Salomon Mens X Ultra 5 Mid GTX Black/Asphalt/Castlerock 9.5 Medium

Why it's worth it

The X Ultra 5 Mid GTX feels closer to a trail runner than a traditional boot, but it has a molded chassis in the outsole that keeps your ankle honest on side-hills. It's waterproof, it grips wet rock, and you can wear it out of the box.

This is the boot that asks the least of you. Traditional leather boots want twenty miles of parking-lot walking before they stop chewing your heel. The X Ultra doesn't. Owners routinely describe pulling it out of the box and putting real mileage on it the same weekend, and the textile upper is a big part of why. If your next hike is in two weeks, that matters more than almost anything else on the spec sheet.

Salomon's reputation on wet rock is the reason this one sits at the top. Outdoor Gear Lab rated the previous X Ultra 4 GTX a 9.5 out of 10 for traction and called it the strongest wet-rock performer in the whole boot category. The 5 carries forward the All Terrain Contagrip outsole. On slick creek crossings and rain-soaked slabs, that grip is the difference between a fun day and a careful, miserable shuffle.

From our review of 8 hiking boots, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +This is the boot that asks the least of you
• +Salomon's reputation on wet rock is the reason this one sits at the top
• +The Advanced Chassis is the part you feel without noticing
• +Weight is the quiet advantage here

What to know

• –Durability is the soft spot
• –The fit runs medium and fairly precise