Salomon XT-Quest Recon 'Black' (L47969300) — Latest Trail-to-Street Lifestyle Sneaker

What Is the Salomon XT-Quest Recon ‘Black’?

The Salomon XT-Quest Recon ‘Black’ (Style Code: L47969300) is Salomon’s most current trail-to-street platform — a reconsidered and refined evolution of the XT-Quest that takes Salomon’s proven trail running technology stack and reengineers it for the demands of contemporary urban and lifestyle use. Where the XT-6 is Salomon’s most culturally established trail silhouette, and the XA Pro 3D is Salomon’s trail running benchmark, the XT-Quest Recon represents Salomon’s current design direction: a cleaner upper profile, more considered lifestyle construction, and updated build language that sits as comfortably in a city context as on a technical trail — without sacrificing the Energy Cell+ midsole, Contagrip outsole, and Quicklace system that define Salomon’s trail performance foundation. The ‘Black’ colorway — all-black monochrome across upper, midsole, and outsole — is the most universally wearable expression of any technical silhouette, letting the shoe’s construction and form carry the visual weight without color. Unisex, US M4–M11 / W5–W12 / EU 36–45. At $149, it is the same price as the XT-6 GORE-TEX ‘Safari’ and $4 above the XA Pro 3D x RIER ‘White’ in today’s Salomon lineup.

Quick Facts

• Brand: Salomon (Annecy, France — est. 1947)
• Platform: XT-Quest Recon (Salomon’s latest trail-to-street design)
• Style Code: L47969300
• Colorway: Black — all-black monochrome
• Midsole: Energy Cell+ — lightweight high-rebound EVA
• Outsole: Contagrip — multi-surface rubber compound
• Lacing: Quicklace — single-pull lacing system
• Waterproof: No
• Gender: Unisex
• Sizing: US M4–M11 / W5–W12 / EU 36–45
• Price: $149
• Category: Trail-to-Street Lifestyle / Gorpcore / Urban Performance
• Fit: True to size; size up half for thicker socks

Specs & Technologies

The XT-Quest Recon — What ‘Recon’ Means and Why It Matters

The XT-Quest platform has been part of Salomon’s trail-to-street lineup for several seasons. The Recon designation — short for ‘reconsidered’ — signals that this is not a refresh of a heritage silhouette or a colorway update on an existing platform: it is a ground-up re-engineering of the XT-Quest concept with updated construction, a refined upper profile, and design decisions made specifically for the contemporary trail-to-street buyer rather than the competitive trail runner. The distinction matters because Salomon’s trail running shoes are designed with a racing and performance logic that can work against lifestyle wearability — maximum traction, aggressive lug height, visible technology stacking. The XT-Quest Recon retains the performance foundation (Contagrip, Energy Cell+, Quicklace) while adjusting the design language toward a cleaner profile that integrates more naturally into urban and lifestyle contexts. It is Salomon’s answer to the question: what does a trail performance shoe look like when the primary use case is the city, and the trail is the weekend destination rather than the daily terrain?

Salomon Lineup Comparison — Which Salomon Is Right for You?

Three Salomon platforms are currently available in this lineup. Understanding the differences helps identify the right shoe for your use case:

Choose the XT-Quest Recon if you want Salomon’s most current design language in the most wearable colorway (all-black), with a cleaner lifestyle profile and no specific weather requirement. Choose the XT-6 GORE-TEX if you need waterproofing for wet climates or actual outdoor use. Choose the XA Pro 3D x RIER if you want the most design-forward, fashion-led Salomon in the lineup.

The All-Black Colorway — The Case for Monochrome on a Technical Silhouette

All-black is the colorway that does the most work with the least explanation. On a lifestyle sneaker, all-black reads as versatile but unremarkable. On a technical trail silhouette like the XT-Quest Recon — with its multi-panel upper construction, Quicklace routing, protective toe cap geometry, and Contagrip lug profile — all-black does something different: it removes color as a variable and forces attention to the shoe’s form. Every panel boundary, every seam, every constructional detail becomes a study in shadow and depth rather than a color story. The result is a shoe that reads as more sophisticated in all-black than in any colorway that uses color to explain its design — because all-black requires the design itself to carry the visual interest, and the XT-Quest Recon’s construction is complex enough to do that. Practically: all-black works with every color in a wardrobe without requiring styling thought, transitions from morning trail run to afternoon city use without visual incongruity, and ages better than light or vivid colorways because wear and patina on black materials is absorbed rather than announced. It is the correct choice for the buyer who wants one technical shoe that does everything.

Sizing — Unisex Conversion Table (Men’s / Women’s / EU)

This shoe uses men’s / unisex sizing. Women typically size down 1 size from their women’s US size (e.g., women’s US 8 → men’s US 7 / EU 40). True to size. Size up half for thicker socks.

Who Is the Salomon XT-Quest Recon ‘Black’ For?

This shoe is for the buyer who wants Salomon’s most current design thinking — not a heritage reissue, not a collaboration piece, not the shoe the Gorpcore moment made famous, but the shoe Salomon is building now for the buyer who lives between trail and city. The all-black colorway makes it the most versatile Salomon in today’s lineup for daily use. And it is for the buyer who understands that a trail shoe’s value is in its technology — Energy Cell+, Contagrip, Quicklace — not just its silhouette: the XT-Quest Recon is as technically capable as any Salomon in the lineup, in a design language that does not require the buyer to explain why they’re wearing a trail shoe in the city.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the style code for the Salomon XT-Quest Recon ‘Black’?
A: The style code is L47969300.

Q: What does ‘Recon’ mean in the XT-Quest Recon name?
A: ‘Recon’ stands for ‘reconsidered’ — a ground-up re-engineering of the XT-Quest platform with updated construction, a refined upper profile, and design language optimized for trail-to-street lifestyle use rather than competitive trail racing.

Q: How is the XT-Quest Recon different from the XT-6?
A: The XT-6 is Salomon’s most culturally established cross-trail racing silhouette — aggressive, layered, and widely recognized as the defining Gorpcore sneaker. The XT-Quest Recon is Salomon’s most current trail-to-street design — cleaner upper profile, more refined construction, better suited to urban and lifestyle contexts. Both share Energy Cell+, Contagrip, and Quicklace. The XT-6 GORE-TEX adds waterproofing at the same $149 price point.

Q: Is the XT-Quest Recon waterproof?
A: No. For a waterproof Salomon at the same price, see the XT-6 GORE-TEX ‘Safari’ (L47445500, $149).

Q: What is Energy Cell+?
A: Salomon’s lightweight high-rebound EVA midsole compound. Cushions impact and returns energy across varied terrain. The ‘+’ designates the upgraded higher-rebound formulation versus standard Energy Cell, optimized for both trail performance and extended everyday wear.

Q: What is Contagrip?
A: Salomon’s proprietary outsole rubber compound with multi-directional lug pattern. Engineered for grip on wet and dry surfaces, rock, mud, roots, and urban terrain. Standard on Salomon’s trail performance footwear.

Q: Does the XT-Quest Recon fit true to size?
A: Yes. Size up half for thicker socks. Women should size down approximately 1 size from their women’s US size (e.g., women’s US 8 → men’s US 7 / EU 40).