Salomon Elixir Mid GTX Hiking Boots Review 2023

Salomon has poured all their hiking and running knowledge into producing this super comfortable three-season hiking boot.

Pros

• Outstanding comfort
• Well condtucted
• Will suit most foot types

Cons

• Style may not suit some people

We’ve been big fans of Salomon here at CGR, we’ve featured a whole variety of clothing, packs, shoes and boots and a look through our archive will tell you our impressions have generally been very good. The French company has a history of innovating and producing comfortable footwear that performs exceptionally in its designed environment. 

Salomon has tapped into their talent pool of ultra-running designers to produce a super comfortable mid boot that has a whole host of features to maximise comfort and stability over long distances. Style-wise the Elixir is very modern and bang on trend, with chunky-looking soles and an off-white version which might not go down so well in UK moorland conditions! There are muted colour options with a traditional black/grey and natural Moss Green/Grey so both intro and extroverts are catered for. But, less about the looks (which is important) and more about the performance features.

There are other, more muted colour options but the white will appeal to younger hikers.

The uppers are a mix of abrasion-resistant mesh to aid breathability and suede with a padded textile upper which has inserts to guard against ankle knocks. It also has a toe guard that is stiff enough to soften out the toe stubs at the end of a long day and help keep the splashes at bay. They also have what Salomon calls an Active Chasis which helps protect the lateral border area of the foot offers support when side-stepping and helps prevent going over on your ankle, which is a godsend for hikers like this reviewer whose abused ankles are pretty much shot!

They have proved to be quite durable and tough throughout the test and I have only had some minor chips in the softer areas of the sole.

And talking of that the super soft EVA cushioned sole offers amazing shock absorbency and you get the full effect of the ultra running style design, especially when coming down steep rocky terrain. The footbed is based on Salomon’s reverse camber which offers ‘rocker’ style stability, again a nod to ultra shoes. To finish the sole off the 5mm lugs on the Contigrip sole offer support on a wide variety of terrain, perhaps not so good on steep muddy terrain, but there is plenty enough traction for steep grass or rocky steps. The friction of the Contigrip has been field-tested on millions of hikes throughout the decades it’s been used and I had no problems at all with friction when tackling technical rock steps.

The Contigrip sole offers reassurance on those technical rock steps.

The fit is snug (as you expect with Salomon), I tested a size UK8, this is my usual approach shoe and trainer size. There was enough room in the toe box for expansion and my feet tend to the narrow shape so if you have wide feet I would recommend going and trying a pair on as Salomon footwear can feel a little tight on some foot shapes. The lacing is standard flat laces with eyelets and a hook, this has kept the boots firmly in place and once tightened they have stayed tight and done up including at the heel. As always, I expect the laces to improve with wear.

The Salomon Elixir Mid GTX are super comfortable over a variety of terrain.

Finally, the Elixir Mid GTX has a Gore-Tex lining to help keep feet dry on damp days, bar tacking on pressure points for added durability and a prominent heel and tongue loops to help pull the boot on and seat the tongue and although you wouldn’t want to have these hanging off the back of your climbing harness, they will sit fine on a small pack for those days when multi-pitch climbing with a long walk off back to base.

The Salomon Elixir Mid GTX come in sizes UK6.5 – 13.5 in half sizes and three colour options.

For those who would prefer a shoe, there is also an approach shoe version and there is also a women’s version which comes in sizes UK3.5 – 9.5 and two colour ways.

The SRP is £200 and they can be purchased directly through Salomon UK and specialist retailers.        

Disclaimer – CGR reviewers and writers are never paid to provide a review and the website does not take advertising or link to affiliate sales. We are a bunch of keen climbers and travellers that accept sample products and offer an honest and independent review of the item.