If you want to know why I think the purchase of your hiking boots is one of the most important decisions you will make, check out my original write-up of my Salomon Men’s X Ultra Mid 4 Gore-Tex Wide Hiking Boots. Those awesome boots provided me with 1500+ km (~930 miles) of blister-free, comfortable hiking on my last adventure walking the Camino-Frances and Camino-Finisterre. But alas, although the upper construction is as good as new, the wear and tear from kilometres of asphalt walking and unrelenting rocky terrain, has left my tread a little too worn for my next Camino.
So now having owned and tested the X Ultra Mid 4’s in “the wild”, and having proved that the lighter boots, one size larger, combined with the double sock technique actually worked, it was a lot easier making my choice this time around.
I immediately started researching the latest X Ultra offering from Salomon, the X Ultra Mid 5 Gore-Tex Wide Hiking Boots, and everything I read about them hailed them as being better in every way.
How? Well, the synthetic upper of the Ultra 4’s has been replaced by a Matryx® material which improves both it’s durability and breathability. I quote “[Matryx is] a high-performance textile designed to resist abrasion with individually-coated high-tenacity Kevlar® and technical yarn – that also make it light and breathable.”
But that’s not all, the Ultra 5’s have a re-designed sole with deeper tread and utilising a more durable compound. These features of course should improve both durability and grip.
Additionally, the X Ultra 5 boasts more plush padding around the ankle and on the tongue, while still providing the mid-boot support I rely on. And speaking of support, the boot now uses an Advanced Chassis™ system which is a molded insert embedded in the outsole. This apparently provides “strong lateral support and reassuring protection, it also delivers optimal mobility and flexibility”.
So are there any negatives? Well with full transparency these new boots are 31 grams heavier than the Ultra 4’s, but given that’s about the weight of an AA battery, I think I’ll survive the extra burden.
The real challenge for me now, considering I only have about seven (7) weeks before setting off, is to start piling some pre-Camino training kilometres on them, and moulding them to the shape of my foot to avoid “wear-in” issues on the Camino. In fact, my first 21km have just been administered here.
Product Name: Salomon Men’s X Ultra Mid 5 Gore-Tex Wide Hiking Boots
Brand: Salomon
Supplier: Salomon
Cost (AUD): $369.99
Weight: 880g
Carried: On Person
2025 Gear Cost to Date (AUD): $369.99
Link: https://salomon.com.au/products/x-ultra-4-mid-gore-tex-wide-mens-copy?variant=41977307496514
Nice new boots Michael.. how did they go?
Held up great. Salomon X Ultras haven’t let me down yet.
I basically just threw them on for this walk so I might spend a bit of time tightening the laces to give me more support before the next hike. Ha ha
Because it was raining, they did get a little dirty, but they were pretty easy to clean when I stopped for the day.