Category: Salomon

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A Closer Look at Salomon Sonic PRO

I first bumped into Salomon when I was browsing a BBS about running. Although I’ve had several years’ of running experiences at that time, I was still unfamiliar with many running shoe brands for I thought it was my physical and will power that really mattered during exercising. But before long I realized I was wrong and then I also began seeking one pair of shoes that would be most suitable and great help for me. And after I learned about this French brand, I decided that I should have a try. So I picked this pair of Salomon Sonic PRO.

For the shoebox, it is quite an ordinary box and on the side are printed with the basic information of the shoes.

Upon opening the box, I was refreshed by the shoes’ colorway and appearance. It just seems like a cool breeze of summer which can be very nice and appealing.

But since I happened to got a pair of Salomon SLAB-wings here, I’d also like make a brief comparison between the two shoes.

In terms of their outsoles, they are actually quite similar. The only difference lies in that the front foot of the Sonic Pro has been changed into ContagRip that is much more wear-resistant. And thanks to that design which seems a bit negligible though, I am able to enjoy a more excellent grip.

Another point making me rather satisfied with the two shoes are they both adopt the highly acclaimed QuickLace which is of great help both when I put on and take off the shoes.

Besides the outsole, it is somewhat surprising that the two shoes are also similar in their shoe type and appearance. And from my point of view, they are both eye-catching and each of them has also its own merits.

For the Salomon SLAB-wings, its core techs are the LIGHTWEIGHT ENERGYCELL+ which is used in the midsole to provide consistent elastic feedback, the ENERGY CELL used as the midsole cushioning, and the 3D RIDE that can be especially helpful on rugged roads. And when it comes to the Salomon Sonic PRO, the CONTAGRIPR® in it can be more than suitable for all kinds of urban roads and at the same time offer powerful grip. What’s nicer is that it is highly wear-resistant so that it can stand up to various kinds of tests. And in the heel, the ENERGY CELL+ is very soft, aiming at relieving shock brought to our feet.

With regard to the insoles, it is obviously seen that there are improvements. And since the shoes adopt the Otholite insole, it is said that the insoles can wick away moisture. For this part, I think it needs some more testing. But if asked about the softness of them, I have to say that they are really very comfortable from the inside out.

As for the shoes’ weight, there is only a slight difference between them which is about 21g. And I don’t think this would matter that much in terms of the shoes’ performances.

Overall:

Actually, inheriting the excellent design of S-Lab Sonic classic running shoes, the shoes did bring many marathon lovers very nice experiences and delivers the design concept that everyone can create PB (Personal Best). There is a saying that “Everyone deserves having a pair of Salomon Sonic PRO”. In fact, I think for running lovers, the shoes also deserve your trying.

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Salomon S-lab Wings Performance Review

I’ve been into running for nearly 8 years during which I participated in many matches and have also run for thousands of kilometers. Thanks to my perseverance, I can gain some experience in the process and also some knowledge about running shoes since I’ve done lots of researches. And unconsciously I’ve stocked a variety of off-road shoes in my home. Therefore, I think I have a say in this respect.

Some of the shoes I worn frequently in the races before are the Salomon S-lab Sense 3 Ultra, the North Face Ultra Trail I/II and the Altra Paradigm. In fact, the Salomon S-lab Sense 3 Ultra is my first pair of off-road shoes which accompanied me for years. And it is not until recently that I decided to buy a pair of news shoes. So here is the review of this Salomon S-lab Wings.

The Salomon Wings is famous for its appearance that is quite bright and is also known as “red shoes”. With its outstanding feature, it is therefore widely noticed by  running lovers. But different from the S-Lab Sense series with white colorway, this red colorway with the black and white streamline is eye-catching and  looks quite dynamic.

Compared with S-Lab Sense, what impresses me the most is that the heel thickness of the Salomon S-lab Wings is 28mm while that of the S-Lab Sense is 19mm. Although the heel has been added with cushion, the shoe’s weight does not increase too much. In addition, the height of the forefoot is 19mm, forming a height difference of 9mm, which makes me assured to be engrossed in my exercises.

Another setup that differs from the S-lab Sense series is the outsole. The outsole of this Salomon S-lab Wings adopts a kind of more wearable rubber and its pattern is designed more reliable and practical. Actually, there are a number of tech used in the outsole: the ContaGrip, which is both durable and strengthens the grip performance and dynamic cushion technology of the shoes, is one of the important technologies of Salomon and also the core technology of this Salomon S-lab Wings; the Pro-feel Film is a very thin film coating, which protects our feet from excessive pressure on the sharp hard roads.

In terms of the vamp, it maintains the usual thin and light design of the Salomon, offering a nice air ventilation. The tongue of the shoe is also relatively thin, which also improves the breathability performance. And as always, the Quicklace system is light and strong, avoiding the inefficiency and inconvenience of changing shoes and lacing during races. To tell the truth, I didn’t see this feature as important before, especially for races under 100 km, but when it is time to change my shoes or to clean them, I realized just how handy this technology could be.

 

The black rubber toe of the shoe not only increases the protection of our toes, but also increases its wear-resistant performance.

Then when I was out exercising with my friends one day, one of them asked me to test whether the shoes are waterproof or not. And since I was also curious about this, I just went into the brook. It turned out that it was waterproof in the vamp, and even though it was soaked, it was also drained in a short time and before long it was all dry. So I think this is because of the excellent air permeability and comfortable wrapping.

What surprised me most is that the shoes does live up to my expectation on such rugged roads. Albeit that the roads were all wet, the shoes did not fail me During the whole process, there was not in the least any sign of slipping, which, I think, should be credited to the sawtooth design of the sole.

 

 

Overall:

The shoes are overall very nice. It is not only light, but also durable and practical. And its outsole is just outstanding that it can even compete with the Vibram’s outsole. Besides, it has also a very comfortable vamp that is skin-friendly at the mean time. But the only fly in the ointment is its insole that is very thin and can not hug the shoes that tight.

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Salomon SPEEDCROSS 3 Performance Review

When I was still in college, I had been a fan of the Salomon, a first-rate  French outdoor sports brand which was born in 1947 in the heart of the French Alps. The brand specializes in the design and manufacture of top-of-the-line footwear, apparel, backpacks and ski equipment. And its designs are full of innovation and it is aiming at exploring the greatest potential of its products. Since 2005, Salomon has been part of Amer Sports, one of the world’s leading SPORTS equipment brand management groups and is now sold in more than 160 countries and regions around the world. So here I am going to share with you one of the brand’s product, the Salomon SPEEDCROSS 3, which is also one of my favorite. 

The shoebox is printed with the image of the Alps which makes the box more elegant. And on the side of the box is the basic information of the shoes. But here I’d like to remind you that you’d better pick a bigger size if you are considering buying this Salomon SPEEDCROSS 3 for Salomon’s shoes are generally a little bit smaller than the sizes on the label. 

Upon opening the box, I felt my eyes wide open for the colorway of the shoes are quite cool and breathtaking which makes me feel like bathing in the cold water in hot summer days. And the details designed of the shoes are also delicate and intriguing.

Talking about the vamp, I want to say that I am into this design which is waterproof and can therefore keep the inside of the shoes dry on rainy days. The vamp is mostly made of PU and imitation leather materials and only a little part of the vamp is made of mesh cloth.

Then as can be seen in the picture, the side vamp is also made of imitation leather, which not only serves as a decoration but also offers sufficient support.

For the shoelace system, it is the standard quicklace  setup of Salomon which is rather convenient for tightening laces and won’t loosen easily in the process of running.

For a pair of off-road shoes to stand out, one of the basic conditions is to offer sufficient protection performance to its wearer for the grounds outdoors are generally complex. So when it comes to this Salomon SPEEDCROSS 3, I want to say that it belongs to the better-than-average group. 

Firstly, it is beyond question that a shoe’s anti-slipping performance matters greatly. The Salomon SPEEDCROSS 3’s outsole is distinguishing: it is evenly distributed with a number of V-shaped bulges which on the one hand increases friction, and on the other hand offers a certain extent of cushioning. Therefore, the shoes can be reliable in this respect. 

Then in the toe part, besides the bulges, there is also a relatively large area of outsole extension, the purpose of which is to prevent sharp objects from puncturing the toe and protect the wearer’s feet. 

The nearly 5cm EVA  at the heel of the shoe is to ensure the cushioning performance while the outsole that extends upward is to avoid puncturing and degumming.

There is also a small piece of reflective material which plays the role of protecting the wearer at night. But as it is so small a piece, I still have doubts about its function.

For the insole which is designed in a typical way, there are  two layers with the upper one avoiding slipping and the lower one offering cushioning.

Overall:

After some tests, I’ve had a general idea about the shoes and I am into it as well. After all, it not only distinguishes itself by its appearance, but its excellency is also compelling for me. For such an excellent pair of shoes, I think it would be hard to say no to it.

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Salomon Speedcross 4 Performance Review

The place of running for many runners ranges from rugged mountain roads, boulevards to  grasslands and even coasts. While perceiving and enjoying the nature, the changing road conditions also require us to adjust to the environment from time to time. Therefore, it is of great importance to have a pair of excellent off-road shoes to protect us. So here I’d recommend one that, on the strength of my experience, can be said to be superior among the many off-road shoes. That is the Salomon Speedcross 4.

Salomon has a very high profile in the cross-country community and has a lot of followers and of course I’m one of them. In fact, Salomon has a wide range of cross-country running shoe series, including the top professional S-Lab series. But for the SPEEDCROSS series, its shoes feature excellent grip on soft terrain, making it a classic off-road shoe series.

As its name suggests, the word “SPEED” means to be fast and “CROSS is to cross the different kinds of roads. So we can see from this that the shoes were initially designed to be a pair of fast off-road running shoes.

 

As regards the shoes’ appearance, from my personal perspective, it looks quite professional. And with the red vamp and bright gold outsole, the shoes look all the more cool and compelling.

Around the toe part, there is leather-like material and PU coating which effectively protects our toes from being hit by external objects, allowing the us to easily and effectively deal with the very complex off-road environment. Additionally, the vamp has the reflective patch that is specially designed for night running to avoid any possible danger.

Besides, this SPEEDCROSS 4 simply distinguishes itself with the outsole design. The outsole is indeed very different from the ordinary ones. It is patterned with many an arrow protruding designs and it is the design that maintains excellent grip in the muddy and moist roads. Also, thanks to such design , the shoes won’t sink into the mud deeply.  But my words have somewhat failed me. I think that only when you go cross country in the shoes will you know  the advantages of this design that is particularly prominent in the process of downhill. At the same time, due to the moderate hardness and density of these particles, they absorb shock perfectly and protect us very well while at the mean time ensure comfort to the maximum extent .

So as to bring us more convenience, Salomon has equipped the shoes with a QuickLace system, which allows us to put on and take off the shoes easily.

Some parts of the vamp adopt the mesh cloth that can prevent sands or gravels from entering the shoes.

The insole here is the Ortholite which is bacteriostatic and can serve as  deodorant. And it can be divided into the PU and the rubber part. It is also very comfortable and soft and is very breathable and can help keep dry the inside of the shoe.

With the shoes, actually, I feel like a duck to water. The shoes’ excellent wrapping makes me feel like it has integrated with my body.

 

Overall:

To summarize, to have a nice off-roads experience, it is necessary to cop a pair of excellent shoes. And the reasons I recommend this to you is that the toe is designed so well that it plays an important role in protecting our feet; the vamp also protect us well and the outsole offers us superior grip; the materials used in the shoes make it much easier for us to clean the shoes; last but not the least, there are reflective patches both in the front and the heel, thus avoiding any possible danger.