We first wrote about the Salomon Cosmic 4D GTX back in 2009, when the boots were released to an unsuspecting public, and were first being put to the test by Brian Blessed on Channel 4’s The Gadget Show. Whilst they got full marks and a glowing review by the big man, it’s now 2 years on, technology has improved considerably, and a fair few hundreds of thousands of miles have been clocked up in the lightweight boots, so how have they fared and are they still as impressive as they were when they were released?
Given that Salomon is keen on updating its shoes and boots each season, it is a little surprising that the Salomon Cosmic 4D GTX has changed little since its release. Apart from the Autobahn and Quick men’s model having been joined by a quite striking lime green version which can be seen from the other side of a dale, it’s essentially the same boot. However, the fact that little has changed is testament to the extraordinary design, which was so ahead of its time that no other boots have come close to offering such a lightweight design and remarkable performance, even given that technology is moving at lightning speed in footwear design.
Customers here at Fitness Footwear have been putting the boots through the paces for a couple of years now, and the feedback received is full of praise for the comfort, support and grip. Save for one man’s struggle to find replacement laces in the right colour, the Salomon Cosmic 4D GTX has received 5 out of 5 stars from every reviewer.
Whilst the Salomon Cosmic 4D GTX is highly rated across the board, it is the comfort and the lightweight design which is the biggest attraction with the boots. The Cosmic 4D GTX weighs in at an impressive 750g for a UK size 9, yet it functions perfectly well as a backpacking boot, and its performance is anything but lightweight. The design is versatile enough to be used as a hill walking boot, and is light and flexible enough to be used for even for light off-road walking. Considering that many boots in its class add nearly an extra kilo per pair, it’s no surprise that it gets such high marks, especially considering that each kilo on the feet is equivalent to an extra 5 in the pack. The difference that makes over a day of trekking is considerable.
The comfort comes from Salomon’s extraordinary trail running shoes, essentially using the same 3D chassis construction to give an unparalleled fit. An extra layer of support has been added to create the 4D system to deal with tougher terrain, yet all of the comfort of a pair of lightweight tail shoes remains. This gives the boots comfort straight out of the box, and a design which is ideal for maintaining that comfort over long hikes, difficult terrain, and the most punishing weather conditions.
Salomon may have been resting on their laurels after producing such an exceptional hiking boot, but given how extraordinary the Salomon Cosmic 4D GTX are, we think they can be forgiven for taking a little time off to rest their grey matter. Two years on and the Salomon Cosmic 4D GTX is still the best hiking boot in its class.