Quick verdict
The Salomon XT-Pathway GORE-TEX is the pick if you want one waterproof trainer for the commute that still bites on a muddy path. It pairs a PFC-free GORE-TEX membrane with a Mud Contagrip outsole, an 11mm drop over an EnergyCell midsole, and a 323g-per-shoe weight, all held by Quicklace and Sensifit. Best for everyday wear, travel and light UK trail use, its aggressive lugs shed mud far better than the trail-styled sneakers it competes with, though the low cut limits it to shallow water.
Salomon XT-Pathway GORE-TEX: 4.5/5
A PFC-free GORE-TEX membrane over a Mud Contagrip outsole and 11mm drop, the rare lifestyle-cut trainer with lugs that clear real mud.
The full review is below.
The Salomon XT-Pathway GORE-TEX sits in an odd, useful gap. It borrows the chunky, trail-styled look that made the XT-6 a street favourite, then wires in a proper waterproof membrane and an outsole that would not look out of place on a hill shoe. The result is a trainer you can wear on the train, walk across a city in the rain, then take onto a wet chalk path at the weekend without changing footwear.
Most shoes that look like this are all styling and no substance underfoot. This one is not. The Mud Contagrip outsole here is the real article, with deep, sharp lugs built for loose and soft ground, and that single detail is what lifts the XT-Pathway out of the fashion-sneaker crowd and into the waterproof trainers category properly.
Who the XT-Pathway is for
This is a crossover shoe, and it is honest about that. Buy it if you want one pair that covers the daily commute, airport days and city travel, then flips to a Sunday walk on the South Downs or a muddy New Forest loop without complaint.
It suits the person who does not want a shoe that screams technical trail runner in the office, but who genuinely walks off tarmac often enough to need grip and a membrane. The 11mm drop is a middling, familiar figure that most people adapt to instantly, which makes it an easy shoe to recommend to anyone stepping across from ordinary trainers.
Who should look elsewhere? If your weekends are long fell days over rough, steep ground, you want more support and a burlier sole, and the best waterproof trainers roundup has stiffer options. And if the trail element is really an afterthought, the lower-drop, lighter Salomon Aero Blaze 4 GRVL GTX leans more athletic.
Waterproofing: the GORE-TEX membrane
The XT-Pathway uses a PFC-free GORE-TEX membrane, and that PFC-free spec matters, because it drops the older environmentally persistent chemistry without giving up the waterproof seal. On the trail it does the job you want. Wet grass, dew-soaked downland, puddles, spray off a pavement, drizzle that never quite stops: your feet stay dry through all of it.
The upper is a closed mesh with anti-debris properties, so fine grit and trail dust stay out, and the Quicklace system is coated for wet-weather use. Combined, they make this a shoe that shrugs off the wet British half of the year with no fuss.
The limit is the one every low-cut waterproof trainer shares, and I will be straight about it. The membrane rises only as high as the collar. Step into a bog deeper than the ankle, or ford a stream over the cuff, and water pours in from the top. GORE-TEX keeps water out through the fabric; it cannot keep water out of an opening. Treat the XT-Pathway as waterproof to the ankle and no further, which for coast paths, downland and forest tracks is almost always enough.
Grip and outsole
This is where the XT-Pathway earns its keep. The Mud Contagrip outsole uses deep, sharp lugs and a compound tuned for adhesion on loose, soft and uneven ground. On wet chalk, greasy roots and churned-up field edges it holds far better than the shallow-tread lifestyle shoes it resembles.
Mud is the real test, and the name is not decoration. The lug spacing lets claggy Dorset clay and New Forest mud clear rather than pack into a smooth, useless block, which is the failure point of most town-first trainers. On tarmac and hard trail the lugs stay quiet and stable enough that you forget they are there.
The agileChassis System sits between the foot and the ground to add stability and dampening, and it keeps the shoe feeling planted on off-camber paths where a soft, unstructured sneaker would roll.
Cushioning and fit
Underfoot you get an EnergyCell midsole with an 11mm drop, which lands the XT-Pathway in comfortable everyday territory rather than firm racing territory. It has enough cushioning for long days on hard city pavement and enough structure that it does not feel vague on the trail. This is a shoe tuned for hours of standing and walking, not for pace.
Fit follows the usual Salomon pattern: a secure midfoot thanks to Sensifit wrapping the foot, and the Quicklace cinches to an even, no-pressure hold in one pull. It runs true to size for most people, with a slightly performance-oriented, snug feel through the middle. If you have a wide foot or plan thick winter socks, going up a half size is the safe call. At 323g per shoe it is not the lightest waterproof trainer, but it wears lighter than the number suggests because the weight sits low and central.
Colours
Buy the Salomon XT-Pathway GORE-TEX (Black) at Salomon
Specs at a glance
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Membrane | PFC-free GORE-TEX |
| Outsole | Mud Contagrip |
| Drop | 11mm, EnergyCell midsole |
| Weight | Approx. 323g per shoe |
| Lacing | Quicklace with Sensifit |
| Price | £140.00 |
| Best for | Everyday, travel and light UK trail |
Pros and cons
- Mud Contagrip outsole with deep, sharp lugs that actually clear mud
- PFC-free GORE-TEX membrane keeps feet dry to the ankle
- Everyday 11mm drop and EnergyCell cushioning suit long days on hard ground
- agileChassis adds real stability on off-camber trail
- Quicklace and Sensifit give a fast, secure, even hold
- Trail-styled looks that pass in town
- Low cut floods above the ankle in deep bog or stream crossings
- At 323g it is not a light shoe
- Snug performance fit means wide feet should size up
- Not built for long, steep fell days
Verdict
The Salomon XT-Pathway GORE-TEX earns a 4.5 out of 5. It does the one thing a road-to-trail crossover has to do and few manage: it looks like a lifestyle shoe but performs like a light trail shoe, thanks to a Mud Contagrip outsole that clears real British mud and a PFC-free GORE-TEX membrane that keeps the wet out to the ankle.
Buy it if you want a single pair for the commute, travel and weekend walks on downland, coast path and forest track. Accept the low-cut waterproofing limit and the 323g weight, and you have a versatile, hard-wearing shoe for three seasons of UK use. If you want the more athletic sibling, the Salomon XT-6 GORE-TEX leans street-technical, while the On Cloudrock Low Waterproof is the plusher-feeling rival.
Buy the Salomon XT-Pathway GORE-TEX at Salomon
