Salomon Group is a French born sports equipment manufacturing company that is based in Annecy France. The company has been in business since 1947 when it was founded by Georges Salomon. The company originally was made to produce ski edges but quickly expanded. They started focusing more on footwear, including skates and boots which they have become well known for now. Today the company is part of Amer Sports which is owned by the Chinese Group ANTA Sports which also owns Wilson, Atomic, Sports Tracker, Suunto, Precor, and Arc’teryx.
It’s no wonder Salomon is considered as a brand for boots by many professionals in police, military and other first responders. The Salomon Quest 4D GTX Forces 2 is one of those boots that keep coming up in those professional circles. In fact, the Quest 4D GTX Forces 2 was voted as one of the best boots by many Navy SEALs, and are currently the standard issue boot for US Army Rangers. They are also widely used by Green Berets as well as other special forces around the world. But you don’t have to be a professional to use these as they are great on the civilian side as well. There is a reason why the Quest 4D GTX Forces 2 is one of the top hiking boots around.
The Quest 4D GTX Forces 2 will come in a variety of colors depending on what you are looking for. If you are thinking of something more ready for in field use then you’ll want the “Forces Edition” which will come in several tactical colors including black, green, earthy brown, and coyote. Civilian side is more limited to your standard color codes. Standard on all Quest 4D GTX Forces 2 boots is that they are a 3 season boot which means you’ll get the durability of a hiking boot, and the comfort of trail-runners.
Key features:
- 4D Advanced Chassis
- Gusseted tongue
- Textile/Waterproof Split Suede Leather Upper
- Waterproof bootie construction with GORE-TEX® Performance Comfort
- Protective rubber toe & heel caps
- Molded EVA Midsole
- Non marking Contagrip® Outsole
- Ortholite® Sockliner
- 7.5″ high measured from floor to top of boot (size 8″).
- Weight (size 8, per pair) – 1.4 lb (655g)
As you can see the Quest 4D GTX Forces 2 boot uppers are made up of a combination of nylon and split suede leather. The boot design features a rubber toe cap, which will provide great protection from stubbed toes or bumps that result in frontal foot impact. Keeping with the exterior, there is a plastic heel guard and a midsole tread design which has a smoothed edge meant for fast roping. Finally, the third lace hook from the top acts like a lace hook and keeps the lace in place allowing you to change the tension between the top and bottom. When you have the laces locked in, they can be pulled tighter but they will not release on their own.
Inside the boot there are mesh-lined ankle collars which dip slightly at the rear of the ankle and are ergonomically shaped to minimize friction with your ankle. There is also a wicking polyester lining to absorb and disperse excess moisture such as sweat from hotter climates and long-term wearing of the boot. Adding to further comfort on the inside, each Quest 4D GTX Forces 2 boot is lined with a Gore-Tex Extended Comfort membrane. This also has the added benefit of waterproofing the inside. Finally, the Quest 4D GTX Forces 2 boot is built on Salomon’s trail-running platform which further adds to the comfort and allows you to continue to wear them for a long period of time. One of the coolest features of the inside part of the Quest 4D GTX Forces 2 boots is that the Orthlite insole. These are treated with antimicrobial treatment which helps minimize odors and still keeps the boot comfortable.
So how waterproof are these? Well I’ve had the pleasure of wearing these for the past 8 months approximately and that has allowed me to expose them to several climates. I’ve specifically taken the boots out in deep snow, heavy rainfall, and even dipped them in saltwater. Surprisingly, the inside of the boots never got wet. My only concern with these is the exposed Gore-Tex seam tape which could fail without proper care. If that were to happen, moisture would get in.
In conclusion, the Salomon Quest 4D GTX Forces 2 boots are featherweight but pack a lot of punch. This is a hardy boot that will provide good comfort and support while tackling all sorts of terrain. They are rated as a 3 season boot but I would honestly have no issues in wearing the boots in any weather. It is absolutely no wonder that many special forces around the world such as the Army Rangers and Green Berets are using the Quest 4D GTX Forces 2 boots. You literally can’t go wrong. 9.5/10.
