What is the Quest Element GTX?The Quest Element is a waterproof, protective and supportive boot for hiking and trekking in a wide range of environments, from rocky and harsh mountain trails to damp and boggy woodland. It features a higher cut and more protection than the 'regular' Quest—perfect for those who require a step up (no pun intended...)
What are they made of?The uppers are made primarily from nubuck leather, providing plenty of abrasion resistance and durability yet allowing moisture to escape in warmer environments. This is backed up by a plethora of reinforcements (highlighted by the black areas) around the sides, toe and heel. Underneath this, you'll find a fully waterproof Gore-Tex membrane, providing total waterproof protection for those muddy, boggy and rainy walks that we know all too well in the UK.
Moving down, a Contagrip sole unit keeps you stable and surefooted in both loose, muddy conditions as well as dry and hard packed. The lugs are widely spaced to effectively self-clean as you walk, while a tall heel digs into the terrain while descending to prevent you going head over heels.
What are their features?Almost all of the features are listed above in the construction, however, Salomon have implemented a new chassis into the Quest Element to improve stability on rough, uneven terrain. A range of clever construction techniques also means the boot only weighs 505g (per boot), making it feel faster and lighter than you'd expect for a full-on trekking boot.
You'll also notice one of the lacing hooks looks slightly different—this contains small ridges that prevents the lace slipping out whilst tightening. This allows you to tension the lower and upper halves of the boot independantly for a more comfortable, customisable fit.
- Gore-Tex waterproof membrane
- Nubuck leather upper
- New chassis
- High cut
- Lightweight yet stable
- Contagrip outsole