Salomon XT-6 review

The XT-6 is an instantly recognizable silhouette from Salomon that could be a perfect match for people who:

• want a vibrant trail-inspired sneaker to complete an outdoorsy look
• prefer firm, grounded, and highly stable sneakers to max-cushioned ones
• have narrow-to-medium feet and favor a snug fit
• appreciate the convenience of Salomon's Quicklace system

Comfort takes a back seat in the XT-6, and if you are not familiar with the snug, rigid, and minimally cushioned setup of Salomon shoes, you may opt for a more accommodating sneaker for all-day wear.

For long hours of walking on concrete and urban surfaces in general, we would rather go for the ASICS Gel 1130, the Nike Zoom Vomero 5, or any of the other comfortable sneakers that proved their worth in our lab. They may not share the same trail-inspired vibe as the XT-6, but their color options are just as diverse.

Originally intended for traversing steep technical terrain, the Salomon XT-6 was never meant to deliver plush cushioning. The shoe treated us to a rather firm, unforgiving experience from step one and showed a moderate shock absorption of 87 SA in the heel.

This Salomon shoe's stable and planted ride is also reflected in its below-average energy return of 46.7%. There is virtually no spring-back underfoot to give it a responsive feel.

Our caliper confirmed that the XT-6 has a moderate heel stack height of 31.7 mm. On par with the category average, it keeps the foot fairly close to the ground.

Its forefoot stack also falls within the average at 21.0 mm, offering just a basic buffer for the ball of the foot and the toe joints.

Slightly thicker at the heel, the XT-6's platform has a moderate heel-to-toe drop of 10.7 mm.

It is a standard offset for a lifestyle sneaker, which prevents strain on the calves and Achilles and provides better impact protection for the heel.

The XT-6 features a standard EVA-based EnergyCell foam that feels quite firm.

With a durometer reading of 51.6 AC, the foam compression is so minimal that you can hardly feel it.

The sole geometry of this Salomon shoe is rather flat, prioritizing stability and plantedness above propulsive heel-to-toe transitions.

The XT-6 is not exactly a comfort-first sneaker, as it offers a pretty form-fitting experience.

But it's no tighter than the average lifestyle sneaker, measuring a standard 92.8 mm in the widest part of the forefoot. Not the best option for wide footers, especially since it's offered in only one medium width, but it should feel at home for medium-width feet.

The shoe's toebox taper is pronounced but not overly aggressive, measuring a medium 68.4 mm at the big toe.

And as for the vertical space, our caliper measured a middle-range reading of 26.2 mm.

Close-fitting but not too low-volume to put pressure on the toes.

You can take a Salomon shoe off the trails, but you can't take the trails out of a Salomon shoe! Despite its rebranding as a lifestyle sneaker, the XT-6 still retains the tacky grip of its past incarnation, resulting in an impressive friction coefficient of 0.80!

Not like we expect the wearers to tackle slippery river rocks in this sneaker, but they will certainly feel surefooted on slick subway tiles and wet concrete sidewalks!

Even though it's intended for urban use, the XT-6 still inherits the aggressive tread pattern of the brand's performance trail runners. Measuring its lug depth at 4.6 mm, we found it unreasonably deep for city streets!

The shoe features chevron-shaped lugs of varying sizes, as well as blocky lugs at the heel for braking. While this setup is a welcome design on steep hills, it can end up hurting the bottom of your foot if used on hard surfaces for hours on end.

With its firm sole, TPU Agile Chassis, and aggressive outsole, the Salomon XT-6 has all the makings of a stiff shoe, yet it landed right around the average at 13.4N.

Slightly more forgiving than the Nike Dunk Low, it allows some moderate foot bending to keep the ride smooth.

On foot, the XT-6 still feels much like a nimble trail running shoe, thanks to its moderate weight of 11.6 oz (329g). Notably lighter than the average lifestyle sneaker, it is just as light as the adidas Samba OG!

Despite its rugged appearance, the Salomon XT-6 offered a breezy feel on our toes thanks to its porous mesh upper.

Our smoke-pumping test further confirmed the shoe's excellent breathability, with thick plumes of smoke escaping effortlessly through its toebox.

That earned the XT-6 a high score of 4 out of 5, proving it airier than the average sneaker.

Salomon places a strong emphasis on stability in the XT-6, equipping it with several supportive components that make it nearly impossible to roll the ankle in this sneaker.

A stiff Agile Chassis (dark red) stretches from heel to toes, caging the entire midsole. It is the exact same technology that once kept the shoe's platform steady on soft, unpredictable terrain.

The Chassis is complemented by the Pronation Control design (aka the good old medial post), which is a firmer foam placed on the medial side of the shoe's midsole. It helps to prevent the foot arch from collapsing.

On top of these two, the shoe also features a raised midsole topline (bright red) made of firm foam that further cradles the perimeter of the foot.

But it doesn't stop there. In the upper, the XT-6 is reinforced with the brand's proprietary SensiFit and EndoFit overlays that secure the midfoot in place and minimize its unwanted side-to-side shifting. 

Curiously, none of those stability elements translate into high torsional rigidity, as the XT-6 registered a moderate 13.3 Nm.

But even though this Salomon kick is slightly easier to twist than the average sneaker, it doesn't compromise lateral stability, and we still consider it a solid option for people with overpronation.

Fair enough, the XT-6 doesn't really need an ultra-stiff heel counter to provide a secure lockdown. With a middle-range stiffness of 3 out of 5, it provides just enough structure around the heel to prevent it from wobbling.

Given the number of supportive elements in its construction, this Salomon shoe doesn't really need an overly wide base to keep the ride stable. Measuring its midsole width with a caliper, we got just a standard reading of 110.4 mm at the widest point of the forefoot.

Its heel width also remains within the category average, measuring 86.5 mm at the widest point.

Although the re-branded XT-6 is no longer expected to brush against sharp rocks and bushes, it's always nice to have a wear-resistant upper on a shoe.

After applying a Dremel to the top of its toebox for 12 seconds, we found the abrasion moderate enough to rate its durability as 3 out of 5.

The shoe's inner mesh lining also proved reasonably durable, but not particularly impressive. Thus, we gave it a middle-range score of 3 out of 5.

But the Contagrip rubber on the shoe's outsole showed it was still ready for the wear and tear of technical terrain. The material didn't allow our Dremel to go any deeper than 0.7 mm, which is an excellent result for a casual sneaker intended for the concrete jungle.

Thanks to its deep lugs, this Salomon shoe has a rather substantial outsole thickness of 6.6 mm, which is a lot of material to go through before it becomes critical.

The shoe's 3.7 mm insole doesn't add much extra padding or underfoot comfort on top of the XT-6's firm midsole.

However, it is a high-quality Molded Ortholite insert that contours the foot, offering a pleasant touch of support.

None of the elements on our tested XT-6 pair lit up when exposed to a flashlight in a dark room. If reflective detailing is important to you, check out the XT-6 Steel Streets and Expanse variants instead.

The shoe's tongue padding is rather thin, measuring only 3.2 mm on our caliper.

Because of this, we'd be careful not to cinch the Quicklace strings too tightly to avoid lace bites.

Originally designed to keep mud and debris out of this Salomon trail shoe, the fully gusseted tongue now serves a different purpose in its lifestyle role: providing a secure, snug midfoot lockdown.

There is no pull tab at the back of the shoe, and with its fully gusseted tongue, you may need both hands to put ot on.

The Salomon XT-6's above-average price tag places it firmly in the premium lifestyle sneaker category. While its technical features certainly justify some of that cost, we believe the silhouette's soaring popularity also contributes to its premium pricing.