Salomon Boots: A Gear Review

I recently exchanged my Vasque Breeze 2.0 hiking boots for a pair of Salomon Quest 4D II GTX hiking boots.  You can read about my initial thoughts on them here.  Since getting this pair of boots, my cousin also decided to replace her Vasque hiking boots  (Of course her Vasque boots are 24 years old-seriously, I'm not joking).  She had been checking out the same Salomon boots, and long story short, she ordered a pair as well.  When she tried them on, she had the same initial thoughts that I did.  The boots seem to "hike for you" (like the magic dancing shoes Porky Pig had to wear for stealing leprechaun gold).  Seriously, the boot moves so well when you walk, it feels like they are rocking your foot forward.  They are also very cushy and feel closer to a sneaker than a boot.
This past weekend, we went for a test hike on the Appalachian Trail.  We hiked nearly 6 miles and had zero complaints.  The couple of little problems I had were due to trying out sock liners for the first time and not from the boot.  I was extremely grateful for the hiker ankle support on this boot compared to my former pair.  Several time I turned my ankle on rocks in the trail, and I never had an issue with injury.  And speaking of injury, I have a bad ankle from a nasty sprain several years ago.  Walking or standing for long periods tends to make it ache really bad.  I had no problems with it whatsoever on this hike, and I should have had problems.  I'm certain the added support helped hold that joint stable and gave it significant support.
According to the sales associate at REI, this boot is popular with the police and military.  It's also an actual backpacking boot, meaning that the sole is sturdy enough to protect your feet while carrying the additional weight of a full pack (regular hiking boots don't always offer the same protection for backpacking). These boots have also been very easy to break-in.  This was mentioned to me when I purchased mine, but I wasn't willing to believe it.  I've only really worn them on 2 trips that involved all day hiking on the trail and both times I was good.  I haven't experienced any blisters or hot spots.  The most annoying thing (and it isn't really that annoying at all) was getting used to having a higher ankle.
So far my cousin and I both are pleased with our choice 

New Kicks

After trying different tying methods, 

I finally came to the conclusion that my hiking boots just didn't fit right.

(You can read about the beginning of the boot saga here)

So I headed to REI.

Let me just say how awesome REI is.

I know they're expensive, but this is one instance of getting what you pay for.

By being a member (that is a one time charge of $20 for life),

you get the privilege of a 1 year return policy.

That means, you can buy something, use it, and if it isn't working for you, you can bring it back.

So, despite he guilt of wearing the boots for nearly a year, 

I returned them.

I then went about trying on several different kinds.

I tried the same boot I had in a different size, I tried Keens, Salomons, Vasques and who knows what else.

None felt right.

Finally, discussing the issues with the sales associate, 

he suggested I try the Salomon Quest 4D II GTX as they have a narrower heel cup

and that seemed to be part of my problem-

I have narrow heels

(I have duck feet, narrow in back, wide in front).

They were, of course, $70 more than the pair I was returning.

I wasn't going to try them on because I wasn't planning on spending any more money

(other than maybe $10-$20).

But my mom said to try them, 

and my husband said to see how they fit.

Of course, they fit perfectly.

My toe does not slide forward at all.

and when I lace them one of the fancy ways, 

my foot doesn't even budge a millimeter. 

I'm lucky I have such a great husband who said to go ahead and spend the extra money.

I love them!

They have excellent ankle support which I need because of a bum ankle.

And I can attest to the waterproof ability.

I wore them to go take care of my chickens

and proceeded to accidentally dump 3 gallons of cold water on them.

I never felt a thing.

I'm pretty sure these new boots will make me hike faster.