how do the Saloman quest GTX hold up to loads

[Luked]

all the reading I have been doing on footwear most say a really stiff boot like a Lowa Tibet holds loads better.
my problem is around here there is no place that I have found yet that keeps the Tibets in stock. closest I have found to a stiff boot that I can try on is the Meldle that cables has.
I went to REI this past weekend and they had the Saloman Quest GTX there. so I checked them out really nice boot pretty light and felt like it had some good support to it. they were swamped in the footwear section and I had my two young kids with me so didn't get to hang around and try boots on but been thinking of giving them a shot.
my hunt I have planned is in CO for eearly elk season in mid to late sept.
so give me some opinions fellas

 

[GLB]

I have the Salomon Quest 4d gtx . I just got back from Zachar Bay Kodiak from a week long Blacktail hunt. The terrain was steep and rolling with grass covered slopes and brush. These boots did very well there and very happy with them. Packing out a quartered deer was about 65 lbs or so and I felt that I had very good support with that weight. It was always wet there and they keep my feet dry the whole time except when I went over the top of course. I did not encounter rock or scree but I think it would hold up well.

 

[jtw]

I switched to the quest after years of heavy tibet-esque boots. Ive used them deer and elk hunting as well as some mountain scrambles. Boot is plenty support. The tradeoff is that theyre not as durable. A pair of tibets will much longer. Im on my second pair but the weight difference makes it up for me.

 

[Will_m]

They certainly feel as though they could provide good support under load, but they fit my feet very funny. There was a major issue in fit where the lace crossed the top of my ankle, almost like it was pinching. For this reason I sent them back, but as far as support they certainly felt as though they had it.

 

[Luked]

mine will be used quite a bit at home deer hunting and probably one trip a year out west. I can see where the Tibets might hold up better but still just unsure on the stiff boots.

 

[LostArra]

Tibets definitely have more support but I still like the Quest 4D when they aren't leaking. The only real heavy loads I carry is meat and I'm usually so happy I don't think about the boots.

Tibets' only shortcoming is in the sneaky department. Not much ground feel when trying to move quietly.

 

[huntaholic123]

I have been running the Quests the past couple years. Very comfortable and has decent support. I did have a heavy load this fall around 80+lbs and at times felt like I needed a stiffer sole. Could feel smaller rocks as I stepped on them with the added weight. Also did not perform well in crossing streams with gaiters on. Did not repel water at all. All and all though I really like these boots and are very light and comfortable. I will get another pair when my current ones wear out. At the same time I will look for a pair that are stiffer and perform better in water crossings.

 

[mrbillbrown]

I've been training in my Quests for 18months now both on and off road. They've held up great with loads from 40-100#. Granted, I don't typically train in the pouring rain and avoid large puddles, just because I don't want to spend that much time cleaning boots after a workout, but they've been great for me. Would guess I have a few hundred miles on them and still going strong...

 

[cbeck36]

Been using them for over a year now, approx. three times a week. Best thing I've had on my feet. Three trips worth of moose meat down very steep terrain and no problems. The fit and quality is still there after some serious use. Highly recommended them.

 

[69ChrisCraft01]

I'm on my 3rd pair in less than 18 months. They do not stay waterproof very long at all...if they weren't so comfortable I'd have moved on. This off season I hope to find a better boot.

 

[wapitibob]

The footbed is a long way from "supportive" if you are on rocky ground. I didn't go 2 miles scouting for antelope in eastern Oregon on rock before I realized how bad they were. Elk hunting on dirt and sticks they were great.

My feet wrapped around every rock with the quest 4D's. My Cevedale Pro's were night and day a better boot from Wyoming Antelope to archery Elk. They both leaked within days.

 

[danarnold]

I have a pair of the quest and wear them almost every outing, so I have a pair of Mendles from Cabellas that sit on the shelf(for sale)
I have a pair of Tibet's along with crispi Idaho and at this point the quest are my favorite, out west or deer in Midwest. You can find them cheaper than REI but at REI you can wear them for a week and if you don't like them take them back

 

[Jarrod Renaud]

I wore the Solomon 3D GTX trail runners this year and packed out a big cow with a buddy in one trip. I had just over 150# on my back. I loved them. What I noticed is they have a nice stiff sole but also flat and wide. When I first got them I was worried I'd roll an ankle but they've felt more solid then any boot I've ever worn. They were comfortable all season and I put on some 100+ miles of hiking easy. I'll probably get the 4D for rifle season next year... luckily this year it was dry and warm. I wouldnt want the trail runners in snow for obvious reasons

 

[Fireguy]

The footbed is a long way from "supportive" if you are on rocky ground. I didn't go 2 miles scouting for antelope in eastern Oregon on rock before I realized how bad they were. Elk hunting on dirt and sticks they were great.

My feet wrapped around every rock with the quest 4D's. My Cevedale Pro's were night and day a better boot from Wyoming Antelope to archery Elk. They both leaked within days.

My thoughts exactly. I just finished a coues deer hunt in Southern AZ. I've always loved my Quests but they didn't do well for me in the desert. I needed way more support. We climbed lots of steep, rocky hills and they were flexing way too much. The soles of my feet were actually getting sore and "tired" is the best way I can describe it. The guys I was with all were wearing Kenetreks and I could see why. Hiking behind them and watching it was almost as if their boots helped lift them up rocks because they were much stiffer. My boots would almost collapse over the rocks and I felt like I was using way more muscle's in my calves and feet.

I've always loved my Quests but they usually get used in northern Nevada and Montana where I'm through forest and sage without tons of jagged rocks.

 

[Elkfitness]

I've worn them for four or so years. Like others said, they won't last long but the fit my feet well. Everytime I have a day long pack out session with elk quarters, my feet end up getting tired/sore before my legs do. I think that is likely to the heavy repeated loads and side hilling I do (I hunt by myself so have to take multiple loads). I think it may be just foot conditioning as well as its hard to simulate those day long efforts. Anyhow, I will still wear them. They are the only shoes that haven't given me issues on the back of my heals.

 

[Fireguy]

I will say that they are one of the most comfortable boots out of the box I have ever worn. Zero break in, never a single blister or hotspot. I love them, BUT I realize that no one boot can do it all. So depending on where I hunt I will be wearing the Quests or something stiffer.

 

[twall13]

Just as a suggestion, Shoebuy.com, and other online retailers, stock Lowa Tibets and you can get free shipping both ways. I used this method to find out the Tibets did not fit my feet well. I came away pretty impressed with the boots overall, especially the lacing system. If you want to check them out it's a other option. Not as convenient as trying them on in a store but with something as important as properly fitting boots I'd say is worth it.

 

[Violent Hippie]

I have owned a couple pair of the quest 4Ds . They are very comfy right out of the box and a good mix of a lighter athletic type boot and a supportive boot. They do provide pretty good sole support and good ankle support for the weight. I have always gotten them on sale and would own another pair if I got them on sale again. They will leak (both pair leaked when wet ) when wet and they will wear out fast. I think this boot will be fine for the trip you mentioned unless there are some sustained rain showers. I will add that overall I prefer a stiffer total mountain boot that aids in traversing talus / scree and kick stepping straight up steep slopes in varied conditions (as well as lasting long and possibly even getting resoled when worn out) but thats just my preference.

 

[Manosteel]

Scouting they are fine and comfy. But if you plan on carrying elk off the mountain you are better off with a stiffer boot.

 

[themulieslayer]

Just used the quest 4d for the first time on a Idaho backcountry hunt, packed out my whole deer, boned out plus head and they actually were very supportive as I had 3 plus miles of steep downhill. I normally wear a pair of Kenetrek mountain extremes and these held their own, very impressed, very comfy and minimal break in time. My Kenetreks took forever to break in.