The outsole area of these boots provided great overall traction and stability with the Contragrip technology that provides a surprising amount of grip and traction, even in terrain that was a challenge, such as sand or gravel. Hikers in these boots found that they could turn easily and quickly with a minimal amount of slipping or sliding. In addition, the outsole of this boot provides great protection and extra shielding to the toe and heel area, making it easy to navigate rough terrain without significant fear of injury.

The midsole portion of this boot features an injected EVA and ortholite chassis that has a molded shank for added support, comfort and durability. In addition to the great overall support and comfort provided the chassis, this boot also features a good amount of cushioning and foam in the heal area, and the sensifit technology used in this are provides great all around support and a customized fit when used in junction with the lacing system.

The upper portion of this shoe features a combination of Nubuck leather with fabric material. This provides a great deal of flexibility and breathability, while still maintaining a good deal of structure and support overall. In order to provide great overall protection from the elements, the upper portion is fully lined with a waterproof and breathable Gore-Tex membrane that is pretty useful at keeping water and snow at bay. While the lining itself is waterproof, our experience says that it is merely water resistant. We wouldn’t suggest wading through a stream or river in these boots for a long period of time. However, jumping through puddles, or wading through a small stream is more that acceptable.

Despite it’s great protection from the elements, these boots provide a great deal of overall breathability, especially in the upper portion due to the mixture of fabric and leather materials. The breathable Gore-Tex membrane, which does a great job of keeping the water out, is also designed to let air pass easily through the shoe, providing decent overall ventilation.

Most found these boots to be fairly comfortable, requiring very little of a break in period before being used on a longer hike. The interior cushioning provides a lightweight comfortable feel that is not only easy on your walking gait, but also helps to prevent blisters due to their overall snug fit. Some found that the toe box area was a bit too roomy for their taste, but overall, even people with wider feet found this shoe to fit nicely.
The traditional lacing system turned out to be a nice change of pace overall when it came to comfort, allowing the wearer to easily adjust the tension on both the ankle area and the instep area for a more customized fit. What’s more, the strong lacing hooks allowed the tension to remain in place, even after going through rough terrain where the laces of lesser made boots would have come looser or even untied.

This boot has a more lightweight and athletic style when it comes to a hiking boot, which many found to be a nice change of pace overall. It’s mid-ankle styling may not offer as much needed ankle support for some, but for those hikers that prefer more of a low rise style that allows for easy adjustment of your foot placement while hiking, this boot from Salomon is a great overall choice.

As far as the look for these boots, we don’t expect them to be winning any fashion contests, but they do have a classic color style and clean lines that would probably appeal to the more pragmatic among us. They feature metal lacing eyelets, strong, closely spaced stitching, and a nice mix of fabrics and leather to prove a modern utilitarian look.

While we wouldn’t recommend using these boots in extreme conditions, especially during the winter, for most hiking situations or outdoor activities, it’s hard to find a pair of boots that can withstand more than these can. The combination of a thick rubber sole, strategic padding and extra protection in both the heel and toe area, as well as solid construction make this boot one that will last through quite a few seasons of regular use. The combination of rubber, fabric and leather make for a boot that is fairly flexible, without sacrificing stability and strength. This boot can easily bend and flex a reasonable amount and still protect your feet.

This boot provides a surprising amount of protection from the elements given the varied used of materials in the upper portion of the boot. The waterproof Gore-Tex lining lives up to its name and reputation, offering great overall protection from puddle wading, mud, and other nefarious ways of water infiltration. The gusseted tongue adds another barrier, helping to keep mud, grime and debris away from your instep area.
In addition, these boots provide a good deal of protection to both the heel and toe area, using both a synthetic toe guard and a heel sleeve, something that isn’t always seen in hiking boots in this price range. What’s more, these features don’t add a whole lot of weight to the overall shoe, which is a nice touch.

Generally speaking, most people found this particular shoe to be quite responsive, especially when traveling over terrain that was a bit unsteady or rough. It performed well both on the beaten path and a little bit off of it, handling loose rocks, sand, and gravel with the same ease as it did on well-trodden trail. Some hikers did experience a bit of a problem with the traction in more muddy terrains, but not because of slipping. Rather, the tread featured on the outsole of this shoe provided a little too much grip at time, allowing the shoe to become easily stuck in muck or mud, especially around the water’s edge. And with it’s mid-ankle profile, that did prove to be somewhat of a problem. Overall though, these shoes allowed the hiker to move quickly and comfortably from one step to the next without any loss of feel or responsiveness.

While this particular shoe doesn’t offer the same level of support as those that feature a high ankle profile, it does offer quite a bit of comfort and support for what it is. Both the heel and arch areas are well supported with molded cushioning, and there is a good bit of rigidity in the framework of the shoe to provide a bit of extra support when needed. However, it’s still a very lightweight shoe that is easy enough to wear over long distances. This is one shoe that you’ll probably forget about wearing until that moment when you need it the most.

These shoes are designed for a hiker who has an athletic sense about him or her, so it’s a great choice in a wide range of terrains. They can easily handle the rigors of a construction site, a weekend hike through the woods, or an even walk down a local bike path. It can also easily handle rough to moderately rough terrain such as foot hills or hill slopes. However, we wouldn’t suggest using these boots on extreme rough terrain where the angles that your feet and ankles must bend is a bit extreme, such as high mountains or during bouldering sessions. They’re simply not designed for them. However in most situations enjoyed by an outdoor enthusiast, these shoes will fit the needs quite well.

These shoes fall into the moderately priced range for comparable products. Depending on the seller and the availability of sales, expect to spend between $75 and $200 USD.

The rubberized sole and the contragrip tread on this particular boot provided ample amount of traction, even under slippery conditions. In some cases, as when dealing with excessive mud or river muck, the grip became somewhat of an issue because it became a bit too strong. However, in most cases, the traction on these boots are a true asset.

Truth be told, these aren’t the most flexible hiking boots we’ve seen. The design of these boots from Salomon is more geared to protection and versatility overall. They do move quite easily with your foot, but don’t expect to be able to place your feet and ankles in extreme angles with a great deal of comfort.

When it comes to stability, for a mid-ankle boot, these are hard to match. The molded EVA midsole and the structured heel and instep area allow for not only a more customized fit but also a great deal of all-around support that leads to a great deal of stability when moving through moderately rough terrain.

When it comes to hiking boots, the Salomon brand is well known for their overall comfort and strength compared to other brands on the market today. In the case of the Quest Prime GTX hiking boots, the characteristics that most people seem to take note of is the surprisingly lightweight nature of the boot, as well as it’s great protection from the elements. The boot itself weighs a little over one and a half pound, making it relatively easy to travel with over long distances. While it’s not as light as some others on the market, it certainly is a top contender in that department.
Many people and users claimed that the boot was waterproof. While we certainly marveled at how well this boot worked in wet conditions, we have to say, we didn’t find it to be truly waterproof, as compared to boots that were designed to work in submerged conditions. The mix of fabric and leather in the uppers, as well as the seams were simply overwhelmed in those situations. However, for stepping through puddles, wading through streams, or other temporary encounters with water, this boot did remarkably well.

If you’re in the market for a good all around hiking boot that is lightweight, responsive and comfortable, it’s hard to beat the Salomon Quest Prime GTX Hiking Boot. Designed to provide great protection from the elements, stability and great overall traction, we found this boot to be a great choice on most hiking trails and in most outdoor situations where traveling over moderately difficult terrain was expected. While we wouldn’t recommend this boot for more extreme terrain such as mountains or bouldering, for most hikers this is a great lightweight choice for a great time in the outdoors.