Salomon Men’s Quest 5 GTX

This is the latest iteration of one our favorite bomber hiking and backpacking boots. It has the look of a traditional boot and grants that same reliable stability and long-term durability, but it also borrows from Salomon’s athletic expertise to trim weight and offer better responsiveness and agility than it might appear at first glance. An internal chassis is the key to that confidence-inspiring stability and that allows the boot’s upper to be a flexibility-providing hybrid of leather and synthetic materials rather than stiff full-leather construction. This also allows the boots to be worn on the trail nearly right out of the box rather than requiring a slow, gradual break-in. Throw in a waterproof/breathable GORE-Tex lining and Salomon’s All-Terrain contaGRIP outsole and you’ve got all-around protection you need for whatever the trail throws at you.

Best Use: Backpacking

Price: $239.95

BUY AT ENWILD »