Ever since I stepped onto the one-way road of hiking and mountaineering, five of the ten pairs in my shoe cabinet have been outdoor shoes. When I counted more carefully, I realised that four of those five pairs were Salomon.
After completing a long-distance walk in New Zealand in three unsuitable pairs of hiking and trail-running shoes, I returned to Taiwan and tried Salomon mountaineering shoes. I was won over immediately. The series I have loved and kept buying ever since is the Salomon X Ultra line, designed specifically for mountain use.
My first pair of X Ultra 3 completed more than 1,000 kilometres in Japan. I replaced them with a second pair of the same model and kept moving through Taiwan’s mountains. Their reliable performance has always let me step forward with confidence. So when Salomon released the new X Ultra 4, continuing to refine the original functions while breaking away from the brand’s previously sporty look with eye-catching colours and shape, how could I not add them to my outdoor gear cabinet?
Three things I love about the Salomon X Ultra 4
1. A versatile look like a classic basketball shoe
Anyone who has worn the Salomon X Ultra line will immediately notice the dramatic change in the X Ultra 4’s appearance. Even first-time buyers can easily be drawn in by the clean design and on-trend colours.
Salomon shoes used to be known for prominent zigzag panels and high-contrast colour combinations. They made a strong impression and clearly looked technical, the kind of technical look that tells everyone you are going hiking the moment you put them on. That also limited how often they could appear outside the mountains. Over the past two or three years, however, Salomon’s new models have become more fashionable and streamlined, such as the OUTline series for outdoor urban travel and VAYA, designed around women’s needs. Now even its classic lines are getting striking new designs, matching the modern hiker’s need for shoes that are comfortable and good-looking.
Look closely at the X Ultra 4 and you will see that it did not sacrifice support or function for appearance. Instead, every functional section becomes part of the design through its cut and colour combinations, giving the shoe both looks and substance. There are still not many mountaineering shoes I would call genuinely stylish. The Salomon X Ultra 4 is easily in my personal top three. Friends always compliment it, and it makes me curious about every Salomon design to come.
2. A light, comfortable feel
Salomon 在台灣上市的鞋款主要分為越野跑鞋與登山健行鞋兩大類，而登山健行類別中，又針對不同的徒步強度需求，在鞋底紋路深度、支撐性、鞋體重量…等細節，設計出相對應的鞋款，分成城市山林系列、踏青健行、郊山健行、負重登山、到重裝登山。除了重裝登山的 QUEST ELEMENT 系列外，Salomon 皆將鞋身做到了輕量化。
The Salomon X Ultra series sits in the backpacking category and carries that lightweight quality with it. One rule of thumb says that every additional 100 g in your shoes feels like adding 500 g to your backpack, making each step heavier and using more energy.
Measured in person, a UK 4.5 mid-cut Salomon X Ultra 4 weighs 360 g per shoe, while the low-cut version weighs 330 g. It feels light and keeps my steps nimble, yet still offers a reassuring hint of solidity. It is a very appealing weight.
I moved from a retired pair of X Ultra 3 to the X Ultra 4. Whether I broke them in first or not, and wearing ordinary hiking wool socks, I have not experienced any blisters. The fit is close and supportive. The women’s X Ultra 4 also uses softer lining. Compared with the back of the ankle lining on previous models, this one is finer, gentler, and covers more area. I can feel my feet being treated gently by the X Ultra, and it is very comfortable.
3. Reassuring, powerful sole support
I keep choosing the Salomon X Ultra line for walks in Taiwan and overseas not only because of its pleasant weight and comfortable fit, but because it does not create extra problems, such as rubbing my skin or breaking easily. More importantly, it gives me the support I need on the trail.
Over a long walk, a sole that is too hard makes every impact obvious, while one that is too soft leaves the leg muscles noticeably sore. My favourite routes mix every kind of surface: dirt, gravel, asphalt, concrete, rocks, mud, and occasional technical obstacles. The X Ultra line’s deep lugs, grippy CONTAGRIP® outsole, and ADV-C midsole technology, which provides support from different movement angles, let me worry less about whatever the trail presents. Honestly, the thing that ends up frightening me is usually my own mind, not the feet inside a good pair of shoes.
The women’s Salomon X Ultra 4 also differs slightly from the men’s model in the midsole. Because women’s anatomy is naturally different, Salomon thoughtfully adjusted it with a lighter midsole and a slightly wider last. Since launching the VAYA line, Salomon has shown that it takes women’s hiking needs increasingly seriously. As a woman who has been considered in the design, I find that care genuinely heartwarming.
After a long rest, the Salomon X Ultra 4 slowly brought me back to the mountains
I never expected that soon after finishing a nine-day walk from Tainan to Yushan in early April, just as I was happily feeling my fitness improve, I would have to stay home during the pandemic. My brand-new Salomon X Ultra 4 could only sit in the gear cabinet as decoration (although, to be fair, it has the looks for the job).
Five months later I finally returned to the trails I had missed. The list of routes was long, but after less than a few minutes of activity, my body told me that everything had to be rebuilt from scratch. I began with extremely short low-mountain walks under 3 km, then extended rehabilitation walks to 10–15 km a day, gradually working back toward multi-day backpacking. It was also a chance to break in the shoes and see how the Salomon X Ultra 4 responded to different surfaces.
From Xindian’s hillside town to Jingtan Mountain: historic trails, Emerald Reservoir, and mixed terrain handled beautifully by the X Ultra 4
Jingtan Mountain lies along the road between Pinglin and Wulai in New Taipei City. It was once a popular hiking route, with many options of different lengths and difficulty levels.
The Garden New Town–Jingtan Mountain–Chilu Historic Trail loop my friend chose was fascinating. It was 12.5 km long, with dirt paths, roads, stone steps, mud, streams, tangled roots, boulders to climb, and several sections requiring a rope. It tested the X Ultra 4 across almost every kind of terrain in one go. The scenery was pleasant, and even on a weekend there were few people. It was comfortable, varied, and fun.
The starting point was Garden New Town, a famous community in Xindian. Designed as a hillside resort neighbourhood, it keeps a sweet distance from the city, surrounded by mountains yet overlooking the skyline. Once labelled a luxury-home enclave, it is a small hillside town. I climbed its steps on foot, looking at each garden and facade, turning back toward the views residents see every day, and catching a glimpse of this almost legendary community.
The trailhead was behind the community. The first section was a tidy dirt path, comfortable and easy, with occasional rocky patches and a cool stream where we could step into the water and wash our faces. Salomon X Ultra 4 models sold in Taiwan all carry GTX, meaning Gore-Tex waterproofing. Here it proved useful: I could step directly into the water without worrying about wet feet inside the shoes.
After a paved road with views toward the Yangmingshan range, we entered the forest again. This entrance looked less welcoming, and the terrain soon became challenging, with large drops, ropes to pull on, boulders and slopes that demanded extra power from my thighs. The X Ultra 4’s deep lugs and lateral support kept my steps steady. The mid-cut shoe added another layer of ankle protection, reassuring me while my fitness and strength were still in rehabilitation. Its light, agile weight also let me change steps and footholds quickly, enjoying the fun of scrambling through the forest.
After leaving the trail, we walked along an asphalt road toward the highlight of the trip, a view of Emerald Reservoir. In the early-autumn September sun, the heat on the road was almost unbearable. I briefly wanted to turn back to the forest, but changed my mind as soon as we reached the lookout: “I am so glad we came!” This short side trip, less than a kilometre round trip, delivered such a great view that it was excellent value!
Just as we were about to continue the large loop, my companion had an urgent matter and needed to get back down quickly. We adjusted the route and took the smaller loop instead, which led us onto Chilu Historic Trail, a route once used by ancestors travelling between Chibihu in Qidu, Keelung, and Luzhulan in Jingtan, Xindian. It can be traced back to the Daoguang era and is now also called Huxing Historic Trail.
Even fewer people may walk this historic trail. It was more primitive than the earlier sections, with occasional grass, many streams to cross on mossy stones, and a hurried pace that kept accelerating. The Salomon X Ultra 4, with a trail-running soul, showed its agility and safely carried me downhill at something close to a run.
Field notes
The X Ultra 4 performed as the X Ultra line always has, with excellent grip and support.
After Jingtan Mountain, I also wore the X Ultra 4 on sections of the Taipei Grand Trail, carrying my dog and a laptop for light-load rehabilitation. The surfaces were mostly paved concrete and stone, hard underfoot with strong feedback. My legs were still sore afterwards (I probably need more training), but the soles of my feet never hurt. With its balanced firmness and sufficient support, the X Ultra 4 moved easily between mixed terrain and let me step forward with confidence.
Its good looks also made the move directly from mountains to city feel natural. The night before, I was even happily planning an outfit around its colours.
If I had to name one drawback, the mid-cut model uses traditional laces instead of Salomon’s convenient Quicklace™ system (the low-cut X Ultra 4 still uses Quicklace™). I am not very used to traditional laces, and occasionally one lace catches on the hook of the other foot or slips loose from its hook.
From its comfortable wrap, protective midsole support, grippy outsole, light and nimble feel, to its outstanding appearance, the Salomon X Ultra 4 is a shoe that makes me look forward to exploring Taiwan and future trails overseas together. It is also the model I recommend whenever someone asks me which hiking shoes to buy.
With its light mountaineering-shoe design, the Salomon X Ultra 4 is ideal if your routes are more than paved low-mountain paths but not exclusively long, heavy-load mountain trips. It handles most surfaces and balances weight with appearance, making it a comfortable, adaptable shoe for dirt paths, long stretches of road, stream crossings, and other changing terrain.
If you usually carry close to 20 kg, a heavy-load shoe may still suit you better. In my experience, when carrying more than 15 kg in the X Ultra line, my feet begin to want more support. This also depends on your carrying ability and strength training, but when friends ask for a recommendation, I suggest the Salomon X Ultra 4 to long-distance hikers and mountaineers carrying 15 kg or less.
I also recommend the Salomon X Ultra 4 to friends just starting to hike low mountains or Taiwan’s Hundred Peaks. We often assume beginners should buy an inexpensive entry-level model in case they hike once or twice and quit. But I have found that muscles unused to mountain trails make feet more prone to discomfort. If the shoes also lack support or are too stiff, that discomfort can make people dislike hiking altogether.
The X Ultra 4’s fashionable look works outdoors and in the city, so you will have plenty of chances to wear it. A beginner friend who is very demanding about shoe comfort praised it after hiking rougher low-mountain trails and Yushan, and said she wanted to wear it more often. Unless you are absolutely certain you will never hike a second time, I think the X Ultra 4 is worth considering.
Of course, every foot shape and walking habit is different. Try them on in person before buying and choose according to your own needs.
More Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX® information
Salomon official X Ultra 4 GTX® details and retailers | Salomon official online store | Salomon Taiwan Facebook | Salomon Taiwan Instagram
