Salewa Wildfire 2 GTX Review — The Waterproof All-Rounder, Explained
A Research-Based Verdict for European Climbers
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View the 2026 Starter Pack →| Weight | 395 g per shoe — Salewa’s own spec page, Alpinetrek and Bergfreunde all agree exactly. One independent review logged 355 g, likely a different reference size or sample |
|---|---|
| Upper | Recycled breathable mesh, protective TPU rand, Salewa’s 3F System with Kevlar cables for structure |
| Midsole | EVA |
| Outsole & Rubber | Pomoca Speed Mtn, dedicated climbing zone, diamond-pattern lugs |
| Membrane | GORE-TEX Extended Comfort — waterproof and breathable |
| Drop / Stack | 11mm drop (Salewa official, matches an independent long-term review); 30mm heel / 19mm toe stack — from that same single review only, not published by Salewa itself |
| Waterproofing | Yes — full GORE-TEX membrane |
| Resole-able | Not advertised by Salewa or either retailer — unlike some rivals in this comparison, this doesn’t appear designed for professional resoling |
| PFAS / PFC | No explicit PFAS-free or PFC-free claim found on Salewa’s own product page — only a general “Chemicals Verified” CSR badge with no detail on scope. Flagged honestly rather than assumed |
| Fit | “Standard” fit with an adjustable Multi Fit Footbed Plus (MFF+), per Salewa — though a retailer Q&A separately describes it as suited to a narrow foot. See Fit & Sizing below |
| Best For | Approach · wet-weather versatility · all-round hillwalking · van life |
Full view — the Wildfire 2 GTX
How It Rates
Five approach shoes reviewed and scored
One shoe’s rarely the whole story. See the Wildfire 2 GTX ranked against four rivals — personal pick, benchmark, long approach and value — and find your perfect match.
Read the approach shoes guide →In This Review
Where to Buy the Salewa Wildfire 2 GTX
Support your local climbing shop first. If it’s out of stock, these two retailers ship across Europe:
Alpinetrek
UK / EU shipping
£148.71 £174.95
verified 11 Sep 2026 — check live price and stock
Check price at Alpinetrek →Bergfreunde
Germany-based, EU shipping
€161.46 €189.95
verified 11 Sep 2026 — check live price and stock
Check price at Bergfreunde →Prices shown are approximate — tap through for current pricing and stock.
Why This Shoe Matters for Van Life Climbers
The Wildfire 2 GTX is the waterproof all-rounder in this comparison — a genuine GORE-TEX approach shoe built for climbers who want one pair that handles wet trailheads, damp scrambling and everyday hillwalking without switching shoes for the forecast.
Which Wildfire Is This, Exactly?
This review covers the plain men’s Wildfire 2 GTX — a mesh-and-TPU upper with a GORE-TEX Extended Comfort membrane and a Pomoca Speed Mtn sole. Salewa also currently sells the Wildfire NXT GTX (a newer, lighter sibling at 345g with a Vibram Megagrip sole and a Kevlar-reinforced Matryx upper — not confirmed as a replacement for this shoe, it’s sold alongside it), the Wildfire NXT Mid GTX (a taller version of that newer line), the Wildfire Leather 2 GTX (a leather-upper variant of this shoe), and the plain Wildfire 2 (no GTX, no membrane) — five distinct, currently-available products under a shared name. Check the exact name before buying.
Build & Materials
How It’s Made
The upper combines recycled breathable mesh with a protective TPU rand and Salewa’s 3F System, using Kevlar cables run through the lacing for structure without adding bulk. Underneath, a GORE-TEX Extended Comfort membrane handles waterproofing, sitting over an EVA midsole and a Pomoca Speed Mtn outsole with a dedicated climbing zone and an aggressive diamond-pattern lug layout.
Resoleability: Not Advertised
Unlike the resoleable shoes elsewhere in this comparison, neither Salewa nor either retailer lists a resole option for the Wildfire 2 GTX. That doesn’t necessarily rule it out at a third-party cobbler, but it isn’t a feature Salewa markets the way SCARPA and La Sportiva do for their resoleable models — worth knowing if long-term sole replacement is a priority.
Fit & Sizing
A Genuine Tension in the Sources
Salewa’s own product page describes a “Standard” fit with a Multi Fit Footbed Plus (MFF+) designed to let you adjust width yourself. A customer Q&A on Alpinetrek’s own listing, separately, describes the shoe as better suited to a narrow foot. Both are sourced, and they don’t fully agree — worth trying a pair on, or checking Salewa’s fit guide against your own foot shape, rather than assuming either description settles it.
Grip & Climbing Performance
On Rock
The Pomoca Speed Mtn outsole, with its dedicated climbing zone and flattened-diamond tread pattern, is the standout here. One independent long-term review (Black Sheep Adventure Sports) reported exceptional traction on rock across a month of mixed hiking and scrambling use, and separately noted the sole held up well even on mountain bike pedals — outperforming, in that reviewer’s account, some dedicated 5.10 climbing shoes in that specific off-label use. The same review found the TPU front rand showed essentially no wear after a month of hard use, and credited the reinforced toe with real smearing purchase.
Waterproof by Design
Unlike the non-membrane shoes elsewhere in this comparison, the Wildfire 2 GTX carries a full GORE-TEX Extended Comfort membrane — the shoe to reach for when the forecast, or the season, turns wet, rather than a fair-weather-only pick.
Van Life Considerations
One Shoe for a Wider Range of Weather
For climbers living out of a vehicle and moving between regions and seasons, a genuinely waterproof shoe like this one reduces how much footwear needs to come along. It’s a stronger match for a wetter, more varied European season than the non-membrane shoes elsewhere in this comparison, at the cost of the breathability those shoes offer in dry heat.
Durability That Held Up in Independent Testing
The one long-term independent review available found the rand and upper construction held up well after a month of varied, hard use — a reasonable signal for climbers who put serious mileage on a single pair rather than rotating shoes.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Full GORE-TEX Extended Comfort waterproofing — a genuine wet-weather all-rounder, not a fair-weather-only shoe
- Pomoca Speed Mtn sole with a dedicated climbing zone — praised for exceptional grip in an independent long-term review
- 3F System with Kevlar cables and a reinforced TPU rand — one review reported essentially no wear after a month of hard use
- Adjustable Multi Fit Footbed Plus (MFF+) for customising width
Cons
- No explicit PFAS-free or PFC-free claim found on Salewa’s own product page — only a general, undetailed “Chemicals Verified” badge
- Resoleability isn’t advertised, unlike some rivals in this comparison
- Fit signals conflict — Salewa markets an adjustable “Standard” fit, but a retailer’s own customer Q&A describes it running narrow
- Not stocked at Trek-Expert as this exact model — only two of our usual three retailers carry it
- Easy to buy the wrong variant — Wildfire 2 GTX, Wildfire NXT GTX, Wildfire NXT Mid GTX, Wildfire Leather 2 GTX and plain Wildfire 2 are all currently sold in parallel
How It Compares
Salewa Wildfire 2 GTX vs AKU Rock DFS II GTX
Two waterproof GORE-TEX all-rounders. The Wildfire 2 GTX leans on a Pomoca climbing-zone sole and a 3F/Kevlar upper; the AKU counters with its own GORE-TEX build and a roomier, medium-width fit.
Read our AKU Rock DFS II GTX review →Salewa Wildfire 2 GTX vs La Sportiva TX4 Evo
Full GORE-TEX versus no membrane at all. The Wildfire 2 GTX is the safer pick when the forecast — or the season — turns wet; the TX4 Evo is the lighter, more climbing-precise choice for dry conditions.
Read our La Sportiva TX4 Evo review →Salewa Wildfire 2 GTX vs Scarpa Rapid XT
Waterproof versus wide-fit and breathable. The Wildfire 2 GTX handles wet, mixed-season use the Rapid XT can’t; the Rapid XT counters with a genuinely roomier toebox and a resoleable sole for long, hot approaches.
Read our Scarpa Rapid XT review →Salewa Wildfire 2 GTX vs Scarpa Crux GTX
Two waterproof options solving similar problems at different price points. The Wildfire 2 GTX brings a dedicated Pomoca climbing zone; the Crux GTX is Scarpa’s take on the same all-round GORE-TEX brief.
Read our Scarpa Crux GTX review →Salewa Wildfire 2 GTX Review: Final Verdict
The Wildfire 2 GTX earns its place as the waterproof all-rounder in this comparison: a genuine GORE-TEX membrane, a Pomoca Speed Mtn sole with a dedicated climbing zone that an independent long-term review rated highly for grip and durability, and a Kevlar-reinforced upper that held up well over a month of hard use. The trade-offs are real too — resoleability isn’t advertised, PFAS/PFC status isn’t explicitly confirmed either way, fit descriptions conflict between Salewa and at least one retailer, and it isn’t sold at all three of our usual retailers under this exact name.
For climbers who want one shoe that handles a wider spread of weather and terrain without switching pairs, it’s a strong pick in this comparison. For a single dry, hot-weather season where breathability and a resoleable sole matter more than waterproofing, the non-membrane shoes elsewhere in this lineup are worth a look instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Salewa Wildfire 2 GTX waterproof?
Yes — it uses a GORE-TEX Extended Comfort membrane, making it fully waterproof and breathable.
What’s the difference between the Wildfire 2 GTX, Wildfire NXT GTX, Wildfire Leather 2 GTX and plain Wildfire 2?
All are current, separate Salewa products. The Wildfire 2 GTX reviewed here has a mesh-and-TPU upper with GORE-TEX and a Pomoca sole. The Wildfire NXT GTX is a newer, lighter sibling line (345g) with a Vibram Megagrip sole and a Kevlar-reinforced Matryx upper — not confirmed as a replacement, it’s sold alongside this shoe. The Wildfire NXT Mid GTX is a taller version of that newer line. The Wildfire Leather 2 GTX swaps in a leather upper. The plain Wildfire 2 drops GORE-TEX entirely. Check the exact name before buying.
How much does the Salewa Wildfire 2 GTX weigh?
395 g per shoe, agreed exactly by Salewa’s own spec page, Alpinetrek and Bergfreunde. One independent review logged a lower 355g, likely from a different reference size or sample.
Is the Salewa Wildfire 2 GTX resoleable?
Not advertised. Neither Salewa nor either retailer we checked lists a resole option for this shoe, unlike some of the resoleable models elsewhere in this comparison.
Is the Salewa Wildfire 2 GTX PFAS-free or PFC-free?
Salewa’s own product page doesn’t make an explicit PFAS-free or PFC-free claim for this shoe — it only carries a general “Chemicals Verified” CSR badge without detail on what it covers. We flag this honestly rather than assuming compliance either way.
Why isn’t the Salewa Wildfire 2 GTX sold at Trek-Expert like other shoes in this comparison?
Trek-Expert carries other Salewa Wildfire models — the Wildfire Leather 2 GTX and Wildfire NXT Mid GTX — but this exact plain Wildfire 2 GTX wasn’t found in their catalogue at the time of writing, so this review only links to Alpinetrek and Bergfreunde.
Not sure it’s the right shoe?
See the Wildfire 2 GTX scored against four rivals — personal pick, benchmark, long approach and value — in our full 2026 comparison.
Read the approach shoes guide →Related Climbing Guides
