Very good trail shoes for terrain except...
595578
...except for mud!  That's the really the only spot where these shoes fail.  There's zero mud-shedding and you will slip constantly.

Other than that, the toe box is wide, and the grip is great on hard-pack dirt, rocks, and most trail surfaces.  They've been great shoes for medium-length runs.  It's a shame they're no longer produced by Pearl Izumi.
1133972
Based on two runs, these are very comfortable, with a very secure fit, minimal heel-two drop, and surprisingly strong cushioning in the heel for being so close to the ground. These are toward the minimalist end of the spectrum, so expect no more support in the take-off than running barefoot. While they are too narrow in the front, they seem to stretch sufficiently over the course of a 6 mi. run. I give them 4 stars for two drawbacks: (1) The outsoles are great except when you encounter packed snow. The combination of rubber that slips and round lugs that don't cut into the snow make them dangerous to run with in packed snow conditions. Most other trail shoes I've used don't slip nearly as much. (2) The soles are a bit too flimsy for trails with serious rocks. On rock beds with marble to baseball size rocks, with edges, expect to run carefully, or get bruises. On the trade-off between feeling the ground and preventing injury, Merrell opted for feel - not good for aggressive trail running over rock strewn trails.
1594848
This is a great shoe. It is wide, particularly in the midfoot (which I need, and many shoes do not have) and it is built with materials, that at least upon inspection, look like they will hold up well over the course of many, many trail runs. It is not flimsy in any way, nor is it as light as some ultralight trails shoes - but, I'd expect it to last longer. Traction is solid on the bottom. My first runs were a joy on trails, and not much fun on pavement. The lugs are big and deep - particularly good in soft, wet or loose conditions. However, on pavement or really hard packed dirt roads, they squirm a bit (in their defense, they are not intended for roads). My only complaint about the shoes in using them for their intended purpose is that rocks can punch through the soles pretty easily if you don't watch foot placement. I bruised the bottom of my foot on the first run in them. I attribute that to my own fault as well, but these are probably not the perfect shoes for super rocky, sharp terrain.
2086354
Let me start by saying I really like Soloman shoes they are my preferred brand. I ordered a 13m because it was the only option available in a 13. I know my feet are wide so their a little tight. After 5 miles they fit fine. I ordered this shoe as a  walking shoe. I walk 5-10 miles a day on asphalt. These shoes would be awesome under the right circumstances but they are NOT for hard surfaces. The tread is very aggressive, almost like a kleet. These would be great for trail runners. So far I have approximately 30 miles on the shoes and am seeing pretty significant wear on the tread due to extensive use on the asphalt. Again this is my own fault for not properly researching the shoe before buying. I liked what I saw and made a compulsive buy. This review is just to make buyers aware that the shoe is not for hard surfaces. The tread placement puts uncomfortable pressure points and friction spots on your feet, if your using them on a hard surface. However on soil these shoes provide awesome traction and are very light weight and are a great type of shoe in that environment. 3 weeks and the shoes are almost done for. Just from walking on asphalt.
3761885
I bought these shoes preparing for a long distance trail run.
The shoes are very good quality, not heavy and provide great protection.
However, due to the low drop I cannot use for long distances :(, hence the 4star rating.
4022088
When backpacking, I like to run with a 35-38 lb pack. For many years, I have amassed a collection of Salomon trail running shoes for this reason. The issue with trail running shoes, however is the lack of warmth and weather protection, particularly when waking up in the Sierra Nevada mountains, the mornings can be very cold and, at times, wet. Switching to hiking shoes, I found Salomon hikers to be incredibly disappointing. Large, bulky, and heavy, they are more geared to walking around town or standing in long lines at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Switching to Salewa, I found these shoes to be extremely lightweight with the right amount of support for trail running under load. My first purchase was the MS Firewall EVO Approach shoe, for which I was very impressed, with the exception that the sole was a little too stiff for running. My second purchase was this shoe. While a few ounces heavier than the EVO Approach, this Alp Trainer is more suited for trail running due to a softer and slightly wider sole with very good weatherproofing characteristics to boot (pun intended).

In summary, these are trail running shoes with the ankle support and weather protection of a boot! Salewa, you have just earned a customer for life!
3856950
This is my 6th pair of Salomon XA Pro's in 4 years.  I will continue to buy these over any other shoe.  I am however not buying these for trail running.  So please keep in mind while reading this review.  I have minimal experience with these shoes on trails. I wear these for day to day on urban concrete and pavement.  That it the only issue I have, which I can not even claim as an issue, the treads wear very fast on pavement, streets, etc.  You can expect about 6 months of lifetime on the tread if you wear them daily for basic walking.  The shoe itself will show minimal to no wear under that time frame.  Since these are trail running shoes, if you plan to use them like I do, plan to replace every 6 months.  For trail use, moderate hiking in Arizona and Nevada have proven well for grip and support.  I can not compare these to any other brand for that purpose.  I love the support these offer.  The lacing is Kevlar.  Tread lightly with them, they are nor forgiving.  If you pull them too tight, expect some pain.  Unlike tradition laces where we tie them tighter for support, if you pull these too snug, you will regret it.  I go easy and they hold their support through all flex without issue.  I have had both the Gore-Tex and non.  Go with the Gore-Tex.  Well worth it.  The pair I have that are non, I stepped in a puddle and my foot was soaked, obviously.  They may breath better if you truly work them as a trail runner, but for me, the Gore-tex breathes just fine and offers me better protection from the elements.
2925776
Test run today for the first time.  Got 50 miles in.  Nasty trail conditions and they worked very well in wet, muddy, hilly conditions.  A little rubbing on the top back.  Might be because the back of the shoe is so high up the Achilles.
3075856
These shoes are not for heavy, aggressive hiking in rugged terrain.  They are, however, very well suited for running on trails where there may be a few steep areas or slight rocky sections. The traction is as good as any hiking shoe that I've used, on both wet and dry rocky surface.  The shoe itself will not protect your foot from sharp rocks or cactus; I would recommend a heavier dedicate hiking shoe for that.  However, for medium hikes or long trail runs, these shoes are as good as any out there, especially for the price.
1063768
A very nice pair of walking shoes. My needs were somewhat strange: I wanted something acceptable for the opera house, yet rugged enough for hiking trails along the Mediterranean. I figure I can get away with these at the theater, though I did take the precaution of ordering another set of laces, a duller gray that wouldn't be quite so contrasting. The Lowa Renegade IIs were actually a better fit, and for most people probably a better choice, but I sweat a lot on the trail, and I figured the Mesh Lo's would be more comfortable. Unfortunately the fit is a bit different, which is why I have knocked off one star. For my feet (again, perhaps somewhat strange), they are a bit loose in the heel and a bit snug at the ball of the foot. (The  Renegade II's were just fine in those respects.) However, I have been walking four miles a day on asphalt to get ready for the trip (making sure I don't get them muddy, so they'll look good at the opera), and they're perfectly comfortable. I do find that I must wear wool socks because cotton seems to wrinkle underfoot and that's a bit of a bother. I've never noticed that in my trainers or my more conventional hiking boots, both of which are New Balance.
4597584
I really like these shoes - they're first pair of Salewa's. I have a pair of Keen's for hiking, and wanted to get a pair of approach shoes for my ascend to Mt Tyndall (class 2-3 scramble). These are perfect shoes for scrambling. That said, after putting about 32 miles total over 4 days span, these are better shoes for scrambling than hiking. On 2 days where we were putting 8 - 12miles hikes (no scrambling), these shoes got a bit tiring on my feet. My feet just felt a bit of "beat-up" at end of day compared to my Keen hiking shoes. They will pass for hiking duty, but I'll say there are more comfortable hiking shoes in the market. But if you're looking to do some ascend/descend scrambling, these will work great.
3519973
These are great shoes.  My only small ding on them is that I'd like a more protective rock plate in the sole.  That's just my personal preference though.  I usually wear an 11 or 11.5 EE in running shoes, and these fit fine.  I may even be ok going up to a 12.  It took a bit to get used to the zero drop in these for running, but now they are my go-to trail shoes.  I'm actually looking forward to them wearing out for running so that I can have them for regular every day wear.  They are very comfortable.  I really like the wide toe box. The laces are great, and plenty long.

I'm on my third pair of Altras and they are pretty good shoes.  But, I just had a defect with a new pair (not bought through Amazon) and Altra's customer service was not willing to help at all.  Just something worth knowing - buying through Amazon, you'll be fine for returns, but Altra themselves won't be standing behind their product.
2061085
These are great shoes for the intended purpose of hiking.  Walking on pavement you are gonna have a rough time unless your feet are cast out of stone, they are just not designed to cushion on a hard unyielding surface without putting in a better insole.

That being said they work quite well hiking, keep your feet cooler than a leather boot, and dry out quickly when wet.  I have noticed that they don't have the best grip on slippery wet rocks or ice, the Vibram compound in these soles seems to be more towards durability than stickiness.
1448692
Great, lightweight shoe for rough terrain. May be a little too knobby for hard-packed trails and you will definitely feel the nubs on asphalt/pavement. There is no rockplate, so you do get good ground-feel and flexibility. Great grip on various terrain and surfaces with certain exceptions.

I wear these for obstacle course races and they work great to get you out of mud pits (Rolling Mud, Mounds of Grounds, etc..). Throughout most courses they are ideal in most of the courses that run through new trails with loosely packed surfaces.  As with most deep cleated shoes, it may feel weird on balance obstacles like logs and such so test your footing first. They have held up well on wall traverses and enough feel to stay on the small wooden blocks.  Grip on wet plywood is great, thus slanted/inverted/regular walls are not a problem in these shoes.

Drainage is excellent and the material does not hold onto much water. Coming from Salomons, this has been a welcomed change plus this shoe is much much lighter.

FIT
I prefer shoes with a wider toebox as I have a wide toe-splay and these work great. No cramping, no blisters on my pinky toes.  The arch/body may be a little wide for some as I have a medium volume midfoot and the eyelets over the tongue are cinched pretty close to each other, so not much more room for additional tightness.

Size - 10.5 (had to size up)
I normally wear a size 10 in most shoes with size adjustments from there.  For reference: Size 10 in Nike Free Run+ 3, Nike Free 5.0 (2014), Nike Free Run 2, New Balance M730 (NL1 Last), New Balance Vazzee Pace, Salomon Fellraiser etc.  I am a size 10.5 in Nike Free 4.0 Flyknit, Nike Free 4.0v3, Nike Free 40.v4.  I am a size 9.5 in Merrell Ascend Trail Glove. For boots, I'm generally a size 9.  And size 43 in Euro sizing.  Annoyingly, for Inov-8s it appears I am generally a 10.5, except for certain models. For example, I am a 10 in the Trailroc 245.

Feel free to ask questions in comments and I will gladly answer questions about shoe performance and fit.
2285224
I recently picked up a pair of these for running on the Appalachian Trail. I've gone through a few pairs of XA Ultras and loved every minute of them, but I wanted to see what the next level of specialization could provide. I really wanted to try some of those S-LAB shoes, but apparently Salomon has decided that those of us with size 13 feet aren't worthy of their efforts. Like many others, I'm lost somewhere in the transition to minimalism. I have a pair of NB MT10s but there's nowhere near enough armor on them to handle the AT. I figured this time I'd choose trail tech over heel drop for at least the winter and figure things out next spring.

First thing I noticed is that these felt a bit narrower than the XAs. A lot of people have reported not needing a break-in period, but that wasn't the case for me. It took about 50 miles for mine to loosen up and start feeling good. The Climashield does indeed run hot, but that shouldn't surprise anyone. The construction is excellent and well thought out. The terrain I run is pretty nasty and I've gotten my toes hooked under a few rocks and roots and there's been plenty of protection.

One of the main reasons I bought these was for the tread pattern. It's amazingly grippy on soft ground and makes running up earthy hills a blast. Works great on gravel too. Unfortunately, it starts to fail on larger rocks, especially downsloping slabs. Since the spikes keep surface contact to a minimum I end up sliding quite a bit, almost as if I were wearing golf cleats.

My biggest disappointment with these shoes has been the durability of the tread. After my first run - only 9 miles (Snicker's Gap - Buzzard Hill) - 4 or 5 of the perimeter spikes sheared completely off. After each subsequent run I'd lose one or two more, and the inner ones are starting to show cracks. The sole is smooth beyond those, so there's no fallback. Once the majority are gone, which is probably going to happen soon, there's not going to be much traction at all. I'm not sure if I'm expecting too much, but every description I've read has indicated that these excel on rocky terrain. I guess their definition of 'rocky' is different than mine.

Given that, I don't think I'd recommend these to anyone unless they only run on soft ground. I can see the non-CS version good for mud/obstacle races, but I think you're still going to have the shearing problem. Had I bought these from one of the many retailers with unconditional return policies I'd have sent them back. Lesson learned.
3963697
First off, I wear a size 14 in most shoes, including Five Ten Freerider mountain biking shoes. These are only made up to a 13. I heard that they come a little large though and decided to try them out. I'm not sure if this is true across all sizes, but the 13 is more like a 13.75. They ended up fitting me very well. So, be careful on the size.

The main reason I bought these though is that I LOVE the Stealth rubber soles on my MTB shoes and wanted to try out a pair of hiking/approach shoes from Five Ten. Even though the tread pattern doesn't look terribly aggressive, these are the best gripping trail shoes I've owned. They are comfortable all around with a reasonably wide toe box and good cushioning at the top of the tongue and under the ankle. The soles are stiff and took a little while to break in. I still wouldn't say they've "softened" all that much though. The bottom of the shoe is pretty stiff and the inner sole is not very cushy. They are comfortable for wearing all day though. I recently traveled with them for 10 days as my only pair of shoes both walking around town and hiking. So, they're fine. If you like a soft sole or lots of padding though, these are definitely not for you.

The only complaint I have is that these shoes do not breathe well at all. They're mostly a soft leather with a little bit of mesh. The mesh is thick though. My feet get hot in lots of shoes, but these are very hot. The flip side is that they do a decent job of keeping moisture out. During rainy hikes, my feet have stayed pretty dry. For me, the durability is nice. I've beaten up a lot of shoes hiking and I can tell these are going to hold up well. They're very well made and solid.

Overall, I really like these shoes. You just have to be good with the tradeoffs. They choose durability, grip and stiffness over being lightweight and breathable. And I feel like I should repeat that they are not cushy. They have stiff soles, but flex enough to walk around in all day no matter what the terrain. Give them a try if that's what you're after.
429201
I do a ton of running on various surfaces. While I mix things up when surfaces are okay, there is only one company that makes shoes that truly hold up when surfaces get dicey: La Sportiva. I've gone through a couple pairs of Raptors (awesome shoes for all-out speed) and am on my third pair of Wildcats. I've also tried a couple of their newer shoes but have been less than impressed. The newer MorphoDynamic soles that they have been experimenting with simply do not live up to the standards set by the Wildcats and Raptors.

The Wildcat is, in my opinion, the best all-around shoe for nearly every off-road situation. They provide amazing levels of grip for boulder-hopping and scrambling. They are comfortable enough for a long haul over rough terrain. And they are responsive and agile enough to deal with the stresses of all-out trail endurance racing. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't top the charts for any of those. Proper climbing shoes are best for bouldering, proper boots are more comfortable for longer hikes with a heavy load, and La Sportiva themselves make a better off-road running shoe in the Raptor. However, no shoe comes even close to providing the same level of all-around performance on trail.

The fit of the Wildcat is superb. Immensely supportive, but can be ever-so-slightly narrow if you have wider feet. I do have wide feet, so I go up one half a size and they fit amazingly. Since they make some (but not all) half sizes on the EUROPEAN sizing scale, you can dial in the correct size quite nicely.