Men's Quest 5 GTX Hiking Boots 26/27

The Quest 5 GTX is Salomon's multi-day backpacking boot for rocky, technical terrain. It pairs a GORE-TEX membrane with a nubuck leather and ripstop upper, an EnergyCell EVA midsole and the 4D advancedCHASSIS for stability under a load. It weighs 1 lb 5 oz per boot, with a 12 mm drop on a 34 mm heel and 22 mm forefoot stack.

The trade-off is structure. A stable, supportive boot carries more weight than a lightweight hiker, so on short day hikes it can be more boot than you need, but with a loaded pack on rough ground it is exactly what you want.

It is for backpackers and hikers carrying weight over several days on rocky, technical trails. The protective toecap and mudguard shrug off rocks, and the All-Terrain Contagrip outsole grips across mixed surfaces.

Regular width with sensiFIT cradling the foot from midsole to laces, a gusseted tongue to keep debris out, regular laces through eyelets and a molded OrthoLite sockliner.

We think the Quest 5 is the boot you want on day three of a big trip, when the pack is heavy and the trail is rough.