For over 10 years I have done my summer hiking in the non GTX version of either Salomon X Ultra or La Sportiva Ultra Raptor. Unfortunately, Salomon totally foobar’d the X Ultra 4 and La Sportiva is discontinuing the Ultra Raptor ii without a replacement (according to their product support). I looked for leftovers in my size (48W no GTX) and can’t find anything.
Any suggestions for alternatives? Not interested in trail runners, I go off trail a reasonable amount of time and want something with robust heel support and toe protection. I hike in the Southwest so non GTX is a must. Thx.
Blai said:
Look into Scarpa, particularly the Crux and the Mojito. They’re good quality shoes that might suit your needs.
How is the sizing of the Scarpa? Wildly off like La Sportiva or normal? I wear US13 in Ultra X 3 and 48W in La Sportiva (which is nominally 14 wide in US sizes according to them, but is more like 13 normal width)
@Zen
La Sportiva tends to run pretty small and narrow for some weird reason. I’m a 44.5 in Asolo and the same in Scarpa. I’m a 44 1/4 in Salomon, but I don’t use them nowadays. I’d say Scarpa runs pretty true to size if you use the EU sizing. They’re maybe a half-size small by US sizing for some models.
Micah said:
I don’t know what you’re talking about with the X Ultra 4, the pair I recently bought have been great.
OP is likely talking about the quality control or the fit of the heel, both of which are things that changed from the 3 to the 4.
Quality tanked. I’ve killed five pairs of Salomons in a collective six months: three Quest 4 and two Pioneers. They just don’t live long.
The heel is a complaint I’ve seen a few times. People complain that it rides too high and causes blisters. That’s a user issue, though. Not every shoe fits everybody.
@Blai
How many miles did you get on the Quest 4s? And what were the conditions like? I realized the ones I recently bought were actually Quest 4s, bought X Ultra 3s several years ago but accidentally shrank them by leaving them in the car.
@Micah
One pair lasted two months, and the next two pairs lasted a month each. I’m not sure how many miles. The GTX failed in all three, and the stitching blew out in several spots on two of them.
I switched to Asolo and never looked back. They’ve got a really similar fit to Salomon if you get the wide model, at least to my feet.
I use the Fugitive GTX when I want a light synthetic. They hold up very well. I did have to replace one because my feet spread out from hiking, but it was still in great shape. They’re rigid with a little bit of flex, so they offer a lot of support. They breathe well, and they’ve never let water in, something I can’t say about the Salomon Quest 4s I had.
When I need more support, I go to the Asolo TPS 520 GV Evo, which is a leather model. They’re also fantastic. I keep them waxed with Grangers Waterproofing Wax, and they keep my feet warm and dry when it’s freezing out. They breathe well enough to use them up to about 70°F without hot feet, but they’ll get a bit warm above that. I’ll still use them above that if I need more support, though.
Noah said:
I’m not sure what you’ll find, but when you do, buy 3 pairs so you’ll have them for years
Should have done that with Salomon. When they came out with the Ultra 4s, I immediately bought a pair of leftover Ultra 3s from eBay. This year the tread on my old Ultra 3s wore out and they became slippery, so I pulled out my ‘overstock,’ but I had only one pair. I am good for a few years, so maybe Salomon comes out with Ultra 5s or there are UR3.
I was looking for Ultra Raptor shoes a few months ago and saw they were discontinued. I called a local La Sportiva store to see what sizes they had in stock, and I was told it’s only the style that’s been discontinued. I was told the shoe will return with a new aesthetic. Not sure how legit this is or if anything else about the design will change. This may also not apply to the boot. Just something to consider.
