I bought the Salomon Speedcross 6 for trail running and ended up using it for almost all my hiking. It's an excellent shoe, aggressive grip, light on the foot, the kind of thing you reach for without thinking. But it has one limitation I kept running into: no waterproofing. On a dry day in Dorset it's the perfect shoe. On a wet January morning on a Welsh mountain it is a different story.
I started looking at waterproof boots last autumn. I wanted something that could handle the conditions the Speedcross couldn't. Standing water, boggy ground, stream crossings, the kind of sustained wet that soaks through mesh upper before you're a kilometre in. I also wanted ankle support. The Speedcross is a low-cut trail shoe and on technical or uneven ground in winter I was aware of its limitations.
The Salomon X Ultra 360 Leather Mid GTX is what I landed on. I've had them since last autumn and they've been through everything from dog walks to Pen y Fan in January. Here's the honest picture.
Why I bought them
The X Ultra 360 Leather Mid GTX sits in an interesting position in the Salomon lineup. It's lighter and more flexible than Salomon's serious mountain boots like the Quest 4, but more protective and waterproofed than the trail shoes and low-cut options lower in the range. Mid-cut, leather overlays, GTX lining, the ContraGrip All-Terrain outsole. On paper exactly what a UK hiker needs for three-season conditions.
What pushed me toward these specifically over the Quest 4 was weight and feel. The X Ultra range has Salomon's trail running DNA running through it. They're built to feel like running shoes rather than traditional clompy hiking boots. At around 450g per boot they're noticeably lighter than the Quest 4, and paired with thick merino socks they're warmer than the weight suggests.
First impressions
The first thing I noticed was how light they felt picking them up. Not ultralight, there's genuine substance to the build, but lighter than I expected from something calling itself a waterproof leather mid boot.
The leather overlays give them a slightly different look to the mesh-heavy X Ultra range. They read more as a proper boot than a glorified trainer, which matters if you're going somewhere that warrants the distinction. The lacing is regular rather than Salomon's QuickLace system, a sensible choice for a boot that needs to be properly cinched on technical terrain.
I wore them on a few shorter walks around home first to break them in gently. In practice they didn't need much breaking in at all. They were comfortable within a few wears, which isn't always the case with leather boots.
The GTX waterproofing tested in January on Pen y Fan
Pen y Fan in January. Cold, wet, a path that had been thoroughly saturated by several days of rain before we arrived. The conditions were exactly the kind that had made me buy waterproof boots in the first place.
At some point on the descent I misjudged a stream crossing and put one foot straight into the water. The kind of moment where you immediately brace for the cold soak through. It didn't come. I felt the temperature change through the boot, cold water briefly registering against the membrane, and then nothing. Foot dry. GTX earning its keep.
That moment alone told me more about these boots than any dry-weather test could. The GORE-TEX lining held without drama in exactly the conditions it was designed for.
Since then they've handled the wet harbour-side path on the Southbourne and Hengistbury Head circular in December conditions, boggy sections on several Purbeck walks, and the kind of persistent Dorset drizzle that makes cheap waterproofing fail within an hour. No issues in any of it.
Fit, comfort and breaking in
Worth knowing before you buy: the X Ultra 360 fit runs slightly different to other Salomon shoes. The forefoot is slightly narrower than some people expect from the range. If you have wider feet or you're not sure about the fit, try them on in a shop rather than ordering blind. Getting this wrong with a leather boot you're planning to put serious miles on is an expensive mistake.
For me the fit worked well. The mid-cut collar provides genuine ankle support without restricting movement on the uphill, and the padded tongue kept lace pressure comfortable over long days. The SensiFit construction wraps the foot securely without feeling constricting. You're aware of the support without being conscious of the boot in the way cheaper hiking boots can make themselves known.
Paired with the Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew the combination is warm enough for cold British days and comfortable enough for a full day on the trail without foot fatigue.
Grip and performance on UK terrain
The ContraGrip All-Terrain outsole has the same V-shaped chevron lug pattern as the rest of the X Ultra range. On the chalk and limestone paths of the Jurassic Coast, on the muddy tracks of the Brecon Beacons in January, on wet boardwalks and damp grass, it grips reliably and without drama.
One honest note from the research: some reviewers flag that the heel lugs are slightly more closely spaced than the forefoot, which can reduce grip slightly on steep wet descents. I haven't found this a significant issue on the terrain I've covered, but it's worth knowing if you're planning on anything seriously steep and slippery.
The honest limitation
These are not mountain boots. They are an excellent three-season boot for UK day hiking, moderately technical terrain and winter conditions on well-maintained paths. What they are not, and what Salomon doesn't claim them to be, is a boot for serious mountain use.
If you're taking on routes with significant load, technical scrambling, prolonged exposure to extreme conditions or multi-day backpacking with a heavy pack, the X Ultra 360 isn't the right tool. The ankle collar is mid-cut rather than high, the build is flexible and light rather than stiff and protective, and the leather overlays, while a step up from the mesh-heavy options lower in the range, aren't the full-grain leather construction of a serious mountain boot.
For the Jurassic Coast, the Brecon Beacons, the South Downs, the New Forest and even the more accessible Welsh and Scottish peaks in reasonable conditions, they're excellent. For serious alpine or winter mountain use, look at the Quest 4 GTX.
How they compare to the Quest 4 GTX
When I was choosing these I tried on the Salomon Quest 4 GTX in the shop and came very close to buying them instead. They're worth understanding if you're making the same decision.
The Quest 4 is a fundamentally different boot. Where the X Ultra 360 is light and trail-shoe-like, the Quest 4 is stiff, substantial and protective. It's designed for carrying heavy packs over technical and challenging terrain. Think multi-day mountain routes, serious backpacking, the kind of ground where the boot needs to hold the foot rather than move with it. The ankle support is significantly higher. The chassis is stiffer. The build quality is more robust.
The trade-off is weight and feel. The Quest 4 is heavier and less nimble than the X Ultra range. Walking in it feels like walking in a serious boot, which is exactly the point if that's what you need.
For the majority of UK day hiking, including everything on Coast & Fell, the X Ultra 360 covers it well. If you're planning on the bigger Scottish or Welsh ridges with a full pack, or you know you want something that'll handle serious mountain terrain reliably, the Quest 4 is worth the extra weight and cost.
Buy the Salomon Quest 4 GTX on Amazon
There's also a newer Quest 5 now available, continuing the same lineage with updated materials and construction.
Buy the Salomon Quest 5 GTX on Amazon
The budget alternative worth knowing about
I came across the Nortiv 8 hiking boots while researching this article and the numbers are hard to ignore. Over 22,000 reviews on Amazon at 4.3 out of 5. At around £45 that's a fraction of the X Ultra 360's price.
I haven't worn them and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. What I can say is that 22,000 reviews at that rating is a genuine data point. That level of consistent positive feedback across that volume of buyers isn't an accident. They're waterproof, mid-cut, and clearly working for a huge number of people.
If you're new to hiking and not sure how much use you'll get from a proper boot, or if budget is the primary consideration, the Nortiv 8 is worth investigating as an entry point before investing in a Salomon or similar.
Buy the Nortiv 8 Hiking Boots on Amazon
Verdict
The Salomon X Ultra 360 Leather Mid GTX is the boot I reach for when conditions mean the Speedcross 6 isn't the right call. Cold days, wet ground, the kind of winter walking where waterproofing is a necessity rather than a nice-to-have. They've been comfortable from the start, the GTX has performed exactly as advertised, and the extra ankle support over the Speedcross gives me more confidence on the kind of terrain where a low-cut trail shoe feels like it's making promises it can't quite keep.
They're not for everyone. If you have wider feet try them on first. If you need serious mountain boots for technical routes, look at the Quest 4 or 5 instead. But for three-season UK day hiking, which covers most of what Coast & Fell is about, they're an excellent boot at a fair price.
The Salomon X Ultra range at Blacks
Prices pulled live from Blacks, updated daily. Links are affiliate links.
Salomon Women's X Ultra 360 Gore-Tex Hiking Shoes
£140
Salomon Men's X Ultra 360 Mid GORE-TEX Hiking Boots
£150
Salomon Men's X Ultra 360 GORE-TEX Hiking Shoes
£140
Salomon Women's X Ultra 360 GORE-TEX Hiking Shoes
£140
Salomon Women's X Ultra 360 Gore-Tex
£99.97
Salomon Women's X Ultra 360 Mid GORE-TEX Hiking Boots
£150
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