Salomon Cross Hiker 2 Mid GORE-TEX Assessment

For years, I’ve been on group path runner. Ditch the cumbersome boots and attain for the GTX model of beloved path trainers for a mix of sunshine and quick, regardless of how a lot you may have packed in your backpack or how lengthy you may have been on the path. In my thoughts, it saved weight and made climbing extra enjoyable. 

Then, we moved from Flagstaff to Michigan. Excessive deserts and sizzling summers gave solution to grey springs and muddy trails. All of a sudden, my self-assuredness began to fade, and the Salomon Cross Hike 2 was there to welcome me with open arms.

In brief: The Salomon Cross Hike 2 Mid GORE-TEX is a gateway drug of a boot, excellent for these hikers preferring the match of a path shoe however the protection and insulation of a boot. At occasions, it’s maybe not boot-like sufficient, with a Quicklace system that leaves some wanting and an open ankle hole that may acquire grime and particles. Nonetheless, its successful mixture of waterproofness, burly grip, and help make it a beautiful possibility for recreationists in search of a hybrid answer to the boot-versus-shoe quandary. 

To see how the Salomon Cross Hike 2 Mid compares to the most effective winter climbing boots, try GearJunkie’s Greatest Winter Boots Purchaser’s Information.

Salomon Cross Hike 2 Mid GORE-TEX Assessment

Model Background

Salomon minimize its tooth within the coronary heart of the French Alps, initially producing ski gear. The corporate has since constructed the model into the footwear powerhouse recognizable as we speak from path aspect to, surprisingly, runways.

However regardless of how zeitgeisty a second technical path sneakers have within the trend world, one factor stays the identical: Salomon is aware of tips on how to construct a high quality, technically savvy shoe. The model’s roots in snow and winter present within the Cross Hike 2.

How I Examined the Cross Hike 2

First, I used them in day-to-day testing throughout the varied winter duties — hikes, commutes, and unending driveway shoveling. Subsequent, I took the Cross Treks to the Japanese Sierras with different finalists of our Greatest Winter Climbing Boots Purchaser’s Information, evaluating them head-to-head with our different favorites on the snow-packed trails round Mammoth Lakes. Add excursions to the excessive desert of Bishop and scrambling across the Buttermilks, and the Cross Treks proved rugged and succesful in varied climates and conditions.

The Nitty Gritty

Salomon builds the Cross Hike 2 from textile, rubber, and GORE-TEX, making it comparatively light-weight and extremely waterproof. The outsole is extraordinarily luggy Contragrip, Salomon’s in-house compound is utilized in lots of its sneakers.

Talking of in-house tech, the Cross Hike rocks the model’s Quicklace system, a mainstay of the model’s path operating line. And since we’re speaking path operating language, the Cross Trek has a 10mm drop, sufficient to get a pleasant toe-off however nonetheless present impartial cushioning. 

Additionally borrowed from the path operating world is the boot’s EnergyCell midsole, an vitality return expertise that helps this boot really feel energetic and springy. It gained’t do the strolling for you, however it helps ease the burden of stacking miles on miles.

What Works

As talked about, this boot actually looks like a runner. In comparison with its leather-based compatriots, it’s light-weight and nimble, able to lengthy days on the path. It’s even as much as the problem of a brief jog, although for much longer than a mile or two will get obnoxious.

Nonetheless, on a latest dash via Denver’s airport whereas sporting a really heavy leather-based climbing boot, I couldn’t assist however want I had chosen to put on the Cross Treks. This weight financial savings and vitality return on the path translate to a distraction-free hike.

You don’t have to consider the clunkiness of your sneakers or the hassle it is going to take you to leap onto a rock in a stream crossing, leaving your thoughts free to soak within the surroundings. Or, should you’re like me, fret about one other piece of substances.

And the Cross Hikes are the fitting selection should you occur to slide off that aforementioned rock into the stream. They’ve handled extended water, snow, and ice publicity with out leaking. And since the boots are waterproof however don’t have further insulation, the breathability is top-notch.

Whereas not insulated, the Cross Hikes are well-padded, which provides to warmth retention and common help. With the fitting sock selection, I had no downside climbing with them in single-digit temperatures in Michigan’s chilly winter. But, additionally they breathed nicely sufficient to deal with scrambling the Buttermilks in 60-degree temperatures, a variety not many boots can pull off.

The Contragrip outsole proved its price in each these conditions. The extraordinarily luggy grip had no downside with ice or hard-packed snow and proved it’s price scrambling via sand, gravel, and sandstone, too.

Room for Enchancment

My greatest frustration with the Cross Hikes is how the Quicklace system interacts with the collar of the boot, inflicting diminished ankle help and a niche that collects grime and particles.

In different Salomon merchandise, the Quicklace is a lifesaver for me. It’s considered one of my favourite options within the Sense Experience 5, which saves me frequent retying on the path. Within the Cross Hike, the Quicklace retains the comfort however misses out on safety. This comes all the way down to its peak and positioning on the boot’s collar. It’s too low to get an excellent ankle cinch in, which implies the boot’s padded collar isn’t correctly utilized. This will result in occasional foot slipping.

It additionally leaves an ankle hole that collects particles. On a hike alongside the scenic banks of Owen’s River in Mammoth Lakes, it collected the heads of vegetation and lengthy grasses. Different boots with extra conventional development didn’t have the identical downside. The identical occurred on any deep snow. The ankle hole let in a lot of ice and snow, negating the exterior waterproofing operate.

This might be mitigated by including gaiters, which I might advocate for deep snow anyway. Nonetheless, including gaiters negates the light-weight consolation that makes the Cross Hike a worthy hiker. It’s the most important downside to an in any other case stellar boot.

Additionally obvious on that muddy Owen’s River hike — the identical lugs that present glorious grip on ice and sandstone are magnets for moist, heavy mud.

Salomon Cross Hiker 2 Assessment: Ultimate Ideas

There are boots in the marketplace with extra ankle help and burlier development. However that’s not what the Salomon Cross Hike Mid 2 GORE-TEX units out to do. As a substitute, it elevates the padding and grip of a run-of-the-mill path runner whereas retaining the options that set it aside: responsiveness and a nimble, energetic really feel on the path.

If, like me, you’re reluctantly realizing a path runner gained’t do for each hike, the Cross Hike permits for the most effective of each worlds. Sure, it comes with tradeoffs, however what doesn’t in life? And it’s a boot that may deal with single-digit temps or excessive desert outings, one thing a runner can have hassle with.