and tired knees better. If that's you, my Hoka Kaha 3 GTX review covers the most cushioned of them.
For most hikers with narrow to average feet, the Mid is the X Ultra 5 to buy, at about $150. Pick the low if you want the lighter shoe, and order it half a size up.