Salomon X Ultra 360 GORE-TEX Review: The Stable One

Most waterproof trainers ask you to choose between a light, soft ride and something that actually holds your foot when the ground tilts. The Salomon X Ultra 360 GORE-TEX is Salomon's answer to that trade-off. The "360" in the name is the Advanced Chassis wrapping the heel and midfoot, and the whole shoe is built around one idea: keep the foot planted so you stay steady on rough, off-camber ground with weight on your back.

That makes it a different animal to the softer, run-first trainers in the best waterproof trainers roundup. It is heavier and firmer, and it does not pretend otherwise. What you get back is a low-cut shoe that behaves more like a boot when you are tired, loaded and picking a line across wet chalk or greasy rock.

Who the X Ultra 360 is for

This is the shoe for people who want support first. If you carry a daypack of any real weight, if your ankles roll on side-hills, or if you simply prefer a stable platform to a springy one, the X Ultra 360 earns its place. Heavier hikers in particular get on well with it, because the chassis and firm midsole do not collapse under load the way a plush foam shoe can.

It also suits the classic British day walk: a long stretch of Jurassic Coast, a Purbeck ridge in the wet, or a South Downs traverse where the chalk turns to grease after rain. Anywhere you want a low-cut shoe that stays composed when the surface stops cooperating.

Who should look elsewhere? If you want the lightest, softest thing on your feet for fast miles on good paths, this is not it. Go for one of the leaner trail runners in our waterproof trainers category instead. The X Ultra 360 is a support tool, and it feels like one.

Waterproofing

The X Ultra 360 uses a full GORE-TEX membrane, and it does the job it is meant to do. Wet grass, bog splash, shallow puddles and hours of drizzle stay on the outside. On a soaking morning across the New Forest, my socks came home dry, which is all you can ask of a low-cut shoe.

The honest limit is the cuff, and that is true of every low waterproof trainer, not just this one. A GORE-TEX membrane keeps water out until water comes in over the collar. Step into a stream deeper than the ankle, or plough through standing water on a flooded path, and it will come in over the top. Once it does, the same membrane that kept you dry now slows the shoe drying out. That is the trade every low-cut GORE-TEX shoe makes, and it is why I still reach for a mid boot like the Salomon X Ultra 360 Mid GTX when I know a route is properly flooded.

For the wet British half of the year on normal trails, though, the membrane here is doing exactly what you want. Kept below the ankle, your feet stay dry.

Grip and outsole

Underneath is Salomon's All Terrain Contagrip, and it is one of the strongest arguments for the shoe. The compound and lug pattern are pitched at mixed ground rather than pure mud or pure rock, and that suits UK walking well. It bites into soft downland, holds on wet roots, and stays predictable on damp stone and slick chalk.

I trust it on descents, which is the real test. On a steep, greasy chalk drop off the Purbeck ridge the outsole stayed planted where a road-biased sole would have skated. It is not an aggressive mud spike, so in deep, claggy winter bog it will pack and slip like most hybrid soles. On everything short of that, the grip is excellent.

Cushioning and fit

The ride is firm and stable rather than soft. An EnergyCell midsole handles shock without turning marshmallow, and the roughly 10mm drop gives a steady, grounded feel underfoot. Combined with the Advanced Chassis, the effect is a shoe that resists twisting and rolling. On off-camber trails it keeps the foot level instead of letting it slide toward the low edge, and that is the single best thing about it.

The chassis wraps the heel and locks it, so your rearfoot does not shift as the ground moves under you. That is what makes it feel like a boot when you are tired. The pay-off is weight: at around 379g per shoe this is on the heavier end of the trainer class, and you feel that on fast, flat miles.

Fit runs on the narrow-to-standard side, in the usual Salomon way. If you have a wide foot, size and try carefully, because the supportive last is snug by design. The Quicklace closure cinches evenly and disappears into its pocket, and it locks the midfoot down well, which is part of how the shoe delivers its hold. Most people will take their normal Salomon size; wide feet are the exception to watch.

Colours

The X Ultra 360 GORE-TEX comes in four colourways. The Black / Magnet is the one I would point most people at: a clean, dark, do-anything look that hides trail dirt and passes for a town shoe on the walk back to the car.

Buy the Salomon X Ultra 360 GORE-TEX (Black / Magnet) at Salomon

The other three are all worth a look:

A subtler two-tone black with a grey accent, still stealthy. Buy the Salomon X Ultra 360 GORE-TEX (Black / Dark Gull Gray) at Salomon

A lighter, cooler tone if you want the shoe to read less tactical. Buy the Salomon X Ultra 360 GORE-TEX (Cloudburst) at Salomon

The best-looking of the lot to my eye, a deep muted olive that works on and off the trail. Buy the Salomon X Ultra 360 GORE-TEX (Olive Night) at Salomon

Specs at a glance

Pros and cons

• Outstanding stability: the Advanced Chassis holds the heel and stops the foot rolling on off-camber ground
• Reliable GORE-TEX waterproofing for the wet British half of the year
• All Terrain Contagrip grips wet chalk, rock and mixed trail with confidence
• Firm, supportive ride that suits heavier hikers and daypack loads
• Quicklace locks the midfoot evenly and tucks away

• Heavy for a trainer at around 379g per shoe; you feel it on fast, flat miles
• Firm midsole is stability-first, not a plush cruiser
• Narrow-to-standard fit; wide feet should try before buying
• Low cut lets water in over the collar in deep bog or streams, and is slower to dry once soaked

Verdict

The Salomon X Ultra 360 GORE-TEX earns 4.8 out of 5 as the stability pick of the waterproof trainer field. It is not the lightest or the softest, and it does not try to be. What it does is hold your foot planted when the ground turns rough and wet, which is exactly what you want on a loaded day out or a greasy descent.

Buy it if you value support over spring: heavier hikers, daypack carriers, and anyone whose ankles roll on side-hills. If you want a fast, feathery shoe for good paths, look at the leaner options in the roundup instead. For everyone who wants a low-cut shoe that behaves like a boot when it counts, this is the one.

FAQ

Related reading: our Lowa Innovo GORE-TEX Lo and Mammut Ducan III Low GTX reviews cover the other top support picks, while the Salomon XT-Pathway GORE-TEX is the softer, everyday-and-travel alternative in the Salomon line.