5 Ways to Rock the Modern Hiking Boot

Modern boots like the Salomon OUTline are no longer made to blend in with the trees. They stand out and serve multiple purposes so you can go about every part of your day in style.

Salomon is just one company rethinking how footwear can fit modern lives rather than the other way around. With its new OUTline GTX, the brand considered what progressive humans need boots to do on the daily, right along with what they aspire to do on the weekend, vacation, or off the grid.

Here’s a style guide for where and how to rock the modern hiking boot.

1. OUTlines for Urban Adventure

Let’s start with all the stuff you do every day. Maybe it involves a pre-dawn hike, a long walk to work, a lunchtime punch through the park, or wherever the local roads take you while the kids are at soccer practice.

Salomon designed the OUTline while keeping in mind all the messy ways we squeeze physical fitness into our busy lives. It’s comfy enough for a commute and sturdy enough for a slop through the rain. Life is a workout, and the fewer shoes we use to tackle it, the more time we save to play.

2. OUTline Boots at Work

With some subtly modern colors, the Salomon OUTlines function at the office and on the way to and from. Not to mention all those trips from the desktop to the break room. The slim all-black hiking shoe is perfectly safe when paired with professional pants, as long as you work in an environment with a little flexibility — or ability to blur the lines of workwear.

An athletic fit and more sneaker-like feel than a traditional boot mean these shoes sit low on the ankle and stay surprisingly comfortable during the 9-to-5. On Salomon’s website, one reviewer backed up the brand’s hunch on how people would wear these new boots:

“I always prefer a shoe to a boot and these are no exception. I wore the Salomon Outline to work the other day and got invited to go for a post-work hike. Five miles and 2,500 vertical feet of hiking and scrambling later (Mt. Superior), I made it home with no blisters and my feet feeling great. I was a little nervous about the Gore-Tex causing my feet to get too hot, but they remained at a good temperature the entire time despite the 90-degree temps.”

3. Wear Them to the Bar

The OUTlines will bring some mountain-town style to the local bar. This versatile boot, whether in the low or mid version, can move from a professional setting to the pub should you not want to lug around a change of shoes. And who does?

It’s a sleek, casual conversation starter. And among friends, who’s to say you can’t roll up a pant leg and show off some stylish socks too? It doesn’t matter where the afterparty unfolds. Salomon made these modern boots for blowing off some steam and not taking yourself too seriously.

4. Hybrid Boots for Adventure Travel

The last thing you want to do when you fly, road trip, or camp is bring a different shoe for every activity. For outdoor adventures that might move from pavement to dirt at any moment, a modern hiking boot serves as the holy grail — an all-in-one hybrid shoe designed to travel with you, whatever you decide to do.

Lightweight (just 300 grams for the low-top) yet fully waterproof with Gore-Tex, the Salomon OUTline would be at home trekking across Spain, sightseeing in New York City, creek-crossing in Rocky Mountain National Park, or cruising to a new port city each day.

5. For Comfy Feet at Festivals

Did we mention the Salomon OUTline Mid GTX is one of the most flexible boots you can get your hands on while still having enough grip and protection for any trail, any terrain, and any watery, muddy element imaginable?

That’s why we see the OUTline fitting in at an all-day outdoor festival right along with your favorite boho dress or holey skinny jeans. At festivals, weather can change drastically from morning until night. But so do your activities: hula-hooping, hiking, having your fortune told.

These resourceful low or mid boots transition to whatever you throw at them throughout a festival day. Plus, you won’t have to trek to your car or tent for a wardrobe change. The OUTline is quite possibly the ultimate multitasker for all your festivarian pursuits.

This article is sponsored by Salomon. The Salomon OUTline GTX modern hiking boot is available in a shoe version and a full boot.