Inov-8 TrailTalon vs Salomon X Ultra 4 GORE-TEX
Weight and specs compared for 2026 — and which one to choose.
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These are two different kinds of shoe.
The Inov-8 TrailTalon is a trail running shoe; the Salomon X Ultra 4 GORE-TEX is a low hiking shoe. The lighter one saves 160 g a pair, but they are built for different kinds of hiking, so the lightest is not automatically the better buy.
What the extra 160 g of the Salomon X Ultra 4 GORE-TEX buys you
- A waterproof membrane (GORE-TEX), so wet grass, puddles and rain stay outside.
What the Inov-8 TrailTalon offers besides the lower weight
- No membrane, so it breathes better in the heat and dries faster after a stream crossing.
Weights are per pair as Alpinetrek lists them, usually for a medium size, so a few grams either way can come from the size they weighed. The other specs were checked on 19 October 2026 against Alpinetrek (Inov-8 TrailTalon) and Alpinetrek (Salomon X Ultra 4 GORE-TEX). "Not stated" means the source does not mention it, not that the shoe lacks it. List prices are the full price shown by that source, not a sale price; where sources disagree we show none.
Choose the Inov-8 TrailTalon if…
…you move fast on trails, run some of it, and want the lightest and most flexible shoe; it gives little ankle support under a heavy pack.
Choose the Salomon X Ultra 4 GORE-TEX if…
…you want a sturdier sole and more protection than a trail runner for day hikes and lighter backpacking, without the weight of a boot.
Building a pack? Add either one to your HikeLoad list, or drop its weight into the base weight calculator, and see what it does to your total weight.
See where both rank against everything else in this category on the lightest footwear page, or browse the full gear weight database.