If you follow my reviews, you know I love crossover products that I can use for both work and recreation. That’s the mentality I’m bringing to the table with my evaluation of the Italian-made Meindl Comfort Fit Salo Trail Boots. I’ll share what I learned wearing them as my primary trail boots and whether they have any work boot potential.
Take a look at which work boots we rated the best of the year!
Meindl Comfort Fit Salo Trail Boots at a Glance
Technologies
- Comfort Fit: Creates more room in the toe box and width around the ball so your foot can maintain a more natural shape. It also provides additional stability and ensures a stable heel lock.
- Flex-Use A: Designed for leisure, light hunting, casual wear, traveling, and walking on good roads, paved trails, parks, and boardwalks.
- Gore-Tex: Creates pores too small for water droplets to get in while allowing water vapor to escape, keeping your feet comfortable and dry.
Specifications
- Height: 6.5 in
- Avg Weight: 2.75 lb per pair
- Insulated: No
- Waterproof: Yes
- Upper: Suede/mesh
- Insole: Comfort Fit
- Midsole: EVA
- Outsole: Meindl Comfort Hiker II
- Resolable: Yes
Wearing Meindl Comfort Fit Salo Trail Boots
A Note on Sizing
You can get Meindl Comfort Fit Salo Trail Boots in US sizes 8 through 12. However, be sure to pay attention to the sizing notes. Meindl recommends ordering a full size down from your Brannock measurement (that funny silver and black foot measuring tool we used to play with in shoe stores as kids).
My perfect boot fit is a 12.5, but most brands don’t have that size, so I usually end up in a 13. I decided to hedge my bets and got these in a size 12. That’s only a 1/2-size down from what’s ideal for me. Wearing Meindl’s MT3.5 lightweight merino wool socks (which are wonderfully comfortable, by the way), the fit was slightly generous. So, I think Meindl’s sizing recommendation is on point—order a full size down.
Comfort
The first element of comfort your feet interact with is Meindl’s ComfortFit insole. Unlike many insoles, this one is set on a corkboard foundation. From there, a cushioned heel pad runs all the way through and additional cushioning raises up to support your arch through the midfoot.
The EVA midsole is more of a medium-density than the running shoe-style super-cushy midsoles that some boots are using. While that means you don’t have quite as much cushioning, it’s a longer-lasting midsole. With soft EVA boots, you’re looking at roughly 6 months of daily wear before they’re shot. The higher-density EVA midsole can potentially last several years.
When it comes to walking comfort, I notice a difference on hard surfaces. However, I primarily use these boots on bare ground where the comfort evens out. In that case, the extended durability is more valuable to me.
Don’t miss the importance of Gore-Tex in keeping your feet dry and comfortable. While there are a number of waterproofing techniques and treatments available, it’s tough to beat the performance of Gore-Tex.
Hiking/Walking
I’ve spent some time hiking the Appalachian Trail and a variety of locations out West, and I’m going to take exception to Meindl’s Flex-Use A rating on these boots.
They’re certainly excellent on paved surfaces, boardwalks, and the like, but they’re more capable than the A rating suggests. The aggressive tread and wider front section do well off-road on maintained paths, including dealing with light to moderate elevation changes. As the name suggests, they’re a solid trail boot.
However, if you’re frequently traversing loose gravel, rocky terrain, and the wide variety of surfaces you comes across in the backcountry, one of Meindl’s pure hiking boots is a better bet.
In my opinion, a Flex-Use AB rating is a better rating for these boots.
Work
When it comes to work, these are clearly not work boots, nor did I expect them to be. But that might be music to your ears. Work boots tend to be less flexible and heavier, which is exactly what you expect from footwear that’s primarily designed as PPE.
That said, these boots are fantastic if you’re working in the lawn care and landscaping industry. Since you’re typically working on ground surfaces these boots excel in, they provide excellent traction and stability. At the same time, they’re not as heavy and stiff and traditional work boots, and they offer better protection than sneakers.
Unless your employer requires a safety toe, give the Meindl Comfort Fit Salo Trail Boots some serious thought.
Meindl Comfort Fit Salo Trail Boots Price
You can buy these boots directly from Meindl or on Amazon for $240. If you’d like a similar build and design in a low-cut trail shoe, check out Meindl’s Comfort Fit Toskana Trail Walker.
Should You Buy Them?
If you’re looking for a boot that offers support for casual walks, trails, and even light hiking, Meindl Comfort Fit Salo Trail Boots are an excellent fit. They’re comfortable, reasonably lightweight, and are ready to handle inclement weather. Those same characteristics also make them a great choice for lawn care and landscaping jobs.
However, they’re not as at home in rugged terrain. If you’re planning multi-day hikes and carrying a load, look to Meindl’s true hiking boots to find a more suitable option.
