Salomon Men's X Ultra Mid GTX Hiking Shoe

This Salomon X ultra 4 Mid GTX pair passed with flying colours , when i went for a stones and gravel , rocky mountain day hiking for 10 kms , Ambaji Durga(Fort) , near Bangalore. I was very sceptical of buying a pair online without trying them at the shop, and my previous experience with another brand with a big local presence was disappointing. Most of the hiking were steep mountain climbing and hiking for 4-5 kms one way and then back. Those shoes were bulky, though had the grip initially.SALOMON Mens X Ultra 4 Mid GTX - came in as a blessing in disguise. Each shoe weighs about 445 gms, my size being UK11. Wore them with proper hiking socks, and sweat absorption was effective. Didn't have much time to break in the shoes before the hiking. This had a narrow middle body near the arch , which took some time to adjust. The ball of the foot had snugged in quite well, though I should have considered the Wide option. My right foot didn't settle in easily. This (W) was not available in the option during purchase. Hence will request the seller to make the Wide option available.Walking through the gravel and dusty mountain paths, it was very light and firm. While climbing up the steep 60º inclines at the summit and rocks , this pair provided enormous confidence and the ankle support was adequate. The picture is taken on the steep incline, where i stand for the final summit climb Perhaps a little better padding at the ankle level would have been comforting.While climbing down , the steep slope and boulders , it provided good grip very well and the traction gave more confidence due to contagrip . The shoe wrapped around very well with the new active support locked in my feet.Overall i need to walk more, wearing the pair on different hiking trails. Possibly taken the right decision, though the price is high, the build quality is great. Don't compromise on cheaper quality risking your ankle. Hiking in summers will prove how worthy is GORETEX technology and will possibly get a Wide option next time and will request the seller to avail of this option. So far so good.

Everything else if fine but Salomon needs to really work on the insole of their shoes. I own a pair of liberty jungle shoes(price= Rs1800/-) which have far better insoles than my X-Ultra of price Rs 18k. A thick insole of latex or something like that should be there in such expensive shoes.