The Salomon Quest 4D GTX

On test: Salomon Quest 4D GTX boots
Country of manufacture: China
Weight: 1,350g a pair (size 44/9½); women’s 1,100g a pair (size 38/5)
Price: £155
Colour: grey/black
Material: uppers, Nubuck leather/textile; sole, rubber
Crampon rating: B0 (not crampon compatible)

grough rating:
Performance 28/35
Comfort 31/35
Quality 8/10
Value for money 14/20
Total score: 81/100

The Salomon Quest 4D, supplied to grough by retailer Snow + Rock, is a thoroughly modern boot, full of good looking features, and uses a combination of Nubuck leather and textile, along with the company’s 4D chassis to keep weight low.

The leather is treated to be waterproof but it’s the Gore-Tex lining that users will rely on to keep the water out, as there is a large area of the upper that is textile, to help breathability, Salomon says.

The material has a tough feel and stood up to abrasion.

The Quest 4D is built on a chassis with trailrunning pedigree and features four layers in its sole, which makes for a very comfortable walk.

The chassis has an unusual, four-part construction

The Salomon Contagrip rubber outsole has a fairly tight pattern of lugs which gave reasonable grip though not the best we have tested. There was some foot slippage on gloopy mud and on some downhill sections.

The 4D sole unit is an unusual design. Between the outsole and the midsole is a combination of soft EVA inserts and a hard, transparent shiny casing which presumably adds to the boots lateral stability.

Combined with a ventilated Ortholite footbed in the boot, this whole set-up means the foot is well cushioned on hard terrain.

There is good comfort in the uppers too, with the gusseted tongue and the ankle collar also well padded.

Adding to the Quest 4D’s comfort is the way the boot holds the foot. Viewed from the heel, the sole unit is clearly ‘waisted’, with the heel cup providing very good support with no hint of heel lift on uphill sections, a notorious source of blisters.

The forefoot is generous, with plenty of room for the typical wide British foot.

The women’s model is also tailored to typical female foot shapes.

The Quest 4D GTX is a high boot, with its uppers extending well above the ankle bone, but the soft uppers are comfortable and offer a degree of support.

The toe section has extra protection

There is toe protection from a hard raised rubber section that extends from upwards from the front of the outsole, with a larger, softer rubber section offering further protection from stubbed toes on rocks.

At the heel, the hard plastic section of the 4D chassis provides protection from an extension.

Lacing is easy, with all but the bottom two Nubuck loops being metal.

The fifth lace hooks are locking, and are set back from the others with the force directed towards the heel. In practice this means it’s possible to get a good hold on the forefoot and hold the heel in place while lacing the top two hooks to obtain the best comfort from the ankle section.

In fact, the locking hooks are that good that it’s not that easy to unlace from them, and a sharp tug is needed sometimes to free the lace.

The lacing system ensures there is no sliding forward of the foot on downhill sections.

In use, the Quest 4D GTXs fall into the ‘put them on and forget them’ category – a quality we like a lot.

The locking hook works well and helps hold the foot well

Gear that you constantly have to worry about is something you can do without.

These Salomons were comfortable and, at the end of our test routes feet were still fresh and dry.

There is always a worry with boots that rely on fabric in the uppers that feet are getting wet. Rain gathers on the outside and cools the foot, so there can be a perception the boots are leaking when they’re not. This is not a problem with leather boots, so anyone making the switch needs to be aware of this.

That said, it’s always wise to keep the toenails neatly clipped as that Gore-Tex membrane is all that’s keeping your feet dry, and you wouldn’t want to puncture it.

The Salomon Quest 4D GTX is a great boot for long-distance trekkers and regular walkers who want an occasional foray into more serious terrain. The biggest plus-point is the boots’ comfort and relative lightweight construction meaning the miles pass without drama.

Salomon also recommends the boot for backpacking. We would echo that as long as you’re not heading into wilder, off-track terrain.

The Salomon Quest 4D GTX is on sale at Snow + Rock (women’s).