Salomon is a specialist's shoe brand, the one you see on the feet of people who cover real trail mileage and expect grip and a locked-down fit. The X Ultra Pioneer GORE-TEX is the affordable way into that brand. It takes the DNA of the well-regarded X Ultra line, wraps it in a GORE-TEX membrane and a Mud Contagrip outsole, and prices it for everyday hikers rather than for the top of the range.
That is the pitch, and it is a fair one. The X Ultra Pioneer is not the shoe for someone chasing the hardest stability or the premium leather build. It is the shoe for someone who wants a real Salomon hiking shoe without a top-tier price: an easy, comfortable all-rounder for UK trail and light hillwalking. Here is who it suits and when you should spend more.
Who the X Ultra Pioneer is for
The X Ultra Pioneer is aimed at regular day hikers who want the Salomon feel, secure, trail-ready and grippy, without paying XA Pro or premium leather money. At around 390g per shoe it is a little lighter and more nimble on the foot than the XA Pro 3D, and testers describe it as an easy, comfortable all-rounder rather than a hardcore stability shoe. If you walk coast paths, downland, bridleways and moderate hill days, it covers the job.
It suits a slim to medium foot best, because it carries the usual Salomon shape. And it is at its most confident on trail and hard-pack rather than in deep, claggy mud, so it is a do-most-things UK hiking shoe rather than a specialist bog shoe.
Who should look elsewhere? Anyone with a broad foot, who will be happier in a roomy KEEN. Anyone who wants maximum stability on rough, cambered ground, who should weigh up the Salomon XA Pro 3D v9 GTX with its 3D Advanced Chassis. And anyone who wants a tougher, longer-lasting build, who should read the section on the leather 360 below before buying.
Comfort and the all-rounder feel
Comfort is where the Pioneer earns its keep for the money. Owners and testers consistently report it as comfortable out of the box with little to no break-in, which is what you want from a textile-and-mesh shoe at this price. The EnergyCell midsole handles shock and takes the sting out of hard-pack and chalk over a full day, and the anti-debris mesh upper keeps grit out while staying reasonably breathable for a waterproof shoe.
The overall character is easy rather than aggressive. Where the XA Pro feels like a locked-down stability tool, the Pioneer feels like a nimble, everyday trail shoe you can pull on and walk in straight away. An Advanced Chassis runs between the midsole and outsole to add a measure of support and torsional control, so it holds its shape on uneven ground without feeling stiff or over-built. For general UK day hiking, that balance of low weight and easy comfort is exactly the point of the shoe.
As with any GORE-TEX shoe, the trade-off is heat. The membrane that keeps wet grass, dew and light rain out also traps warmth, so the Pioneer runs warmer than a non-waterproof trainer on a hot afternoon. For the wet half of the UK year that is a fair deal, and it is the same compromise every waterproof shoe on the market asks you to make.
Grip: the Mud Contagrip outsole
The Pioneer runs a Mud Contagrip outsole with a multi-directional chevron lug pattern. Contagrip is Salomon's own rubber and it sits alongside Vibram as a benchmark compound, holding well on wet rock and mixed ground, which is the terrain most UK hikers actually face: wet chalk, slick limestone and damp grass rather than steep dry rock.
The chevron lugs bite into soft ground and shed mud better than a shallow, closely packed tread, so the Pioneer is confident on the mixed and moderately soft ground of a coast path or a Purbeck bridleway. It is not, though, a dedicated mud shoe in the mould of the deep-lugged Salomon Speedcross 6. In genuinely deep, claggy bog, an aggressive soft-lugged trail shoe will bite where the Pioneer starts to feel its limits. For the mixed conditions the Pioneer is built for, the grip is dependable and one of the strong parts of the shoe.
Fit: narrow to medium
This is the single most important thing to get right, because Salomon fit is distinctive. Like most of the brand's shoes, the X Ultra Pioneer runs narrow to medium and holds the foot down securely. For a slim or medium foot that is a real strength: a locked-in heel and midfoot, no slop and a shoe that feels planted on uneven ground. For a broad foot it is the wrong shape, and no amount of grip or waterproofing makes up for a shoe that pinches.
If your feet are wide, this is not your shoe, and the honest steer is to look at a roomy KEEN such as the Targhee III or a Merrell Moab in a wide fitting instead. The rules that hold for any hiking shoe still apply here: you want the heel and midfoot held firmly with no slip, and thumb-width of room ahead of your longest toe so you do not bruise a toenail on a long descent. Try shoes on late in the day with the merino socks you will actually hike in.
One practical note on this model: the Pioneer uses a traditional lace-up closure with eyelets rather than the Quicklace system Salomon fits to the XA Pro and Speedcross. That gives you a little more control over how you tension different parts of the foot, at the cost of the one-pull speed Quicklace is loved for. It is a fair trade at the price, and some hikers prefer conventional laces anyway.
The step up: X Ultra 360 Leather GTX
If you want more shoe and are prepared to pay for it, the natural step up in this family is the Salomon X Ultra 360 Leather GTX. The leather upper is more supportive and hard-wearing than the Pioneer's textile-and-mesh construction, at a little more weight and cost, and it is built for hikers who want a tougher, longer-lasting Salomon shoe rather than the lightest one.
The 360 platform is the same one Salomon uses in its mid boot for wet and winter days, so if durability and support are your priorities over outright low weight, this is the model to weigh up against the Pioneer. Expect to pay around £150 against the Pioneer's ~£120, and to carry a few more grams for the leather. For a hiker who walks hard and often and wants a shoe that will take the punishment, the extra outlay buys build quality you will feel over the life of the shoe.
Or buy the X Ultra 360 Leather GTX on AmazonSpecs
- Weight
- ~390g per shoe (men's)
- Waterproofing
- GORE-TEX
- Outsole
- Mud Contagrip, chevron lugs
- Midsole
- EnergyCell
- Support
- Advanced Chassis
- Heel-to-toe drop
- 11mm (19mm heel / 8mm toe stack)
- Upper
- Anti-debris mesh
- Lacing
- Traditional lace-up
- Fit
- Secure, runs narrow to medium
- UK price
- ~£120 (Pioneer), ~£150 (360 Leather)
Pros and cons
- The cheapest way into a Salomon hiking shoe and the X Ultra feel
- GORE-TEX membrane handles wet grass, dew, light rain and shallow mud
- Mud Contagrip chevron lugs grip well on wet rock and mixed ground
- Comfortable out of the box with little break-in
- Lighter and more nimble than the XA Pro at ~390g per shoe
- Secure, locked-down fit that slim to medium feet love
- Runs narrow to medium, so wrong for broad feet
- GORE-TEX version runs warm in high summer
- Standard lace-up rather than Salomon's Quicklace
- Textile upper is less hard-wearing than the leather 360
- Happiest on trail and hard-pack, not deep claggy mud
An affordable, do-most-things Salomon hiking shoe for UK trail and light hillwalking. Best for a slim to medium foot that wants the Salomon feel and GORE-TEX waterproofing without paying top-tier money.
Verdict: is the X Ultra Pioneer worth it?
Yes, for the right foot. The Salomon X Ultra Pioneer GORE-TEX does exactly what an entry-level version of a well-regarded shoe should: it gives you the X Ultra feel, a GORE-TEX membrane and a proper Mud Contagrip outsole at a price well below the XA Pro and the leather 360. Owners rate it highly for the money, and as an easy, comfortable all-rounder for UK day hiking it is a sensible buy.
The compromises all point in one direction. The fit runs narrow to medium in the Salomon way, the textile upper is not as hard-wearing as leather, and you get a standard lace-up rather than Quicklace. None of that is a fault. It is where the money has been saved, and for the hiker this shoe is built for, none of it gets in the way.
If your feet are broad, buy a KEEN or a wide-fit Merrell instead. If you want maximum stability, look at the XA Pro 3D. And if you walk hard enough to want a tougher, longer-lasting build, step up to the X Ultra 360 Leather GTX. But if you have a slim to medium foot and want the cheapest Salomon hiking shoe worth owning, the X Ultra Pioneer is it.
Rating: 4.4 / 5
Buy the Salomon X Ultra Pioneer GTX on AmazonFAQ
Is the Salomon X Ultra Pioneer waterproof?
Does the Salomon X Ultra Pioneer run narrow?
What is the difference between the X Ultra Pioneer and the XA Pro 3D?
X Ultra Pioneer or X Ultra 360 Leather GTX?
Is the X Ultra Pioneer good for the UK?
Brand guide: for the full Salomon story, the technology behind the kit and where the range fits, read our Salomon brand review.
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