I purchased some Salomon trail runners for the trip. They have been the most comfortable pair of footwear I have ever worn. They have travelled throughout Europe and into Asia. From -15’c to 37’c, across paddy fields and up to 4,600m peaks. They are highly breathable and are well cushioned. In addition, they are very lightweight. After 8months they have succumbed to everyday wear. My review of these shoes are that they are extremely comfortable and suit a wide variety of terrains but they have not lasted as long as I hoped. The soles are contragrip and have worn out in many places, becoming smooth and not as suitable for climbing up a mountain as they once were. I had replaced them with some fake North Face boots but made a somewhat costly mistake. They are just too heavy and although they will probably survive the remaining treks in Nepal they won’t survive the rest of the trip. The Salomon’s weigh around 300g per shoe. Despite the rapid wear on the soles I would recommend these shoes and I especially like the quick-lace on them. Mine did not break in the time I had them. Replacement quick-lace systems seem quite unfathomable but after 8months of extreme wear my laces have no fraying.

My new shoes are Salewa. They are supposedly guarenteed to blister-free and come in a range of garish colours! They have very robust toe-protection and a good heel cradle. The soles are vibram, which I have nothing but positives to say about this brand. I am back to conventional laces but as soon as I tried them on they felt snug and suitable for both trekking and city-walking. They cost £70, the same as the Salomon shoes back in the UK.

In summary, if you want an very comfortable multi-activity shoe for trekking, travelling or day-to-day activities I highly recommend the Salomon shoe. I will definitely be buying them again and if they had them in Kathmandu I would have bought them.

Salomon Shoes

Salewa Wildfire

Posted from Kathmandu, Central Region, Nepal.