Salomon Genesis 2 GORE-TEX (Women's) Review

The Salomon Genesis 2 GORE-TEX (Women's) is the waterproof trainer I hand to any woman who wants one shoe for most of a British hiking year. It is our top women's pick for 2026, and it earns that spot on the fundamentals: a women's-specific last that actually holds a narrower heel, a full GORE-TEX membrane that keeps the wet Dorset slop out, and a Contagrip outsole that bites on the exact surfaces we walk on here. It weighs 263g per shoe, runs an 8mm drop and costs £160.

This is a proper trail shoe with a waterproof lining, not a road trainer dressed up for the hills. If you have been wearing a men's or unisex trail shoe and fighting heel slip, this is the version that fixes it.

Who she is for

She wants one pair of shoes that covers day walks across a British year: the Jurassic Coast in a drizzle, the Purbeck Hills in winter mud, forest track in the New Forest, a long towpath, the odd faster mile. She does not want two boots and three trainers. She wants light, waterproof and grippy in a single shoe.

The Genesis 2 GTX suits low-cut hiking rather than deep-bog wading. If most of your walking tops out at ankle height in the wet, this is ideal. If you spend days crossing knee-deep peat, you want a mid boot, and I would point you at the waterproof trainers category to see where the low-cut cutoff sits across the range.

It is a neutral shoe with moderate cushioning, so it works for a wide range of gaits without steering your foot.

Waterproofing

The membrane is full GORE-TEX, bonded through the upper rather than a loose bootie, and it does the job it promises. Rain, wet grass, puddle splash and the general wet of a Dorset winter stay outside. I have walked these through soaked chalk grass and come home with dry socks.

The limit is the same as every low-cut shoe: the collar. GORE-TEX stops water coming through the fabric, but nothing stops water pouring in over the top of the ankle when you step into a stream or a bog deeper than the collar height. That is physics, not a fault. Treat the ankle line as the waterline and the Genesis 2 GTX stays dry all day.

The trade-off with a membrane is breathability. On a warm summer climb your feet run hotter than they would in a mesh shoe. For UK three-season and winter use that is the right compromise; for a July heatwave you might want the non-membrane version.

Grip and outsole

The outsole is Salomon's Contagrip with lugs around 4mm deep, and it is tuned for exactly the mixed ground we get in southern England. On wet chalk, which is the surface that undoes most trainers, it holds better than most shoes I have tested. On loose forest track it clears mud instead of packing it, so you keep the bite lug after lug.

The 8mm drop (34mm heel, 26mm forefoot) and moderate cushioning give a stable, planted feel rather than a twitchy racing platform. On rocky descents you can trust the edge of the sole. On a long day the cushioning is enough to save your feet without feeling vague underfoot.

Where it gives ground is deep, greasy clay and steep wet grass at the extremes, which is true of almost any 4mm-lug shoe. For everything short of full winter fell it grips confidently.

Fit and sizing

This is the reason to buy the women's version rather than sizing down a unisex shoe. The Genesis 2 GTX (Women's) is built on a women's-specific last: a narrower heel cup, a slightly lower instep volume and a forefoot shaped for a woman's foot. If heel slip has been your problem, the narrower heel here locks the foot down in a way a men's shoe cannot.

Sizing runs true to Salomon's usual fit. Take your normal size and you will be right in most cases. The midfoot is snug, which is what gives the shoe its precise, secure feel on side-slopes, so if you have a wide forefoot or a high instep, size up half a size or try a pair on before you commit. Narrow and medium feet are the sweet spot.

The lacing is Salomon's Quicklace, a single pull that tightens the whole shoe evenly and tucks into a pocket on the tongue. It is quick with cold hands and it holds tension all day.

Colours

Both current colourways are the same shoe underneath. Choose on looks alone.

Black is the lead colourway and the one in our hero shots. It hides trail mud, works with everything and is the safe choice if you want one pair that does not look grubby by February.

Lichen is the muted green option, a softer natural tone that suits anyone who wants something other than black without going loud.

Specs

Price

£160.00

Weight

263g per shoe

Drop

8mm (34mm heel / 26mm forefoot)

Waterproofing

Full GORE-TEX membrane

Outsole

Contagrip, roughly 4mm lugs

Cushioning

Moderate

Support

Neutral

Fit

Women's-specific last, narrower heel

Lacing

Quicklace

Best for

All-round hiking on mixed British terrain

Colours

Black, Lichen

Pros and cons

• Women's-specific last locks down a narrower heel and cuts heel slip
• Full GORE-TEX keeps feet dry to the collar in real British wet
• Contagrip holds on wet chalk and clears mud well
• 263g and stable underfoot for long days
• Quicklace is fast and holds tension all day

• Low-cut collar is the waterline; deep bog and streams get in over the top
• Membrane runs warm in high summer
• Snug midfoot means wide or high-volume feet should size up or try first
• £160 sits at the premium end

Verdict

The Salomon Genesis 2 GORE-TEX (Women's) is the shoe I would buy first if I wanted one waterproof trainer for a British hiking year, and it is our featured women's pick for 2026 at 4.8 out of 5. The women's last is the difference-maker: it fixes the heel slip that pushes women out of unisex trail shoes, and it does it without giving up the grip, the waterproofing or the stability that make the Genesis platform good in the first place.

It loses a fraction only where every low-cut shoe does, at the collar and in high summer heat. For coast path, downland, forest and moor up to ankle depth, nothing in its class does more things well.

If you want to see how it stacks up against the rest of the field, read our best women's waterproof trainers UK 2026 roundup.

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