Oftentimes we hold onto preconceived notions like they are rote fact. For a long time the conventional wisdom has been that you must wear heavy duty, high-top boots when you are hiking or backpacking, especially in rugged terrain. And for some people, this is probably true. But not everyone. I am a lightweight guy (5'10"/155 lbs) and for summertime backpacking I have all but thrown out my clunky hiking boots in favor of lightweight trail runners. The trick is to find a shoe with either a full, or at least 3/4 length, hard plastic plate running through the sole of the shoe, usually either nylon or urethane. This is what gives your shoes the extra support you need to accommodate the weight of a pack on your back, and also protects the bottoms of your feet from jagged rocks. The Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra has a 3/4 length plate, which means it runs from the heel to the ball of your foot, but not under your toes. There are a few different lightweight trail shoes out there with a urethane plate, but these Salomons are my favorite so far. I hiked the entire AT in these shoes (2200 miles in 130 days), hiked the Colorado Trail in them (450 miles in 25 days), have done Class 3 14ers like Longs Peak, innumerable trail runs, etc. They're absolutely great, and I no longer have any use for full-size boots unless there's snow on the ground. Now, that being said, I rarely carry a pack heavier than 40 lbs (usually 25-30). If you're the type of guy that likes to carry an 80-liter pack stuffed to the gills, with your trusty dutch oven hanging off the back, low-top trail runners may not be right for you. Similarly if you're overweight, or have a propensity for sprained ankles, etc. But don't shy away from them just because of dogmatic conventional "wisdom" about boots and backpacking! Lastly, I would not recommend going with the GTX, especially for multi-day hiking. I'm assuming you're wearing these in warm weather, and if you're wearing low-tops in the summer then they're going to get wet no matter what - whether it's sweat from your own foot, rain water trickling down your legs and into your shoes, stream water coming in over the sides, whatever. But the regular (non GTX) versions breath WAY better, and therefore will dry out much faster and be much more comfortable to wear throughout the day. Wide feet, take note - this shoe is also offered in a wide size, although not every retailer carries it.

Frankly, I'm not sure why Salomon makes the wide (M+) version of the XA Pro. The XA Pro may be a nice shoe for folks with narrow feet, but it isn't worth a second look for those with a wide foot or wide forefoot.
First, the good stuff: this is a very nice looking trail shoe!
Having compared the wide and regular XA Pro side by side, there isn't much of a difference between the two beyond a slightly wider heel counter. The forefoot and midfoot are nearly the same size. On my foot, the only functional difference was that the wide XA Pro had a lot more heel slip than the regular width.
The kevlar lacing setup introduces other problems, especially for someone with a wide foot or wide forefoot. Since you can't control how snug each part of the foot is, you risk pinching some parts of your foot to lockdown others. Even if you remove the kevlar and install regular laces, the lack of an extra set of eyelets makes it impossible to loop lace. It's a neat gimmick and it might work on some feet, but it isn't adaptable. I wasn't able to get a solid fit without pulling the laces tight to the point of pain.
Doesn't take orthotics very well. Superfeet Green are out of the question. Even Superfeet Blue were too big and wide. Heavily trimmed orthotics may work.
Unfortunately, these are going to have to go back- and with it, my 20% off discount.

The fit of the shoe is true to its size. I'm a size 12 in every other shoe and thats what I got. The lacing system is a little different to get use too but after a few times you learn to get the perfect fit. I was a little concerned about the heal lock on the shoe at first but after a few trail runs it is no problem. I've never had a blister, hot spot or any soreness from the shoe during runs/hikes. I live in New Mexico so I run in very rugged terrain. My last run was exceptionally brutal but I never even thought about my feet. The stability on the mixed terrain was superb. Never slipped and never even came close to rolling an ankle. These are now my favorite shoes for running and day hiking. i'd almost even consider doing an overnighter in them even tho I'm avid about having ankle support when backpacking. We'll see what happens when weather warms up enough. Superb shoe and I would and will defiantly buy again. I don't think I could go back to anything else after having these.