Salomon Outpulse GTX Review – Salomon Hiking Shoes

The Outpulse GTX are Salomon’s newest lightweight hiking shoe. Sian has swapped out her heavy leather stompers to test out a more modern, versatile shoe.

Let me preface this by saying I’m a die hard heavy-weight hiking boot lass.

I’ve always worn high ankle, leather boots that have minimal breathability and weigh about as much as my pack does.

I also always have a major problem with blisters and I know it’s likely due to my boot choice, so I was keen to try out a shoe that was on the opposite end of the weight spectrum — the Salomon Outpulse GTX Hiking Shoe.

These shoes are available in a mid ankle, and a low cut, so to really get out of my comfort zone I opted to try the low version for hiking.

I took the shoes out on a range of different hikes — long and short, on sand, on slippery rocks, out in the bush and along plain old pavement.

The Outpulse proved themselves to be a pretty darn good all-terrain shoe and there wasn’t a blister in sight.

Hiking Shoe?

The low cut really doesn’t look much like a hiking shoe to me, so I was keen to see what the difference was between a Salomon trail runner, these shoes and just an everyday sneaker.

There’s always plenty of debate between Hiking Boots versus Trail Runners and I’ve traditionally fallen on the side of the former.

The Outpulse feel more forgiving than some trail runners I’ve worn which I can find too hard sometimes. These have a thicker sole and more flex in the shoe that make them feel less like hockey shoes and a bit more normal to walk in.

Compared to a regular sneaker, they are more rigid, but in a good way. They sit in a nice middle area where no shoe has dared to go before. 

Therefore, they’ve been my go-to shoe for everyday walks where I would have usually worn my sneakers.

Having the extra support and that no-slip confidence is game changing. For someone that doesn’t trail run, these shoes are a perfect sneaker replacement.  

Compared to a traditional hiking boot they do have less cushioning, but as a result, they outperform the traditional boots when it comes to breathability, agility, weight and speed.

Though I’m a big sucker for ankle protection, and while you’ll be light on your feet to respond to uneven surfaces, when your legs start to get tired at the end of a long day, the Outpulse can’t save you.

Personally, I would try the Outpulse Mid GTX next time for a happy medium.

Comfort and fit

Now, to test this component of the shoe, I did something super naughty… I didn’t wear them at all before going on a hike.

I actually took them with me to Tasmania and didn’t even bring a back up pair of shoes!

But knowing Salomon, I had a pretty good feeling they wouldn’t cause me too much trouble. 

That said, they are actually a bit big for me. You have to order in UK sizes on the Salomon website which can be a bit confusing, so just make sure you don’t get lazy like me and be sure to use the cm measurements listed on the site to get a perfect fit.

Luckily these shoes are ultra forgiving, I wore Le Bent hiking socks and didn’t really notice the slightly roomier shoes. 

If I was wearing traditional hiking boots this would have been a completely different story and I likely would have had blisters that are the stuff of nightmares.

Instead, I didn’t get any sort of rubbing or blisters at all, and that’s even though I could feel my heel moving around a fair bit. 

My feet did get a bit sore at the end of the day but I didn’t have any swelling in my ankles like I usually would from lugging around super heavy shoes, and if you’re feet aren’t tired after a day of overland hiking, well, you’re a freak of nature!

Performance 

Grip

My favourite feature about the Salomon Outpulse GTX is their performance on slippery surfaces.

The Contagrip provided great stability and confidence when hopping about on wet rocks. Winner! 

Water Resistance

The GTX stands for GORE-TEX and with this waterproof membrane made from recycled materials, you can keep mostly dry in wet and muddy conditions, just be wary of submerging your foot too low as the exposed ankle is pretty low! 

Breathability 

Waterproofing a shoe can mean sacrificing its breathability, but the Outpulse bypassed this problem in my opinion.

Maybe it’s the low cut or the lightweight nature of the shoe, but I found them to be breathable whilst not feeling too much chilly airflow (comfortable in winter conditions in Tassie!). 

Midsole 

The midsole certainly has some fancy stuff going on.

The Energy Blade plate alongside the Fuze Surge foam is supposed to add more spring to your step and basically make you go faster.

This is where shoe tech goes beyond me. In human speak, I can say it has a decent ‘cush’ and the combo of being rigid and lightweight really does make you feel much less sluggish than in a heavier leather hiking boot.

If that’s the Energy Blade plate technology launching me into space, then so be it!

Durability

While they may look like an everyday sneaker on the outside, don’t be fooled. 

Salomon shoes last, and I don’t expect the Outpulse to be any different. 

If you are an everyday walker and wanting to put some serious K’s under your feet, I would recommend these over your gym shoes any day.

Wearing a good pair of shoes made for outdoor terrain can make all the difference to your comfort and also to the longevity of the product — and your feet! 

Plus, the rubber sole is out of this world. Good luck trying to wear that thing down.

Aesthetics

Now, to the look of the shoe.

Salomon are the masters of the ‘cool ugly shoe’.

They have nailed the fine line between being a little bit ugly but also being a fashion statement — like crocs. 

However, I think this time Salomon haven’t quite nailed the aesthetics. I’m a statement shoe kinda girl and these just feel a bit too daggy to me.

The women’s and men’s colour choices are different, and it’s one of those things where the guys get to choose from a cool red shoe and the girls shoes are magenta or purple. Actually to be more exact, the colour I have is called Mood Indigo/Leek Green/Easter Egg (read our article on funny gear colour names if you had a chuckle at that…)

However, colour is such a personal preference, so don’t take my word for it and go check out the range yourself. It might just be your leeky jam.

However, since receiving my pair — and writing this piece — Salomon have actually released another women’s colourway which I am personally much more a fan of. So, between the three colour options (blue-ish, black-ish or berry-ish) there’s probably something for everyone!

I actually love the newer ‘Tulipwood/Black/Poppy Red’ women’s colour… So, maybe I retract my comments on aesthetics!

Price

With an RRP of $239.99 I’d say these shoes are pretty reasonable, considering a pair of sneakers from Rebel Sport would cost you around the same and last nowhere near as long. 

They’re also on sale at the moment through Wild Earth for $202.35.

The Outpulse Mid range will set you back a bit more at $279.99 but worth the extra cash if you want a little bit more ankle support.

Photos by @amysavanna

Sian was provided with the Salomon Outpulse GTX Hiking Shoes for review purposes and got to keep them afterward. The views are entirely her own.