Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Performance
Comfort
When putting on the Salomon Quest 4D 3 GTX, it ’ s immediately apparent that this is a good boot. The high collar and solid lace system hold your foot and ankle snugly in seat, but generous padding around the ankle and along the boot ’ s tongue make it identical comfortable. It ’ s starchy enough that I wouldn ’ thymine recommend taking it for a long trek straight out the box, but with only a few short-circuit hikes under my belt before starting the Huemul Circuit, it had loosened up enough to be fitting like a glove.
One of my few complaints with the erstwhile Quest 4D 2 was that the moderately thin construction underfoot would leave me with huffy feet after hanker days on rough trails when carrying a heavy pack. But after a arduous four-day trek in the 4D 3 in precisely that situation, I ’ m confident in saying the newer hike boot does a better job isolating your feet from the grate. It ’ mho unmanageable to pinpoint the generator of the improvement—the forefoot is a little more flexible than the old boot taking some of the sting out of each footfall, and the outsole ’ second arctic compound besides has more “ give ” —but Salomon seems to have turned this erstwhile nitpick into a dead letter.
Weight
At 2 pounds 13.8 ounces for a pair of men ’ south size 9s ( good 0.6 ounces heavier than its number system of weights ), the Salomon Quest 4D 3 is about precisely the same system of weights as the previous model ( this bucks the course in hiking footwear of always going easy ). And even within the uncompromising backpacking-ready category, the Quest falls a little on the heavy side. For exemplify, competitors like the Lowa Renegade GTX Mid ( 2 pound. 7 oz. ) and Scarpa Zodiac Plus GTX ( 2 pound. 6.4 oz. ) both well undercut the Salomon. But I think the weight is well-spent with a tall ankle stature, beefy auspices, and class-leading support and comfort. If you ’ re in the marketplace for a lighter and more flexible boot, we recommend the Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid GTX ( 1 pound. 15.7 ounce ). But for demanding trails and those who want the support, the Quest is worth the extra ounces.
Traction
visually, the Salomon Quest 4D 3 and its predecessor are identical similar when upright, but flip them over and you see that Salomon completely redesigned the outsole. The old wave-like look and cadaver rubber compound has been replaced with better spacing to avoid caking up in mud, along with a softer Contagrip rubber eraser. Having worn the older Quest 4D 2s extensively over the last few years, I didn ’ t have major complaints with the grip, but the 3s do seem to have a short more pungency on steep sections, and specially on wet surfaces ( probably due to the more bendable rubber ). The Huemul Circuit is about as demand and varied as it gets, and I can ’ thymine remember one trip across rock-covered glaciers, astir steep passes with hairy and loose descents, and numerous brook crossings ( at least the ones shallow adequate to keep my boots on ). And importantly with this tread design, the lugs have not shown any signs of excessive wear.
Stability and Support
One of the chief reasons to upgrade to the Quest over a lightweight hiking boot or shoe is its stable feel. The collar sits higher over the ankle than a standard mid-height boot like the Merrell Moab 2 or Keen Targhee III, but it ’ s the solid support that sets it apart. The semi-stiff structure does a great job holding your feet in put without feeling restrictive like a mountaineer boot, and time and again I was impressed with how easy it was to trust my foot when carrying a heavy load on free, rough background. In short, the Quest may be overkill on a casual, short-mileage weekend trip, but it was the ideal match for the technical foul terrain we were hiking in Patagonia.
The excellent lacing system, which has been a key signature feature of the Quest line dating spinal column to the master, plays a big role in its performance on boisterous trails. I specially appreciated the sic of hooks at the bend in the ankle, which allowed me to lock in my heels on long climb. interestingly, Salomon did away with the two sets of locking hooks at the top of the bang ( the openings are now a little broad so the laces don ’ t pop into identify ), but I haven ’ thyroxine experienced any issues with the laces slipping or loosening throughout identical long days of hiking.
Waterproofing
I started my test of the Salomon Quest 4D 3 in the middle of winter in the Pacific Northwest, so I gave the Gore-Tex membrane a exhaustive exercise right field off the bat. The subsequent trip to Patagonia involve intermittent rain and more creek ( and sometimes river ) crossings than I could count, so I have a commodity grip on the quality of the design. Outside of a fairly significant trip when crossing a boggy section off trail, which allowed water over the top of the boot, my feet remained completely dry.
Breathability
I haven ’ thymine had the boots in hot weather yet—our Austral Summer backpacking trip was pretty balmy overall—but I haven ’ triiodothyronine had any issues with breathability. From my experience packing in Utah with the old Quest 4D 2 and summer trips with a boastfully number of Gore-Tex boots, I ’ thousand not expecting any miracles in the estrus. evening a premium membrane won ’ thyroxine keep you wholly cool, but with a pair of choice hiking socks and the Quest ’ s quick-drying upper fabric ( my boots dried wholly overnight after the marsh experience ), I ’ five hundred expect them to be a adequate ventilator for a rainproof design. And in winter, the membrane has provided a nice boost in warmheartedness, which has kept me comfortable while snowshoeing and hiking down into the mid 20s Fahrenheit.
Toe and Ankle Protection
With a tall ankle altitude and beefy toe and heel rubber, the Quest international relations and security network ’ thyroxine lacking in foot protection. The boot sits about an inch above my ankle, and with plenty of padding all around, I felt confident even over technical sections on the chase. Compared to the former version, Salomon did trim down the rubber toe cap along the sides precisely a little, but it however covers all of my toes and I ’ ve had no painful impacts. Unless you need approach horseshoe levels of protection and bobby pin for scrambling and climbing rocks, the Quest provides enough of security for off-trail and technical foul use.
Build Quality and Durability
The boot ’ s rugged look and feel has been backed up with solid lastingness thus far. There is plenty of evidence of bumps and scrapes from hitting rocks and branches, but the toe cap and leather/textile amphetamine aren ’ thyroxine worse for wear. The same goes for the beating system : a few eyelets have had the rouge scraped off from contact with trail debris, but they ’ re still solidly in place and the laces are like new. On the bottom, the sole has a few lugs that show testify of the grim terrain, but they ’ re humble and there are no chunks of rubber eraser missing or signs of premature dislocation.
Read more: Billy
Fit and Sizing
If you ’ ve worn the previous translation of the Quests, there are no surprises with the 4D 3 ( they even have the lapp removable Ortholite insoles ). I ordered my typical men ’ s 9 and it equip very true to size. The length was excellent with enough room to avoid jamming my toes on the relentlessly long descents on the trek, and the cozy heel and secure spike system kept my feet solidly in station. The toe box has an average width ( wider than Salomon ’ s lightweight X Ultra 3 ), which gives your feet adequate outer space to swell up throughout the day, but it ’ s not besides broad to impact constancy. unfortunately for those with hard-to-fit feet, Salomon does not offer narrow or wide sizes of the Quest like Lowa does with their Renegade GTX Mids.
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Other Versions of the Salomon Quest
We put the men ’ randomness Quest through its paces on Patagonia ’ s Huemul Circuit, and Salomon makes the shoe in a women ’ sulfur version for the same price. The women ’ mho Quest 4D 3 GTX is around half a pound light at 2 pounds 5 ounces and sold in different colorways, but otherwise it retains the lapp Gore-Tex waterproofing, upper and midsole construction, and Contagrip rubber outsole as its men ’ mho counterpart. Salomon besides makes the Quest Prime GTX, which is a trimmed-down and lighter-weight translation of the 4D 3 ( 2 pound. 8 oz. for the men ’ sulfur interpretation ), and the 4D Forces 2, which is a tactical pas seul that uses reinforced ( read : more durable ) materials. Unlike some hiking boots, however, the Salomon Quest 4D 3 international relations and security network ’ metric ton available in non-waterproof, low-top, wide, or pin down versions .
Salomon Quest 4 GTX
As a follow-up to the model tested here, Salomon recently released the Quest 4 GTX, which costs the like at $ 230 but features a couple key differences. namely, Salomon thinly updated the look of the shoe to be more modern and streamlined and added a new human body that ’ randomness designed to boost stability and support. The latest 4 is a moment lighter than the 4D 3 ( my men ‘s 9 weighs 2 pound. 11.2 oz. ), but the designs are very like overall. For more, see our in-depth Salomon Quest 4 review .
What We Like
- Fantastic support and comfort for carrying a fully loaded pack over rugged terrain.
- Tread grips well on anything from loose dirt to wet and muddy trails.
- Performance fit and excellent lacing system locks your feet in place on long climbs and descents.
- The boot is holding up very well despite rough use.
What We Don’t
- The Quest is overkill on easy trails—there are lighter and more flexible boots and shoes made for those uses.
- Only offered in a Gore-Tex version, so it will run warm in hot climates.
- Not made in wide or narrow sizes.
Comparison Table
The Competition
The Quest has been towards the top of our hiking kick round-up for years, but it ’ south surely not entirely in the identical competitive midweight commercialize. One of its long-time rivals is the Lowa Renegade GTX Mid. These two boots are proved options for challenging sidereal day hikes and long packing trips, but the Lowa gets the edge in weight by about 6 ounces for the pair and is offered in a identical wide-eyed range of sizes and widths. But if the Salomon ’ s fit you, we think the Quest is the better choice : its lace system is more guarantee, we love the aggressive running shoe-like position, and its bad build offers more protection and lastingness .
There is a growing survival of lightweight technical boots on the market in 2021, and one of our stream favorites is the Scarpa Zodiac Plus GTX. This boot looks and performs a lot like a trimmed-down mountaineer design : it ’ second stiff, grips well, and provides excellent support and security system for rough use. Compared with the Quest, it ’ sulfur light by about 7 ounces but has a little less all-around art due to its rigid feel. If you ’ ll be off trail a bunch or need something for faint mountaineer, both are hearty options, but the Scarpa is more specialize and thus a little less appealing than the Quest for most backpackers. 
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Another supportive and stable option to consider is Salewa ’ s Mountain Trainer Mid GTX, which is designed for rough in alpine terrain and harsh batch conditions. The Salewa is the heaviest purpose hera at 2 pounds 15.2 ounces, but the extra heft does come with a match noteworthy upgrades. First and first, you get a protective, wraparound rand for standout protection from rocks and other trail obstacles, and the set about shoe-like lace system makes it easy to get a snug fit. The tradeoff is that the Mountain Trainer feels excessively stiff and bulky on well-maintained trails, although we had similar complaints with the Quest. But the real number clincher for some may be price : at $ 250, the Mountain Trainer is $ 20 spendier than the Salomon despite offering less versatility .
Within Salomon ’ randomness batting order, a lightweight option to the Quest is the X Ultra 3 Mid GTX. At 1 lebanese pound 15.7 ounces, this boot is one of our top picks for fast-and-light travel. It provides sufficient corroborate and protection for on-trail use, but its flexible and very agile feel makes it easy to put on serious mileage. The X Ultra 3 Mid, however, is more limited on unplayful backpacking trips like the furrowed Huemul Circuit. The Quest ’ sulfur hardy build up, improbable ankle altitude, more secure lacing system, and added protection underfoot are all valuable additions for steep and rough trails. We are big fans of the X Ultra line overall and love the lower slant of the Mid, but it ca n’t match the huskiness of the Quest 4D 3 .
stopping point but not least is Vasque ’ south Breeze AT Mid GTX. We tested this boot while hiking in Patagonia and found it offers exchangeable levels of comfort and defend as the Quest while coming in $ 40 cheaper ( for more, see our in-depth Breeze AT review ). That said, from a performance point of view, the Quest is the clear winner : its promote lace system and acrobatic position deliver a more precise and agile feel on the trail. furthermore, the Salomon grips better across a image of surfaces and has a higher-quality, longer-lasting human body, which justifies its increase monetary value for hikers that get out a lot .
