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Salomon Quest 4 GTX vs Salomon Sense Ride 5

Weight and specs compared for 2026 — and which one to choose.

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These are two different kinds of shoe.

The Salomon Sense Ride 5 is a trail running shoe; the Salomon Quest 4 GTX is a mid-cut hiking boot. The lighter one saves 724 g a pair, but they are built for different kinds of hiking, so the lightest is not automatically the better buy.

What the extra 724 g of the Salomon Quest 4 GTX buys you

  • A waterproof membrane (GORE-TEX), so wet grass, puddles and rain stay outside.
  • A higher cut that covers the ankle.
  • Deeper lugs (12 mm against 3.5 mm), for more grip in mud and on loose ground.

What the Salomon Sense Ride 5 offers besides the lower weight

  • No membrane, so it breathes better in the heat and dries faster after a stream crossing.
Spec
Salomon Quest 4 GTX
Salomon Sense Ride 5
Weight
1,310 g 2.89 lb · per pair (medium-sized pair)
586 g 1.29 lb · per pair (medium-sized pair)
Type
Mid-cut hiking boot
Trail running shoe
Made for
trekking, hillwalking
trail running
Waterproof membrane
Yes, GORE-TEX
No
Cut
Mid / high (covers the ankle)
Low
Outsole
Contagrip
Contagrip
Lug depth
12 mm
3.5 mm
Midsole
EnergyCell
Energy Surge
Heel stack height
not stated
30 mm
Drop
not stated
8 mm
Upper
leather, textile
synthetic, textile

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 (Salomon Quest 4 GTX) and Alpinetrek (Salomon Sense Ride 5). "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.

Mid-cut hiking boot

Choose the Salomon Quest 4 GTX if…

…you carry a multi-day pack on rough or wet ground and want the ankle covered and a stiffer sole.

See it in your base weight Full details
Trail running shoe

Choose the Salomon Sense Ride 5 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.

See it in your base weight Full details

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.

More footwear comparisons