I have been a Solomon shoe guy for some time now. Generally, Fitment is great and I can go on long hikes with a brand new pair of shows with no break in time. I like their style and up until recently have been very happy with their shoes. I don't know what happened with the latest model change of the Ultra, but the materials have gotten very thin and I don't have faith that they will last long. They also removed a row of the open-ended lace cleats near the top that helped secure the shoe against the ancle better. Now I get endless amounts of trail debris that dump into the sides. Additionally, the waterproof quality does not extend to the mesh near the laces. Those part saturate very quickly and I immediately start to have wet feet. This makes a huge difference when compared to my old pairs, on my 15-20 mile hikes in Maine's wet, spring conditions. I don't know if this was a weight reduction process or a cost savings measure, but it is something that I though Solomon was better at from an ethics perspective and I will likely need to find a more robust shoe brand going forward. It's a real shame. I just want a pair of vegan boots that are built to last and provide the best possible waterproof protections. Last, the soles are terrible on wet wood and roots, but great on wet rock.
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