Salomon Women's X Ultra 360 Mid
Unknown water-repellent coating treatment; Salomon discloses nothing about PFAS.
This hiking boot uses a water-repellent finish typical of outdoor footwear, likely applied with PFAS-based water-repellent coating treatments, but Salomon provides no transparency on ingredients or safety. No lab testing or third-party verification available.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Synthetic uppers, water-repellent coating-treated fabric/materials, midsole, rubber outsole
Lab data
No public lab test
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What Salomon Women's X Ultra 360 Mid is made of, ingredients and materials
The X Ultra 360 Mid uses synthetic uppers (likely polyester or nylon blend) treated with a water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish, a rubber midsole, and a rubber outsole. Synthetic textiles in footwear are standard and generally lower concern for chemical leaching than leather alternatives, but the water-repellent coating is the chemistry question mark here. The midsole and outsole are typical elastomer materials with no widely reported contamination issues, though outsole materials can shed microparticles over the shoe's life.
What’s concerning
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
PFAS
Salomon discloses no water-repellent coating chemistry. Traditional fluorochemical water-repellent coating coatings can contain PFAS, but modern alternatives (wax-based, silicone, polyurethane) exist. Without brand transparency, the exact treatment is unknown. This is the primary non-PFAS chemical concern, lack of data itself.
Source, ATSDR ↗What’s reassuring
Synthetic microfiber shedding
Polyester and nylon uppers in hiking boots shed microfibers during wear, particularly when wet or abrasively rubbed. This is not unique to Salomon and is inherent to synthetic textiles; no documented health hazard from microfiber in outdoor footwear, but the mass of material lost accumulates over the boot's life.
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Synthetic uppers may contain formaldehyde-based finishing resins for wrinkle resistance or shape retention. Salomon provides no material testing or certification (e.g., BLUESIGN, OEKO-TEX) for this product. This hazard is not specific to Salomon but is common and unmonitored in this price category.
Source, ATSDR ↗Rubber outsole off-gassing and leachables
Natural and synthetic rubber outsoles can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during curing and early use, and may leach residual monomers or accelerators into sweat or water contact. No recalls or reported issues for Salomon outsoles; this is a general category concern with no product-specific evidence here.
Azo dye contamination in colored synthetics
Synthetic uppers are typically dyed; some azo dyes are restricted due to carcinogenic breakdown products. No independent testing or third-party certification of Salomon's dyes is on record. The risk is minimal under normal use (dye is fixed) but unverified.
The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Salomon has not published a public PFAS policy or water-repellent coating treatment disclosure for this model, which is the primary transparency gap. The brand does not appear on major PFAS-committed outdoor footwear lists (e.g., Bluesign, PFC-free certifications). Salomon's general sustainability reporting is limited, with no industry-leading certifications on chemical management in footwear. This silence on water-repellent coating chemistry is common in the hiking boot market but remains a data void.
How it compares in its category
Most mid-range synthetic hiking boots use similar water-repellent coating-treated uppers without transparent PFC disclosure; the X Ultra 360 is typical, not an outlier. Competing brands like Merrell, La Sportiva, and ASICS also rarely disclose water-repellent coating chemistry at retail. Higher-cost options from brands like Arc'teryx or KEEN occasionally specify PFC-free water-repellent coating, but at a premium. In its price and performance tier, this boot offers no worse or better chemical transparency than peers.
If you buy it
water-repellent coating treatments naturally degrade with wear and washing; expect water repellency to decline after 6-12 months of regular use. Wash in cool water with mild detergent and air dry to extend water-repellent coating life and avoid heat-accelerated breakdown. Avoid heavy heat exposure (dryers, direct sun) as synthetic uppers can soften. Inspect the midsole and outsole annually for cracks or separation; replace the boot once structural integrity is visibly compromised or after 300-500 miles of hiking.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 35% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Salomon has made a specific claim
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
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How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.