Over the past month, I've tested and reviewed the new Salewa Pedroc 2 hiking shoe while hiking the Pino, Piedra Lisa, La Luz, and Nambe Lake trails in New Mexico. The Pedroc 2 is the 2026 update to the original Pedroc Air. It's sturdier than the OG but still a lightweight hiking shoe. My Salewa Pedroc 2 review weighs the pros and cons of this new Salewa hiking shoe to help you figure out if it will fit your feet and match your hiking style.
Testing the new Salewa Pedroc 2 in New Mexico's Embudito Canyon
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Salewa Pedroc 2 Review
My Salewa Pedroc 2 review is based on approximately 35 miles of test hikes with approximately 10,000 feet of ups and downs. By design, I hiked trails of different difficulty levels and varied terrain—from desert washes to high alpine morraine and slick rock to gravelly switchbacks. This helped me gauge the Pedroc 2's support, weight, fit, comfort, weather protection, and traction.
As always, this is an independent review (not a sponsored post) based on my first-hand experience testing the Salewa Pedroc 2. You can trust my takes because I'm the former footwear manager at Appalachian Outdoors and hike more than 1000 miles each year testing hiking footwear.
Testing the Salewa Pedroc 2 at Nambe Lake Trail outside Santa Fe
Support
If you prefer a supportive hiking shoe, you should skip the Salewa Pedroc 2. It's made for light hiking—not for foot and ankle support.
That said, the Pedroc 2 has more support than the original Pedroc Air. There's a thin EVA plate that runs through the midfoot to add a little stiffness. At the same time, the Pedroc 2 flexes easily at the balls of your feet and twists more easily than most hiking shoes and several trail running shoe's I've reviewed.
On my test hikes, I noticed my feet feeling fatigued after 5 miles on moderate trails. That typically doesn't happen to me when I'm testing more supportive hiking shoes and trail running shoes. Likewise, the Pedroc 2's limited torsional rigidity led to me rolling my ankles more than once on my test hikes. Again, that doesn't happen frequently when I'm testing.
Given my feet and ankles, I trust this shoe on groomed trails—not on rugged trails with plenty of rocks and steep ups and downs. Pro Tip: The Salewa Puez 2 hiking shoe has better support than the lightweight Pedroc 2.
Weight
The Salewa Pedroc 2 is a legitimate lightweight hiking shoe. While most men's hiking shoes weigh between 2 pounds and 2 lbs 4 oz, my pair of Pedrocs weighs 1 lb 13 oz (men's size 13). If you value weight savings more than support, this shoe's weight is a plus.
For comparison, the Pedroc 2 is the same weight as the new La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3 and 4 ounces heavier than the old Salewa Pedroc Air. This is a lightweight hiking shoe built for light hiking.
The Pedroc 2 isn't as narrow as most Salewa hiking shoes
Fit
The Pedroc 2 is wide by Salewa standard, which makes it average width by US standards (since Salewas typically run narrow). Most men and women will want to size up a 1/2 size from their everyday shoe size for the best hiking fit.
If you have wide feet (like me), you may (or may not) get enough width by sizing up one full size or more. My everyday shoe size is a 11.5, but I sized up to a 13 to get enough width for my wide feet. Thanks to Salewa's 3F system, my feet didn't slide forward while sizing up because my heels were locked into the shoe. Overall, though, this shoe is a better fit for hikers with more standard width feet.
Comfort
I found the Salewa Pedroc 2 comfortable for a lightweight hiking shoe. This shoe is moderately cushioned (much cushier than the minimalistic Pedroc Air) with a zoomier fit than most Salewa hiking shoes. Pro Tip: For more cushion, check out the Salewa Pedroc 2 Max.
When I was cruising on easy to moderate hiking trails, I was a fan of the Pedroc 2's lightweight feel. I also wore this shoe comfortably as a work-from-home shoe.
If you're a fast hiker, you'll probably approve of the Pedroc 2's light and athletic feel. During my test hikes, I felt comfortable and confident wearing the Salewa Pedroc 2 on well-travelled trails with moderate switchbacks. However, I felt less comfortable on longer hikes and tougher trails, due to foot fatigue and traction troubles that led to some slips and falls. If your feet or ankles require more support, you might opt for a sturdier hiking shoe for comfort.
I tested the nonwaterproof Salewa Pedroc 2 hiking shoe
Weather Protection
Salewa makes two versions of the Pedroc. The Pedroc 2 Powertex ("PTX") IS waterproof. The regular Pedroc 2 is not. Since I mostly hike in the arid desert mountains of New Mexico, I tested and reviewed the regular (non-waterproof) Pedroc 2. I found the non-waterproof version kept my feet cooler and drier than waterproof hiking shoes (when I kept them out of water).
My experience is limited with Powertex—Salewa's proprietary waterproofing. When I stood in standing water while reviewing the Salewa Puez PTX hiking boot, the Powertex waterproof membrane worked as expected. However, I can't vouch for its quality until I have more experience hiking through mud, rain, and snow in Salewa's PTX waterproofing.
The Salewa Pedroc 2 got mixed reviews in my traction tests
Traction
I was optimistic that the Salewa Pedroc 2 would have great grip for mountain hiking. Unfortunately, my traction tests revealed limitations of its Pomoca rubber outsoles.
The Pedroc 2 features V-shaped climbing lugs in the forefoot and braking lugs at the heel. Normally, this aggressive lug pattern results in reliable traction on loose dirt, gravel, and mud. However, I slipped and fell twice while testing this shoe's tread in those conditions—first on a wooded section of Nambe Lake trail and then on a sand and gravel stretch of the Embudito trail. Thanks to my field tests, I know this shoe's aggressive tread isn't as good as it looks.
As expected, this shoe's aggressive lug pattern isn't the best for solid rock. While I could hike some rough rock in the Salewa Pedroc 2, I slipped and fell twice on rocks. My first fall was on a steep and rocky section of the Nambe Lake Trail. My second biff was on the smooth granite boulders at the bottom of Embudito Canyon. The Salewa Pedroc 2 is not a great hiking shoe for rocky trails or rock scrambling.
It's rare that I slip and fall on my test hikes, but this happened to me four times over six test hikes in the Salewa Pedroc 2. Based on these traction troubles, I recommend this shoe more for easy to moderate terrain.
The Salewa Pedroc 2 comes in several colorways for men and women
Value
The Salewa Pedroc 2 has a MSRP of $160 (nonwaterproof)/$180 (waterproof). With tariffs and inflation driving up the cost of hiking shoes, that price is pretty average for the lightweight hiking shoes I recommend. Plus, Salewa is a solid brand. That said, you should only buy the new Pedroc 2 if it fits your feet and matches the hikes you do most of the time.
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Men's Pedroc 2
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Women's Pedroc 2
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Salewa Pedroc 2: Pros and Cons
The Salewa Pedroc 2 isn't a minimalistic hiking shoe like the original Pedroc Air, but it's still better for light hiking. Here's more of this shoe's pros and cons after 35 miles of first-hand testing:
Should you buy the Salewa Pedroc 2 hiking shoe?
If you're a faster hiker looking for a lighter hiking shoe, you might be happy with the Salewa Pedroc 2. It's a lightweight, athletic, and comfortable hiking shoe that I enjoyed on fast-moving fitness hikes. However, the shoe's limited support and inconsistent traction make it a better bet for fast or casual hikes on groomed trails than hardcore hikes on moderate to difficult trails. Compared to other Salewas, it's not as narrow. This may be a good thing for most hikers—and a letdown for hikers who prefer Salewa's narrower fit.
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