The Salomon Cross Hike 2 Mid GTX isn't your typical Salomon hiking boot. The COVID pandemic got many people out of the gym and onto the trail. For the most part, this flood of new hikers prefers lighter, more casual footwear. So Salomon released a series of lightweight boots and shoes that cater to new hikers, casual hikers, and urban hikers—including the Cross Hike. I've owned the Salomon Cross Hike 2 for two years now, testing it on easy to moderate trails in Pennsylvania and New Mexico. Here's my first-hand review of this lightweight and stylish hiking boot that shows Salomon's most casual side.
Testing the Salomon Cross Hike 2 on New Mexico's Piedra Lisa Trail
Salomon Cross Hike 2 Review
My Salomon Cross Hike 2 review is based on two years of testing. Given the boot's recommended uses, I tested it on a mix casual trails, urban trails, and a few moderate trails to evaluate its support, weight, fit, comfort, weather protection, traction, and overall value compared to other lightweight hiking boots. For example, I joined the dog walkers along Albuquerque's Bosque trail and Sandia foothills, hiked Mt. Nittany and Musser Gap near Penn State University, and wore my Cross Hikes up and down the Tres Pistoles (3 Guns), Piedra Lisa, and Embudito trails in New Mexico. As always, this is an independent review based on my personal experience in the Cross Hike 2.
Testing support, comfort, and traction on 3 Guns Trail
Support
This may be a mid-cut, but the Salomon Cross Hike 2 Mid GTX is not built for ankle support. Its ankle collars are too short, padded, and loose to prevent your ankles from turning over a root or small rock. However, like most Salomons, this boot has a hidden chassis inside which runs down the sides just past the midfoot. This adds some stiffness to prevent your feet from overflexing and some torsional rigidity for lateral support. During my test hikes, I didn't twist an ankle. But I didn't feel any more ankle support in the Cross Hike 2 than a low-cut hiking shoe. Support-wise, this is more of a hiking sneaker that's better for hiking easy to moderate terrain with a light daypack—not steep, gnarly trails with a heavier backpack.
Weight
The average men's hiking boot weighs 2.5 to 3 pounds. The men's Salomon Cross Hike 2 weighs two pounds or less (and the women's several ounces lighter than that). My men's size 12.5 weighs exactly two pounds per pair. It's clearly a lightweight hiking boot. If you place more value on weight savings than support, you should consider the Salomon Cross Hike 2—if it feets your feet.
Fit
The Salomon Cross Hike 2 fits like most Salomon hiking boots and shoes. It's snug in the heel, average in the midfoot, and slightly narrow in the toes. Overall, it's a better fit for standard to narrow feet.
If you have wide feet, I recommend other Salomons that come in wide sizes. However, wide-footed hikers can sometimes pull off Salomons by sizing up one full size from their everyday shoe size (especially since that narrow heel cup prevents most feet from sliding forward). I have wide feet and wear my casual shoes in a size 11.5 I got an okay fit in the Cross Hike by sizing up to a 12.5. However, I prefer the fit of a 12-wide in Salomon.
Extra-long quicklaces compromise comfort & saefty in the Cross Hike 2
Comfort
Comfort has a lot to do with fit and with matching your footwear to your hiking style. The Salomon Cross Hike 2 could be a comfortable boot for you if you prefer a snugger fit and a lighter build. Made for faster hikes on well-maintained trails, it's not as stiff underfoot as most Salomons I've owned. I could feel my feet flexing naturally on my casual urban hike along the Rio Grande in Albuquerque and a fast hike along Spring Creek in Central PA. On longer and tougher trails, I'd personally want more support to keep my feet and ankles fresher.
My only real comfort complaint is this boot's quickLACE system. I love the Salomon quicklaces in the X Ultra hiking shoe. However, it's way too long in the Cross Hike 2 (see pic)—to the point that it's a tripping hazard. On my test hikes, the ends of thoses laces quickly worked their way out of their storage pocket on the tongue. They extended well past the end of my boots, even when I ran them under the rest of the quicklace to try to hold them in place. Unfortunately, t's annoying enough to be a potential deal-breaker with this boot.
"GTX" stands for GORE-TEX waterproofing
Weather Protection
Even though the Cross Hike 2 Mid GTX is casual by Salomon standards, it still has premium features, such as GORE-TEX waterproofing. My test hikes included some wet grass and puddles along Spring Creek and some snow at elevation above Albququerque. I had no issues with this boot's waterproofing. GORE-TEX is both waterproof and breathable and remains the most reliable waterproofing for hiking boots and shoes. This is a plus for the Cross Hike 2.
Traction
The tread on the Salomon Cross Hike 2 is designed for dirt, sand, snow, and mud—not solid rock. The lugs are relatively aggressive to dig into soft surfaces and widely spaced to limit how much snow and mud cakes up underneath them. That being said, I struggled to shed some tacky mud while testing them along the flood plain of the Rio Grande. Plus, my footing wasn't great on the smoother rocks of Embudito Canyon. However, I've loved this tread on the sandy arroyo trails near my house. Walks in the woods would be in this boot's wheelhouse. My test pair really handled steep, gravelly slopes of well on the Piedra Lisa and Tres Pistoles trails—two trails where many hikers struggle with their footing. As long as you're not primarily hiking on solid rock, I rate the traction on the Cross Hike 2 a plus.
Value
With a MSRP of $190, the Salomon Cross Hike 2 is close to the going rate for quality hiking boots in 2025. At the same time, that price is higher than several lightweight hiking boots I recommend. For example, it's $5 less than the HOKA Anacapa Mid GTX ($195) but $10 more than the Topo Athletic Trailventure 2 ($180 ) and the more performance-oriented Salomon X Ultra 5 Mid ($180). Right now, however, it's often on sale for much less than its retail price:
Salomon Cross Hike 2 Mid GTX: Pros and Cons
The Salomon Cross Hike 2 Mid GTX is a quality hiking boot, but it's not a slam dunk. You should compare its pros and cons to figure out if it fits your feet and matches your hiking style:
Should you buy the Salomon Cross Hike 2 Mid GTX?
The Salomon Cross Hike 2 makes sense for men and women who prefer a stylish, lightweight hiking boot for urban trails or fast hikes on easy to moderate trails with soft surfaces. For me, it's more of a peak to pub pick than a true hiking boot. For example, people in Paris have been wearing this Salomon as a fashion statement, and I've personally had good experiences wearing this light and nimble boot for more casual hikes with friends and fast fitness hikes in desert washes and on steeper trails with sandy, gravelly footing. Plus, it's much lighter than other mid-cut hiking sneakers I recommend. However, it's not a great choice for rocky terrain, and the quicklaces are surprisingly long, annoying, and potentially dangerous. This isn't my favorite Salomon, but I can see why many casual hikers and urban hikers have given the Salomon Cross Hike 2 solid ratings online.
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