Ok, full disclosure. I have worked for a few outdoor industry companies and some of those have been outdoor footwear companies. So I’m pretty biased with what it takes to make a good trail running shoe. However there are a couple of things that I’m adamant never enter a shoe designed for running on trails. Quick run down of these before I get to my review of the Salomon XA Comp 4 GTX.
First is stability. There’s no reason for it when the terrain you’re running on is completely uneven thus negating what stability can actually do for the user. Stability on the road (a level, controlled surface) makes perfect sense. Stability in trail running shoes makes sense because shoemakers tell us we need it. And yes I’m hoping to test the Vibram Five Fingers soon, which will really blow all of this up.
The second is waterproofing of any kind. I’ve sat in many meetings with outdoor retailers showing them some new badass trail runner and almost instantly the question comes: “Does it come with Gore-Tex?” Listen, I get it. Gore-Tex shoes sell…to people who don’t actually trail run. Chances are if you are running in conditions that would call for waterproofing; it’s likely that water can get in your shoe as well as on your shoe. And guess what, waterproof/breathable linings work both ways. So now you’re running around with puddles in both shoes. No, trail runners should be built to drain. The best shoes should lose that squishy, just-got-off-of-a-water-ride-at-an-amusement-park-feeling within steps of leaving the water. Also, no matter how breathable a liner is, it’s not going to move moisture fast enough on a hot day to prevent your feet from roasting. But the masses of casual trail runner wearers think they need Gore-Tex, so I understand why companies make waterproof/breathable shoes.
So I definitely had my reservations when a fresh pair of Salomon XA Comp 4 GTX’s showed up on my doorstep.
Out of the box the shoe definitely appears burlier than its non-waterproof cousin the XA Comps. It still has one of Salomon’s best features, the asymmetrical Quicklace lacing system. The upper is constructed using a water resistant textile and anti-debris mesh. After putting them on, the first thing I noticed were how stiff and snug they felt. Adding the Gore-Tex definitely takes up some volume, but overall they felt ready to go. I started off with a few short 4-mile runs over technical terrain. It was springtime back east and the weather stayed cool and damp so the addition of a waterproof/breathable liner wasn’t too bad. My feet weren’t overheating and though the conditions were wet, I was able to avoid getting water in the top of the shoes.
During these first few runs I noticed that my feet were consistently sore after each run. At the time I chalked this up early season lack of fitness. Plus I was coming back from injury and the trails I was running on were consistently loaded with baby heads and large swaths of granite outcroppings. So I didn’t think much of my tender feet. Also, the outsole proved to be super grippy in all conditions. Wet, dry, slabs, gravel, it didn’t seem to matter, I was going to stick to it. So far, the XA Comp 4 GTX was performing admirably.
In late April, I traveled down to Flintstone, MD for the Greenhorn Adventure Race. The race was located in the mountains of western Maryland where the terrain is varied, rooty and rocky with lots of steep climbs. Another great testing ground for my new Salomon trail runners! The race started with a paddle across Lake Habeeb to checkpoint one where we would ditch the boat and take off on foot. As we hauled our canoe to the water I did what any self respecting adventure racer would do, I plowed into the water with no regard for getting wet, got the boat floating and hopped in to start paddling my ass off. This of course swamped my shoes and after we left the boat to start running it was immediately clear that my feet were going to stay wet as long as I kept my shoes on. Yup, trail running shoes should be built to drain.
With my impending move to Salt Lake City on the horizon I took matters into my own hands. Using a knife and a pair of scissors I performed a Gore-Tex-ectomy on my Salomons.
Now linerless, the XA Comp 4 GTX immediately felt better. My toes had more room to splay out and their performance on the rocky terrain of my local trails skyrocketed. The best part? Afterwards no sore feet. The shoes were more flexible and were not fighting against me the way they had been with the Gore-Tex linings.
Since my move to Utah I’ve been running in these trails all over the Wasatch front. I’ve run in them on the singletrack of Park City Mountain Resort, up at Round Valley, in the Uinta’s and during an epic run on the BSL (where I kept making run turns with very little water in the middle of a 100 degree day – good times!). While removing the liner made the shoes more flexible and comfortable, the “water resistant textile” that the upper is constructed of doesn’t allow for a ton of breathing so the shoes run hot.
Final analysis? Salomon makes great trail running shoes and any relevant trail running brand will have Gore-Tex models in their line. Overall the shoe performed how it was supposed to; and that’s about the best any shoe dog would want from their kicks. Personally I’d love to see a constitutional amendment banning waterproofing from three season trail running shoes. But since the Salomon XA Comp 4 GTX was built to have a waterproof membrane, it definitely lived up to expectations.
Purchase the Salomon XA Comp 4 GTX trail running shoes.