Gender Inclusive XT-Pathway Gore-Tex^® Waterproof Sneaker

Wanted a Gore-Tex pair after going through an extended rainy period, liked this design better than the XT-6 GTX that most people seem to buy. Bit more Whisper DNA, less in-your-face branding details, QuickLace, significantly cheaper, sturdier toecap. These definitely deliver! Feet stay totally dry in the rain, warm in the wind, and the usual level of comfort I expect from Salomon. I also prefer the off-white colouration, due to the known issues with pure-white mesh staining; don't have to worry as much about getting these dirty, which is a plus since I'm mostly wearing them in inclement weather anyway. Downside is that the fit is indeed a bit strange - agree with other reviewers that it's difficult to tuck the lace into the top pocket without pulling the tongue quite hard. So I tuck it forward under the GTX outer sleeve instead, which is easy, but doesn't look as clean. Also leads to a looser fit where the tongue tends to slide forward over time? This doesn't seem to actually impede comfort (I don't really notice it until I'm taking them off at end of day), but it's strange and I haven't had that happen with any of my other 5 Salomon pairs. Kinda wondering if fit would be tighter with normal laces instead, will try that if QuickLace happens to break. Would have rated 5 stars otherwise.