SALOMON ELIXIR MID HIKING BOOTS | Gear Review

These Salomon Elixir Mid boots are the most cushioned hikers I have ever had the pleasure to put on my feet. They are honestly cushioned beyond anything I’ve seen outside the realms of full-on winter boots, and not just the sole!

I was fortunate to receive a pair of these brand-new Gore-Tex hiking boots to test out towards the end of the summer, just as they became available to buy. I am always intrigued to put new hiking technology on my feet, and as a ‘normal’ (we’ve discussed that word before) every day outdoors woman, I wondered if the super chunky nature of these Salomon boots would suit me.

Putting them next to my Vivobarefoot shoes (I’m not a full-time barefoot-shoe wearer, but do really like them, especially in summer), they look nothing short of ridiculous. In fact, putting them next to any of my hiking shoes and boots helps to demonstrate the weird shape. But when on my feet, they do everything I want a pair of good hiking boots to do – and make me want to move fast.

Salomon Elixir Mid Hiking Boots

The Salomon Elixir Mid Gore-Tex is a mid-cut boot designed for long-distance hiking. The padded zones in the collar and tongue are there for comfort, the reverse camber sole geometry provides a soft stride, and the ‘energy foam’ midsole helps keep you moving. And yes, I copied that bunch of words from the PR email – keep reading for what I think that means in practice after walking a good number of miles in these.  

Designed for mixed trails – so when you’re walking on grass then mud then rocks then gravel then boulders then whatever else you end up finding – they are said to be stable and deliver high foot protection. They are light, much lighter than my Meindl Bhutans (unsurprisingly), and look modern and maybe even trendy.

How they Perform

I’ll come onto what they feel like on in a moment, but first let me consider how these basketball-boot style hikers fair performance-wise on the trail. On my kind of trails, that is – walks in the English countryside, up hills in the Cotswolds, along undulating coastal paths, and across the occasional rocky outcrop.

These might be hiking boots, but Salomon’s fell-running team have clearly had a play with the design of this footwear. The shape of the shoe itself is something I would expect to see on a hardcore fast and light-footed runner overtaking me on my way over a mountain in the Lake District. Assuming their aim was to afford the wearer copious amounts of comfort and stability – an extravagant amount of each, even – I can confidently say that has been achieved.

The weirdly shaped sole is padded to the point of being a little spongey underfoot, while the wide sole and those strange extra wide bits protruding from the back and sides mean I am safe in my stride. As in completely safe – both when moving forwards and when side stepping, as well as on steep downhills and on rocky sections of path.

Propelling me Forward

The curved outsole means that as I step, I am propelled forward, not in a horrible being pushed awkwardly way, but in a strange sensation which keeps me moving and speeds up my hiking. This in turn means my stride is smooth, with no ankle or knee wobble, step after step. Salomon have made an incredibly stable pair of hiking boots, here.

As traction control on a car means you might enter corners knowing the car will assist you should you meet a puddle or a sprinkling of gravel which might otherwise send you off course, this boot design gives me confidence to step forward without worrying about what my feet might meet, which means I can move quickly.

There’s some other technology at play here, too, which adds to the protection and stability. The uppers are a mix of suede and textile, padded in all the right places at the ankle and toes to guard against knocks. The mesh sections aid breathability, which is handy considering how thick these boots are (and they are very warm, more on that shortly).

Grip Reliant on a Light Touch

Turn these boots over, and you could be mistaken for thinking you are looking at a pair of trainers. The 5mm lugs are decent enough for muddy sections of trail, although I’ve definitely had better hiking boot soles. I would say the Salomon Elixir Mid soles have been designed to encourage you to lightly touch the ground as you travel across it – they are for moving quickly over the terrain, not for stomping heavily and relying on the sole on its own for grip.

In combination with all the stability features of these boots, the sole is plenty, but otherwise it’s not the best. In practice, that means for someone like me who gets tired at the end of a hike, once I’ve done 10 of my intended 12 miles and my legs are tired, I find the lugs to be annoyingly small and slip around much more than at the start of the day. I’m not light footed by any means (the grace of an elephant…), and that might also be part of the problem here.

How they Feel

I’ve used comfortable a bunch of times in this post already and I’m not done yet. They really are, and right out of the box. I’ve been wearing them for my weekend wanders for a few weeks, and my feet have very much enjoyed all that cushioning.

I’d describe the fit (I’m wearing my usual size) as reasonably snug, mainly due to all that padding encasing my feet and ankles. I have room to wiggle my toes and they are still as comfortable at the end of my hike as at the beginning.

All that padding does mean these boots are incredibly warm. They do have a Gore-Tex breathable waterproof design, but the sheer thickness of the upper means my feet are very toasty in these. I wouldn’t want all this material in the summer, but they are ideal for cold and damp conditions in late autumn, winter, and maybe early spring.

One downside of that massive sole is I can’t really feel the trail underfoot. Which I guess for keeping me moving quickly in the English countryside has been perfect. But I do wonder about other kinds of trail. I’m only able to take on scrambles occasionally thanks to where I live, but I would be a little anxious to try these in areas where that foot-feel is particularly important, as you aren’t getting the extra information needed from under your feet as you move along the trail.

How they Look

I saw the Salomon Elixir Mids on the wall of boots in Cotswold Outdoor at the weekend, and they really are striking. They are modern, chunky, and very bright. Although they would look more at home in the trail running section rather than in amongst the more ordinary-looking hiking boots.

The problem on looks is how by wearing them I seem to be making quite a statement. I’m not sure if my friends or others I might meet on my walks were quite ready to see a slightly out of shape lady in her early 40’s bouncing along in these very different looking boots. But hey, I have been known to say that Splodz Blogz is here to keep my outdoor shoe collection (addiction…) bang up to date, and you can’t deny that’s happening here!

Bright White Hiking Boots?!

Part of the look is thanks to that bright white upper. So far, despite trying my hardest to cover them in mud, particularly on recent walks, it’s fairing remarkably well. I wore them for a walk on Cleeve Hill with friend Katy last weekend and she asked me if they were brand new! Okay, so I haven’t actually done a multi-day long-distance hike in these yet, my Cotswold Way and Cumbria Way adventures were much earlier in the year, and I didn’t hike in Morocco, but it’s not like these have been sat in the box for the last eight weeks.

I admit I am the type of person who cleans her hiking boots when they get mucky, in the hope that extends the life of the boot (and means I don’t get a mud-filled house or car), but even so, I think it’s a good sign that the boots are lasting well in these terms, as it hopefully means they will last well in general.  

What these are not, though, is a pair of hiking boots that you can also wear to work. They aren’t subtle enough for that – for me. And while that might not matter to you, it does make them much less versatile. The Salomon Elixir Mids are a hiking boot for hikes, not a hiking boot for casual wear or even every day outdoors wear. And let’s face it, most people just don’t need this much protection or cushioning for the commute, a lunchtime walk, or even a post-work trig-bagging bimble.

Some Final Thoughts on the Salomon Elixir Mids

Everything about the Salomon Elixir Mid Gore-Tex hiking boots has been designed to help you move quickly and lightly through the landscape. They are about providing confidence as you stride, stability as your feet hit the ground, and added propulsion to keep you moving – they are a fell running shoe for fast packing big miles in cold and wet weather.

I guess the question is whether all this is overkill for everyday hiking? Yes, quite probably. All this tech will really come into play when you are hiking across the mountains of the Lake District or North Wales, but perhaps is a little over the top for the Cotswolds or the South West Coast Path.

But even with that, I think I love them. They are striking and as such stand out – in a good way. Most importantly, though, I cannot describe how comfortable they are to wear; they are nice and wide, and that padding is snug without being restrictive. I genuinely would never have chosen these if I hadn’t been sent them, and it’s been really fun to try something very different.

Coming in at £200, these are a premium hiking boot, designed for hikers who want something packed full of technology to keep them comfortable when walking for miles and miles. You can find the Salomon Elixir Mid hiking boots on the Salomon website. They are also available at Cotswold Outdoor, where you can have a very handy boot fitting service to make sure what you’re choosing is right for you.

With thanks to Salomon for sending me a pair of their brand-new Elixir Mid Gore-Tex hiking boots. I genuinely love trying out new outdoor footwear, and as you know, always share my honest opinion.