A couple of years ago I was gearing up to check off a bucket list hike, the Grand Canyon. The hike is literally half downhill and the 2nd half all uphill. Both legs of the journey are rough and demanding. Hiking down the 7 mile South Kaibab, the trail is laden with piles of rocks forming water bars and rutted by stock animals. The footing on much of the trail requires a stable and grippy sole and stability at the ankle. This part of the hike the hiker is carrying max backpack weight, adding even more stress to the body.

One would think the downhill leg would be the easiest of the two, but not so. The downhill really takes it toll on the knees, hips and back. The obvious challenge of the 2nd part of the hike is the 4000 foot climb up the Bright Angel trail back to the rim. My mission was to find lightweight gear without sacrificing performance. My top two gear picks from the hike were my Osprey Aura AG (anti-gravity) backpack and my Salomon X Ultra 2 Mid GTX hiking boots. The lowdown on the Aura is another article, but here are the 7 reasons why I love my Salomon X Ultra 2 hiking boots.

  1. Incredibly lightweight, coming in at only 14.5 ounces
  2. Gore-Tex, keeping my feet dry at creek crossings on the climb out
  3. Very breathable, keeping my feet cool and comfortable while hiking in the full sun on the South Kaibab trail
  4. Super grippy soles, no slipping on steep uneven, loose terrain
  5. Lateral stability, to further prevent slipping and ankle turn...bad place to twist an ankle
  6. Secure lacing system to help prevent blisters and excess foot movement inside the boot
  7. Plenty of overall foot support to comfortably carry a fully loaded backpack

Three members of our group were wearing the X Ultra Mid boot. Herb, my husband and Heidi, my sister-in-law. Both are very experienced hikers and backpackers. All three of us had the same performance review, which was 5 out of 5 stars, in fact we all agreed that we would all go beyond the 5 star rating and give the boots a 10; 10 out of 5, that's a darn good rating. The fourth hiker in our group was stuck wearing an pair of heavier, more traditional alpine hiking boots, seem there is only one negative with the Salomon boot, they are not produced in a size 15, sorry Lee.

For those that don't want to wear a mid cuffed boot while day hiking or ultra speed hiking, Salomon makes a low version of this boot, called the X Ultra 2 Hiking Shoe. I'll be snagging a pair of the lows for my morning hike up Shirley Canyon and my day hikes around the Tahoe Basin.

I highly recommend the X Ultra Mid 2 GTX hiking boot. It truly is the best performing hiking boot I have ever worn. So there you have it.

  Salomon X Ultra Mid 2 GTX - Women's and Men's $165

Salomon X Ultra 2 Hiking Shoe - Women's and Men's $120