This year, I chose to write about shoes from the Dominican Republic. The Caribbean was not a part of the world I had been to before, typically flying over the tropics to reach Peru.
After planning to spend my work month in Japan, the busy streets of Tokyo and language barrier soon became less appealing. Instead, I imagined myself taking island life, eating hearty food, swimming in the sea and enjoying the slower pace.
Considering I had come home after my trip to Italy feeling more fatigued than rested, I didn’t want to repeat that feeling. Although I think the fountains of espresso and cornetos I consumed were more to blame than anything else.
Mind you, I did come away acknowledging my great choice in footwear, the New Balance 475s. So this time, I was eager to ensure my decision was just as spot on.
Having enjoyed my time at Dominican eateries in both Camberwell Green, Brixton and Stockwell, the food and friendly restaurant owners assured me that I was making the right decision.
It also helped that the national language was Spanish, so getting into a series of gesticulations with confused locals was less likely than in Japan.
With it being my first time in the Caribbean, I needed my footwear to keep up with the changing climate. The blazing sun and heavy spells of rain meant a large part of my collection would not pass muster.
Whittling down my shoes to several off-road and GORE-TEX-laden uppers did make things easier, but it did render my stack of soft suede New Balances out for the count.
Luckily, I was recently sent the Footpatrol x Salomon XT-4s from a good friend (also known as ‘The Captain’), a pair that instantly floated to the top of the decision pile. Not only could the Footpatrol XT-4 keep up with the changing terrain, they also looked the part.
I did have two minor gripes with these Salomon XT-4s, the first being that they were half a size small.
I always go up by half a size with Salomons, a choice I recommend for anyone considering of picking up a pair, whether it be the XT-4, XT-6 or even XT-Quests (all with the exception of the XT-ALP).
While there was enough room in the toe box, which allowed for my toes to splay (“no splay, no lay” – custom T-shirts in bound btw), my big toe was a little constrained (for the foot-fetish-inclined, this is about as spicy as the article will get, so you can leave now).
The second gripe was that it was an obvious choice. As the Salomon XT-6 is usually a go-to for those UK and EU residents who venture to other parts of the world, they skirted the ‘played-out’ vendiagram (likely rendering them ‘uncool’ circa 2027, see below).
On the other hand, the XT-4 was the less handsome brother of the XT series, often skipped due to its bulky nature. The XT-4 is the slightly overweight brother at the dinner table who makes everyone laugh with his infrequent quips. For example, “expect nothing more, expect nothing less!”, in response to his mother bringing up how her work colleague who soiled herself (also not appropriate for the dinner table mum, do better).
If I’m being totally honest, I would be the youngest sibling archetype, a character who hasn’t even made it to the table yet, as he finds himself scaling the ceilings of the next-door bathroom.
I fear I may have strayed off into the demonic there, but you get the gist. And while we’re here, the slightly demonic younger sibling in this case would be akin to the Salomon Alpinway Advanced. Please do not ask me how or why.
Anyhow, walking down to the station with both Osprey bags on (roughly 20KG), I stood on the platform with my feet really feeling the squeeze. Regret over my decision started to sweep in as I considered heading back home and reaching instead for my Meindls. While the Caracas GTX allowed for more splay, it would have been harder to convince passersby that I wasn’t a geriatric German who had just aged well. A look I am not scared to adopt in the slightest but one that I will try to keep at bay for the next twenty years.
Opting for swag over the safety of technical German footwear, I loosened the Quicklacing system which fixed the issue at hand. No longer did I feel my feet swell, so from that point on, the Kevlar lacing system remained loose, which also allowed for great slip-on/slip-off access (a detail all the coolest of cats appreciate).
Landing in Punta Cana, it wasn’t long before my Brazil-edition Haiviannas were out and touching Dominican soil. From that point forward, the Salomon’s were allocated to evening dinners.
In truth, I’d have spent more hours in flip-flops had it not been for the cultural stigma of eating food with your toes out. Consequently, my dream of having a #ToesOutAutumn took a real blow. Not to mention the link between tourists and their short-wearing tendencies.
While the quasi-Tn fade of the XT-4’s upper is wonderful to look at, a trait which also separates this Footpatrol version from your standard XT-4, I think it may have been too strong when paired with my array of patterned clothing.
Evening attire would consist of my Airwalk camouflage shorts that I picked up at Aldgate market and a bright graphic T-shirt. This made me stand out in a way that I hoped to have avoided, while also reinforcing my connection to autism.
Clutching my plastic bag from the local supermarket, a tactic I often employ when trying to dodge the ‘tourist’ label, that was about as effective as an elephant wearing one of those classic glasses and moustache disguises.
Unlike previous trips, I didn’t get a chance to test out the XT-4s on sandy terrain, opting for my Inov-8 Terra Ultra G 270 as my running shoes. A poor choice in hindsight as these were another obnoxiously loud shoe that I couldn’t rely on for fading into the crowd.
Not bringing a hybrid shoe that would suit my running and everyday needs was a silly mistake. While the XT-4 was a trail running shoe back in its heyday, the chemical compound used in the midsole had likely been altered since it shifted into Salomon’s Sportstyle category (like the dual-density foam 35 Shore A and a 25 Shore A mix on the XT-6).
You even hear some people complaining about the XT-6 and XT-4’s terrible traction, which is crazy considering the shoe used to be a trail running shoe for competitive athletes. Not to mention its use of Contragrip Mud outsole which seems a little overkill for city-based commutes.
The Footpatrol XT-4s were reliable, giving me nothing to complain about throughout the many inter-city coach journeys. From Punta Cana to Santo Domingo to Las Terrenas to Santiago de los Caballeros to Puerto Plata and then back, the Salomons kept up.
Although, I didn’t go on any hikes or scale up any hugely challenging terrain, its limits were rarely tested. There was one instance where clearing out the caked mud within the webbing channels proved inconvenient, but it was worth it for the small portion of Santo Domingo’s Botanical Gardens that I saw.
I would recommend the Salomon XT-4 for anyone considering it as a travel shoe. My only recommendation is to go up half a size and to pick a colourway that would suit your wardrobe. If you’re inclined to wear a lot of stripes then perhaps go for a more subdued colourway with browns and blacks. If you’re trying to turn up like Adam Sandler, then pick something wild and hit the yolo button everytime you step out the door.
From public libraries, beachside restaurants and exploring cities, it was all within the XT-4 stride. I was never turned away for looking too informal, yet I can imagine the shoes being a slight issue were I one for the finer things in life. They canny turn you away from a beachside BBQ spot for wearing a pair of wicked Footpatrol shoes.
Strict dress codes at the club or exclusive restaurants would have proved difficult, so if you do like to dip in and out of fancy spots, consider this when copping a loud colourway of the XT-4s. If it’s super fancy, then chances are they work on a ‘got lugs, no spuds’ policy. And you know how lugged-up the XT series are.
The Footpatrol XT-4 is still my favourite colourway and collaboration within the silhouette’s library, but if you fancy something low-key then the Salomon website has many muted options.
wear shoes, write poems 