T3 Awards 2019: Salomon yomps home with the best all-terrain hiking boots

The world of hiking boots is brimming with innovation, with some incredible brands leading the charge – many of them featured in our shortlist for the T3 Awards 2019. Little surprise, then, that there was a great deal of competition for this particular award, just like our walking shoes category. Over the past year we have backpacked, trekked and hiked our way to find the gold standard of hiking boots. To us, the Salomon Quest 4D 3 GTX is it.

• Best hiking boots for men
• Best women's hiking boots

The Quest 4D boots have helmed Salomon’s backpacking and trekking line for yonks, and the Quest 4D 3 GTX is the latest and greatest iteration. We’ve worn them backpacking and slipped them on for short day hikes as well as epic treks, and have never had cause for complaint. No break-in time, no blisters, no problem. 

Yes there are other hiking boots that are brilliantly suited to just day hiking, but if you have the budget for only one pair of outdoors boots that will cope with anything you throw at them, from quick-fire day hikes to intense multi-day expeditions, you’ll be safe with these.

So the Quest 4D 3 GTX are primarily built to help you go the distance under a heavy pack load, but they also take inspiration from Salomon’s trail-running line. As such, they also have a sporty feel. 

They’re purpose built to reduce foot fatigue and boost comfort and stability, all of which they handle with ease. What surprised us most when we first put them on is that they aren’t as heavy as we assumed they’d be. They also look good on – you'll be proud to wear these on the trail.

Salomon’s waterproof hiking boots will see you through the cold, wind, rain and ice of autumn and winter, thanks to a Contragrip rubber compound for boosted traction on any trail condition. And during the warmer months where you want maximum support and comfort when trekking or backpacking, they’ll be there for you too.

Full shortlist: AKU Trekker Pro GTX, Hoka One One Sky Kaha, Salomon Quest 4D 3 GTX, Merrell MQM Flex Mid GTX, inov-8 ROCLITE 345 GTX

Check out more of this year's award winners on our main T3 Awards 2019 page.