We put Salomon's new trail shoe, the Speedcross 3, through it's paces and it comes up trumps!
Salomon are onto another winner with the Speedcross 3
Let's be clear from the start, I'm a big fan of Salomon trail shoes! I ran across Alaska in a pair and they were fantastic - they handled waist high snow, overflow, being frozen every night, getting singed trying to defrost them over a fire and a snowmobile hit and run...
I still have those shoes but was delighted to try out the Salomon Speedcross 3. And they did not disappoint.
First off they are a striking shoes - the colours range from Pop Green and Bright Red to Bright Blue and Clementine. But for the shyer trail runner they also come in black.
However striking looks don't count for anything if they don't perform on the trail and the Speedcross 3 performed superbly.
The shoe is much lighter than it looks but still offers plenty of cushioning and support. The heel could be a little wider, especially going downhill but the toebox was roomier than my old Salomons and my toes were well protected. The Speedcross 3 also have Salomons superb Quicklace system that helps keep the shoes evenly locked down across the whole foot.
The idea was to test the shoe across a variety of conditions and a variety of terrain however the British summer meant only one thing. Wet!
I was highly impressed by the grip from the lugs that offered super grip across wet grass and slippery rocks. The uppers, made from ripstop nylon, is very hard wearing and did a great job of keeping debris out of the shoe. In fact the whole shoe fitted well and kept my feet warm and snug - ideal for winter! The Mud and Snow Contragrip around the bottom half of the shoe made it easy to wipe clean.
The profile of the shoe is quite high with a 9mm drop from heel to toe, however I was able to manage some midfoot running in them.
Overall they are a great shoe - made to quality specifications that you expect from all Salomon products. If I was being picky I would like them to see a lower profile for my style of running and perhaps a little wider at the heel for added stability - especially downhill. However I look forward to running some long technical trail runs in these - especially in winter where I think they will really come into their own.
