Unleash Your Inner Warrior: 11 Salomon Sneakers That Will Dominate Every Terrain and Elevate Your Adventure Game

Salomon’s XT-Pathway shoes are a seamless combination of sportiness and style. These waterproof shoes are excellent for walking outside for long periods of time, navigating uneven terrain and temperamental weather with ease. They are comfy, easy to put on, and have a bigger heel drop for nice support.

If you’re getting one new pair of Salomons this year, it should be the XT-Whisper. The re-released lifestyle shoe is everything we love about the other XTs, but made even more fun: squiggly lines, added upper details, and crazy good colorways. The shoe is slim and fitted, breathable and protective. It really leans into the trail-shoe-I’m-not-wearing-on-a-trail feel. The design is not as durable as some of the true hiking styles, but none look this good, either.

If you’re seeing Salomon sneakers around your neighborhood, there’s a good chance you’re seeing the XT-4s. They (in addition to the XT-6s) are strong crossover sneakers: all abrasion-resistant materials, underfoot shock absorption, and extraordinarily grippy Mud Contagrip soles, with lugs that basically knife through gritty terrain. They are an excellent shoe to wear daily, no matter where that is. We couldn’t travel without ’em.

If you don’t know where to start your journey, try these. They cover all the Salomon bases: excellent fit, abrasion-resistant materials, toggle lace system, and next-level colorways. The XT-6s have been in our editors’ rotations for years and we still reach for them when we know we’re spending a long time on our feet, exploring a new place, or might go for a run. These are a definitive streetwear and sport essential—basically the ideal Salomon for testing out the technical waters.

The 2000s are back in a major way, and the ACSs are sleeper Salomon hits as far as I’m concerned. Based on my very anecdotal evidence of going outside sometimes, I don’t see them nearly as often as I do the XT line. But they are excellent, a fun remix of an archival Salomon shoe from the 2000s with newer multi-terrain design. They are a bit higher and chunkier than some of the other styles, but with that comes an ultra-stable and durable wear.

One of the coolest-looking Salomons, the XT PU.RE Advanced is retrofuturistic design at its finest. This shoe is made for running. The slimmed out, tapered shoe looks less like it wants to go on a hike or run a trail but to straight up sprint. Salomon’s signature stabilizing cage keeps your foot from slipping and sliding, and it also just looks good. This shoe comes in muted outdoorsy colors and we can’t think of a better fall investment.

For all your city adventures, the Orava Advanced sneakers have you covered. These are, as you can see, dramatic as hell. The cushion is thick and supportive, the outsoles essentially small tire treads, and the woven upper breathable. The shape is dramatic but the colors are not, making the shoe still easy to style.

The updated XA Pro 3Ds are better than ever—and they were already pretty great. This sporty style is your go-to for any adventure, whether you’re running in wet weather or hitting the gym. These were designed for trail running, and have a stable ride with plenty of traction, so go forth with no fear. These don’t have quite as much cushion as some other styles, but they are super stable, very protective, with solid outsole grip.

The Gensis Advanced is as dynamic as it looks. Cool exterior aside, this is a sneaker designed for trails and rocks. The brand’s All Terrain Contagrip (seen here), is built to work on multiple surface types: wet, dry, hard, or loose. We love how the shoe is lightweight, never getting in the way of moving quickly, and how the grippy outsole extends up the front and back.

These are one of Salomon’s most iconic and durable styles, and with very good reason. They are crazy protective: the coated leather, protective toecap and mudguards keep dirt and rocks and whatever else trying to break into your shoes away. They have extra rubber wrapping around the sides and middle of the feet, giving you boot-level protection but without all the ankle commitment. With that, though, comes a significantly heavier shoe at 16.4 oz.

Sure, most Salomons are designed with trails in mind, but these do just plain running well, too. They are very comfy with a cushioned midsole and soft lining. Still, Salomon couldn’t help itself with a bit of outdoor-friendly design, including a Gore-Tex upper and deep, dirt-clearing chevron lugs. These plush sneakers feel surprisingly lightweight, making runs feel like an absolute breeze. Thank goodness they’re damn cool.