Salomon ultra X hiking shoes

[mla1]

Has anyone used Salomon ultra hiking shoes (or the mid-height boot version) for more than one camino?

 

[LesBrass]

Has anyone used Salomon ultra hiking shoes (or the mid-height boot version) for more than one camino?

Hello, I started my first camino in Mamhut boots but had terrible blisters and a shop in Estella sold me some Salomon X Ultra GTX shoe. They were great and I carried on to Sanitago. When I tried to replace them I found they had been replaced by these :

http://www.salomon.com/uk/product/x-ultra-2-gtx.html?article=371576

I bought them and wore them last year, although I did only walk around 250km this time.

I do like my shoe, they allowed me to finish! I think though that perhaps I have to buy a size bigger than I should in order to get the width. It works as I change my sock combination depending on if I'm hot or cold.

I am thinking about trying a Keen - I notice they have a new shoe with a wide fit and as my feet are 3-4x wide I think it's worth at least trying... but I'm nervous as I dont want to face the blister problems I had in 2014 and for this year they have to take me from St Jean to Finisterre!



I really love the easy lacing... and would miss that in another shoe too

 

[norelle]

I met a French pilgrim on the Primitivo who was wearing them and he was very happy with them.
He had walked from his home in France and needed to replace his shoes after 800km. So you may not get more than one camino out of them.

buen camino

 

[LesBrass]

I met a French pilgrim on the Primitivo who was wearing them and he was very happy with them.
He had walked from his home in France and needed to replace his shoes after 800km. So you may not get more than one camino out of them.

buen camino

Thats right actually - I did notice by the time I reached Santiago I could tell they were at the end of their walking days. I was so pleased to arrive I felt like getting them framed

 

[mla1]

I love these shoes - wore them last year from Le Puy to SJPP. And I have worn them at home since then.
This is my second pair - the first pair lost their waterproofing after about year and Salomon replaced them for free. So I never got to see how many kilometers they would last for.

Just trying to figure out whether I need to buy new shoes to do the VDLP this spring.

LesBrass - I also love the laces! And the shoes are just really really comfortable.

 

[LesBrass]

I have a feeling I read somewhere that they should be good for 1000km? But I could have dreamed it too!

If I was you I would get a new pair. My second pair have plenty of life in them but for September I'm going to get new ones. Although they'll have a good test before I leave home!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I have the same shown in the link, GTX Ultra 2 and really like them. Wore them for two 350km Caminos and at home in between and since. But one heel is showing signs of uneven use, amd today walking on melting snow (when you get the snow to turn into a sort of soft transparent ice) they were slippery. Would they have been before?

I have always gone with the 1000 km rule, and not just because of the tread but because of the internal support. With my plantar fasciitis I will not be taking this pair out for another Camino but will gladly replace them by the same model. If Hoka One finally sells its new Vibram tread trekking shoes I will also take a look at them but would be just fone with another pair of the Salomons.

 

[C clearly]

I have a different Salomon boot and estimate I have walked about 1200 km in them. I can see wear on the soles but will probably take a chance and start another Camino with them, because I don't have enough time to go through the replacement search and testing. I am not very hard on my shoes.

 

[peregrina2000]

I echo the praise of Salomons. On my Vadiniense into Leon several years ago, I knew my boots were killing my feet. I found a pair of low Salomon shoes on close out, nothing special, and continued on the Salvador/Primitivo without any problems at all. Since then I've walked in nothing but Salomons, but the ones I wear now are not the real low ones.

I know that Keens and Salomons are both praised by those who need a wide toe box, but in my experience, Salomon is much much better than Keens if what you need is less a wide toe box and more a wide space for the metatarsal.

 

[Christian Hiriart]

I'm not familiar with the Salomon shoes, I will have to try them. So far I have used Merrells and they do well for me.

 

[nidarosa]

I have worn nothing else since 2012, well over 1000 km of mainly galician trails plus regular use. I have started on my third pair now but there is still lots of life left in all of them. The first two pairs, in different sizes, had a lacing system which I don't like anymore so my latest pair are X Ultra Prime, same shoe with normal laces. Highly recommend them on and off the camino!

 

[krazeekuban]

Past 3 Caminos! Love my Salomons!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Is it me or is the OP asking if the same pair will get you beyond SJPP to Santiago, or the equivalent?

 

[purplesage]

I wore my Solomons out after two Caminos. And I was surprised.... They are great boots. THEN, I realized the mistake I'd been making: I used to dry them near the room heaters.... A DEFINITE NO NO for walking boots. Now I got Lowa Renegade and ... WOW... I love them. Buen Camino

 

[JohnnieWalker]

I only ever wear Saloman mid ankle shoes - I wore mine for 1200 kms of the "mostly on asphalt" 88 temple route in Japan a year ago and they are still going strong.

 

[mla1]

Is it me or is the OP asking if the same pair will get you beyond SJPP to Santiago, or the equivalent?

Yes - I'm asking if I can squeeze another 1000 kilometers out of a pair of shoes that have already walked from LePuy to SJPP (750 km) last year and that have been in relatively frequent use since then at home. So by now they would have at least 1200 km on them....

Part of the issue is that the salomon ultra has been replaced by the ultra 2 - and it is not quite the same shoe. [I hate when companies do this!]
I'd love to use my current shoes, but I don't want to end up somewhere mid-camino and not be able to find a reasonable replacement.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Mary Louise

 

[C clearly]

I'd love to use my current shoes, but I don't want to end up somewhere mid-camino and not be able to find a reasonable replacement.

Exactly my quandary. Mine have 1200 km on them and I plan another 800 in March-April, so I'll find out! I agree that the tiny changes in a shoe model can make a big difference. Even two pairs of the same model can be different! At least I know that Salomons are commonly sold in Spain, so I would have a good chance of finding something satisfactory if necessary.

 

[jmcarp]

The Salomons are great for people whose feet they properly fit; the Merrills are great for people whose feet they properly fit; the Vasques are great for people whose feet they properly fit -- are you seeing a pattern here? You can use recommendations like these as a starting point for selecting a boot or hiking shoe, but in the end you need to find a boot or shoe that fits YOUR feet and that still feel good after test walks of several 10s of miles. Find a store with knowledgeable salespersons who understand that you'll be walking day after day for hundreds of kilometers to help you get fitted. Get fitted in the afternoon after your feet have done their normal swelling routine, wear the socks or combination of liners and socks that you'll be wearing on the Camino (test a few of these as well), and buy at least a half size -- and perhaps a full size -- larger than your normal shoe size. Remember that sizes may vary between different shoe manufacturers. Your footwear is the most important gear you'll be buying for the Camino, so try to get it right the first time. Your feet will love you if you do.

 

[peregrina2000]

Yes - I'm asking if I can squeeze another 1000 kilometers out of a pair of shoes that have already walked from LePuy to SJPP (750 km) last year and that have been in relatively frequent use since then at home. So by now they would have at least 1200 km on them....

Part of the issue is that the salomon ultra has been replaced by the ultra 2 - and it is not quite the same shoe. [I hate when companies do this!]
I'd love to use my current shoes, but I don't want to end up somewhere mid-camino and not be able to find a reasonable replacement.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Mary Louise

Hi, ML,
I have started the last three caminos with new Salomons. I think I will start walking this year with a pair that has about 1200 km on it. The good thing about Salomons is that you will be able to find some kind of Salomon in many towns. It's a very popular brand in Spain.

It was explained to me that it is the lathe that determines the fit, and that all Salomons use the same lathe. If that's true you will be able to find a good replacement even though it may not be your favorite shoe.

 

[nidarosa]

I agree - if you have found your shoe, then stick with them. You might want to add an insole somewhere along the way if the bounce starts going out of them, I have some Scholl gel ones in my X Ultra original pair and they are still going very strong. Also I have seen X Ultras in lots of places, definitely Astorga and the Peregrinoteca in Sarria, plus probably lots more. My first ones are one size bigger to accommodate woollen socks, my second ones slightly smaller for summery walks, and when I had had enough of the lacing system, which by the way is the only thing about the Ultras that have disappointed me and failed, I got a pair of X Ultra Primes instead of mark 2s. My Primes looked vitually new when I arrived in Santiago having walked from Astorga.