Salomon Predict Hike – GTX Hiking Shoe

Salomon has been flooding the market with new footwear lately and we’re not mad about it.

A first look at their Predict Hike MID GTX shoe screams style and fun-ction.

We have a ‘Gear’ communications channel internally here at WAE and occasionally a new piece of kit will be posted within it and draw some unfiltered comments from the team. 

Last Friday Salomon released their latest iteration of the Predict Hike MID GTX shoe. 

Naturally, it was posted in the channel and the comments ranged from ‘Fly!’ to ‘Sexy AF’. 

Other interesting insights included editor Tim admitting, ‘I’m consistently coveting the women’s colourways in shoes atm.’ 

It’s easy to see why and it’s cool that Salomon’s colourways are about as unisex as they come these days. Purple pops off in the men’s version of this shoe and the women’s colours are a deep orange and reddy brown (technically, ‘Mecca Orange/Madder Brown/Crystal Blue’ but that felt a bit much to write without context).

It follows that here are a pair of hiking shoes you certainly wouldn’t mind being seen in. Indeed hiking shoes have come a long way on the style front from the invariably brown or lichen green boots that have historically bedecked hikers. 

But what about the shoes themselves? Will they feel as revolutionary as they look? And how will they answer the age old debate of hiking boots versus trail running shoes?

While we haven’t yet been able to tuck our feet into a pair, here are some first impressions.

In an attempt to begin to answer the above hike versus trail shoe quandary, the Hike MID’s are considered a ‘shoe’ by the folks at Salomon. In fact, they reckon it’s an ‘outdoor all-rounder’. So, you can expect them to somewhat bridge the gap between hiking boots and trail shoes. Although I wouldn’t go galloping off for a trail run in a pair if I were you.

They weigh in at 376 grams which is only 100 grams or so more than their recent Ultra-Glide Trail Shoes we looked at.

The mid-cut length is also a nice middle ground. It secures the ankle with the help of laces that track all the way up the shoe to lock your foot in place, yet provide enough flexion to stay comfortable and not feel as uncompromising as a traditional hiking boot.

Stability is also aided from underneath. Salomon’s acclaimed Contagrip® outsole is built for a wide variety of surfaces thanks to its deep lugs and channels within the sole. As a result, they promise confidence on ‘wet, dry, hard or loose surfaces, and offer long-term durability.’

Within that sole is the so-called ‘anatomical decoupling’. These are the grooves within the sole and the independent heel and toe platforms that independently cushion the various parts of the foot for a more customised step.

The Hike GTX is made from a synthetic, GORE-TEX upper that will keep moisture at bay no matter the weather. 

However, Salomon are quick to point out they’ve layered the GORE-TEX in such a way as to permit perspiration, so don’t expect clammy toes as a result of the impenetrable shoe.

We hope to get our feet on a pair of these soon and report back on how our first impressions stack up. But, if you’re still unsure what makes for the perfect hiking shoe, you can see our guide on what to look for in hiking boots here.

However, if your preferred sport forces you to put on the less comfortable forms of outdoor footwear, then you’re not alone. You can read our ode to the more uncomfortable varieties of outdoor footwear.

Also note that Salomon hasn’t given us a dime for this piece, we just really like hiking, and we want you to really like it too. As gear editor, I personally think it starts with the right shoe!

You can buy the Men’s Predict Hike GTX here.

Buy the Women’s Predict Hike GTX here.