Salomon Toundra Pro CSWP

These are well-insulated winter boots. So far, I have found them to be warm, easy to walk in, and good-fitting in the sense my feet aren’t slipping around like many insulated boots. Traction is good. They’re tall and a bit pricy; I like them.

BASIC INFORMATION

The Toundra Pro ClimaSalomon Waterproof (that’s a mouthful, so "Toundra CSWP") is an insulated winter boot. They’re sold in men’s sizes 7-14, women's 5.5 to 11, and come in a "Forces" version that are intended for tactical/military use—no reflective materials and some other design tweaks.

My men’s size 13s weigh 3.6 pounds on my digital hand scale. They’re tall, 10 inches from floor to top, and the tongue is notched at 8 inches, so a dip in water that isn’t quite that deep shouldn’t flood the boots. 

The boots use a proprietary waterproof/breathable bootie (climaSalomon) and a flexible type of insulation that’s silica-based, combined with flexible polyester, called aerotherm aerogel. I had not heard of that, but a little homework revealed Outdoor Research is using it in some gloves and booties, and Merrell uses it in multiple models of insulated boots. They claim to be rated to -40°F.  The uppers are polyurethane-coated leather—no rubber around the foot like many pac-style winter boots. 

HOW THEY FIT AND FEEL

I like these boots because they fit pretty much like a hiking boot rather than a winter boot. When I lace them up, my feet feel secure and dialed-in. Many winter boots I’ve worn, especially Sorels, but also the North Face Chilkats these replaced, my feet would slide around a bit, my socks would sometimes ride down and bunch. Not an issue with these. The midsoles underfoot feel more like a hiking boot than a snow boot—better support, a sturdier feel underfoot. That is a very big plus for me with these boots. 

Because I wanted these boots to work with thicker socks and a set of 3/4 length custom orthotics, I sized up by one size; I wear a 12 normally but wear these in a 13. That has proved to be worthwhile. Plenty of room for the orthotics, and nice wiggle room for my toes, even if i wear thicker socks.

The leather/synthetic outers are reasonably stiff; you might appreciate a little break-in before taking long hikes in them. I’m not sure if they’re amenable to boot grease I use to help protect and break in leather boots, so I haven’t tried that. The first couple of longer walks in them, I could feel where the tops of the boots were putting pressure on the sides of my lower leg. 

Nice, grippy soles, something that’s common with Salomon shoes and boots. 

WARMTH, BREATHABILITY, WATERPROOFING

Because my experience with these is limited to a handful of hikes in sub-freezing weather, I can’t really comment on waterproofing. Snow melt doesn’t soak through, but I haven’t stepped in any streams in them. They’re quite warm. Any temperatures above roughly 20 degrees, my feet have felt a little sweaty. I’m also guessing that whatever breathability Salomon’s proprietary solution has, the polyurethane coating on the leather may inhibit how much these boots vent moisture. 

The upper insides of the boots have a layer of fake fur. Interesting, but I think that’s more about comfort than performance, I suspect. 

HOW I HAVE USED THEM

They’re fairly new to me, so I have worn them on a half dozen short to medium hikes. We had quite a bit of snow and a run of cold weather for 2-3 weeks in the mid-Atlantic, so the snow stuck around. It was snowfall that turned to sleet mid-storm, so we had a well-packed hard layer on top that proved to be challenging for traction. Temperatures dipped into single digits a few mornings. So far, these gripped the hard/slick snow well, and my toes didn’t feel the cold at all. 

I haven’t had the need to wear these with any kind of traction device. I assume they would fit my strap snowshoe bindings, and they work fine with Kahtoola Microspikes. The soles have too much flex, in my opinion, to use with step-in crampons; they’re also too wide for my Camp step-ins, which I really only use with Scarpa Invernos for winter mountain trips. 

I guess it’s worth noting these only come in one color, black. That could be a pro or a con, depending on your taste. 

DURABILITY AND TAKEAWAYS. 

I read some anecdotal customer reviews that said these boots are prone to the uppers splitting away from the midsoles and soles. These are practically brand new, and I have not experienced that. I’ve read about similar issues with other winter boots, particularly when people wear them a few times, stow them for months, then take them out and find the materials have gotten brittle, mildewy, etc. 

These seem solidly built. As with any winter boot, I think it’s important to let them air out at room temperature after you wear them, or if the insides get drenched for some reason, roll up newspaper and stuff it in. That will soak up most of the moisture, enough to let them air dry. Also, don’t stash them away in a closet when they’re damp, and store them in a normal part of your home that’s climate controlled for temperature and humidity. Also, any boot you stow for an extended period of time, it’s probably a good idea to take them out and wear them at least a few times a year. Today’s partially-synthetic materials don’t do well when they sit idle for years. 

I’m pleased with these boots so far. They replaced a pair of North Face Chilkats that I basically had nothing but good things to say about, but I couldn’t sources new Chilkats—out of stock, Plus, I found the Chilkats were overall better for standing in the snow or shoveling it than for long hikes because my feet would slide around some, the midsoles underfoot didn’t feel nearly as good as these. 

Background

This is an initial review. I’ve hiked in these a half dozen times. I've also walked the dog and cleared snow in them, and I've worn them in temperatures down to about nine degrees fahrenheit.