One Pair to Rule Them All: Salomon Techamphibian 3 Review
We own a lot of shoes. Well, Hubbie does—because a lady never reveals the size of her stash. Still, footwear is essential for travel, and bringing the wrong pair can ruin a trip.
Every time I announce our next destination, Hubbie groans. He knows what’s coming: fast-paced adventures packed with city walks, trail hikes, evening dinners—and yes, water sports. Which means multiple pairs of shoes.
But let’s be real: we can’t pack them all. Wouldn’t it be perfect if one pair could do it all?
Enter: Salomon Techamphibian 3
We’ve long been fans of Salomon gear, so when Millet Sports offered to send us the Techamphibian 3 to try, we jumped at the chance. Salomon says it’s “a water shoe, a technical trail shoe—both.” Sounded like a challenge, and we were in.
Instead of waiting for our South America trip, we headed to our backyard adventure playground—the Lake District National Park.
First Impressions
Right out of the box, the build quality impressed us. The sole, made from Salomon’s siped Contragrip, provided solid traction on wet and dry surfaces.
The upper combines quick-dry mesh and a tough rubber toe cap—ideal for scrambling and protecting against unexpected toe stubs. The mesh drains fast and keeps out annoying debris (goodbye, tiny stones).
Comfort & Fit
With a molded EVA midsole and drainage ports, they stay comfy while wet. Hubbie loves the Salomon quick-lace system—and this one even features a breakaway design for water safety.
Bonus: you can collapse the heel for a more relaxed fit, though we’re unsure how that holds up over long distances.
Field Test
Dry Test – Farlton Knott:
Perfect for a scramble across limestone pavements. Hubbie bounded up like a mountain goat; I glided (in my mind). The shoes stayed snug and grippy through it all.
Wet Test – Ullswater:
Time for the canoe. Hauling it to the water showed solid traction even with weight on uneven ground. Once in, the shoes were comfy, dried quickly, and shone on slippery rocks and island hops.
Portaging through shallow rivers, the grip was stellar, though we did notice the heel strap loosening slightly in water. Nothing major, but worth keeping an eye on.
Final Verdict
What we loved:
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Excellent build quality
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Comfy fit, even wet
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Great drainage and grip
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Versatile for land & water
Minor drawbacks:
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Heel strap may loosen in water
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Not ideal for long cold hikes due to lack of insulation
