Salomon Speedcross 4

The Salomon Speedcross 4 : An excellent pair of off-road shoes ready to climb mountains!

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I’m going to break this review down into the sections that I feel most important for me as a runner. However, I want to first give you an idea as to why I needed this kind of shoe and what I was looking for.

I entered the Helvellyn Triathlon in 2018 and needed a shoe capable of being excellent off-road, capable on rugged terrain and comfortable enough to endure 15km up and down a mountain in the lake district - not an easy task, but I was confident that I would find the right shoe.

Upper 

The upper mesh is breathable and quite robust. I did lots of research and discovered that the best shoe for off-road running is a non-gore-tex shoe since a gore-tex shoe will let water in but not out.

The Salomon shoe keeps your feet dry and warm in good weather, and I found the shoe dried quickly when damp - so it was the perfect material. I felt like the upper had a shell structure and the toe box, in particular, was perfect to protect my toes when descending.

For the size, I read lots of reviews, and many suggested sizing up, but I found that this was not necessary. I switched to mono skin hilly socks and found I had an excellent combination of comfort while being secure in the shoe.

I also found many reviews saying the Salomon shoes had a narrow toe box, but interestingly I found them to be bigger than the Speedcross Vario. I also found the shoe very easy to clean with no staining - ideal for a shoe designed to be in muddy conditions.

The final part of the upper, and arguably the best feature, is the lacing system. The SC4 shoe has a quick lace system that is designed to be pulled tight and secured using the clamp, and the remaining lace is tucked under a hood at the top of the tongue - a great feature to keep it secure when running.

This system is simply excellent, hold the clamp and pull and then tuck. Perfect for racing. This system definitely helped my T2 on the day, and I noticed no slippage throughout the 15km ordeal.

Sole

This is my first Salomon shoe, so I wasn’t sure what to expect for grip, durability, and comfort. I’m pleased to say that I was pleased with all 3. I have put roughly 40km on these as I had limited time prior to the event, but I expect to put many more miles on these through the winter.

I have found the grip to be excellent - these have been tested in mud, looser gravel, rocks and steep rock climbs.

These shoes also descend well with some of the lugs being reversed from descending grip as well as ascending. I would use these shoes for any off-road event.

The durability so far seems great. I have seen many with missing lugs, but I have not suffered any degradation so far.

The shoe comes with Salomon Ortholite insoles, and I was very pleased with the comfort on the 15km run. By the end of the race, my feet by some miracle, still in one piece and I was capable of running back to the campsite afterward.

First few miles

These were comfy straight from the beginning. It isn’t a particularly lightweight shoe, but it is designed to protect you while running off-road. This, in my opinion, is a necessary evil.

As mentioned previously, these are easy to clean and look great - there are plenty of cool color variations, so I found myself plenty of choices. I had no regrets at this point of buying the Speedcross 4.

Most of the running I do is on road, and I mainly like to stick to Nike trainers. These Salomon’s have made me consider switching my allegiance.

Interestingly, I tried the Nike Wildhorse shoes but could not find a size that would fit without suffering any heel slip. The fit of the Salomon shoe is excellent, and the quick lace system works flawlessly. These are perfect off-road shoes which offer excellent grip, both uphill and downhill and overall toe protection.

Summary

I was looking for a shoe capable of supporting me through a ridiculous triathlon, I found the needle in the haystack. These are perfect for off-road running with excellent grip and comfort.

I was worried at the beginning that the size of the lugs might affect the level of comfort achieved but found that this was not the case. The lacing system is the best quick lace system I have used (which includes a few brands of triathlon laces), and I couldn’t have hoped for a better fit in this shoe.

If you are looking for an off-road shoe for general use or an off-road running race or triathlon, then look no further as this will do everything you need it to and more.

Conquer the mountains with Salomon Speedcross 4

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The iconic Salomon Speedcross 4 is built tough with aggressive tooth-like treads to help you tackle any rocky trail or muddy terrain.

Due to their extraordinary traction, these durable shoes are a mainstay for trail running and remain a favorite amongst obstacle course racers worldwide.

Ready to rip up the trails on your next run? The Salomon Speedcross 4 certainly have your back.

The Upper

Right out of the box, I loved the aesthetics of the Speedcross 4 as I was elated to find that the shoes came in neutral blue hues especially for those who prefer low key color schemes. Furthermore, Salomon offers a variety of colors to choose from to suit your personal style preferences.

Outfitted with a water-resistant textile and anti-debris mesh, this shoe is built robustly to resist rain and debris from hindering your running endeavors.

The Outsole

The outsole is my favorite feature of these shoes as they are stacked with 6mm aggressive arrow-shaped lugs made of Contragrip rubber to help you tackle any rugged terrain.

I’ve ran in these shoes on trails, tight switchbacks, in the mud, in the snow, in the rain, and all over the place in these kicks and not once did I ever feel myself slipping or sliding, thanks to the exceptional traction.

I mainly used these shoes for both trail running and obstacle course racing (OCR) which means lots and lots of muddy terrain.

Moreover, I love the arrow design because they didn’t allow copious amounts of mud to cake on the bottom of the shoes, essentially allowing me to continue to grind without sacrificing grip.

After about 120 miles in these shoes, the treads were showing some wear, but still, continue to perform great and have life in them.

Midsole

Sitting on a 10mm drop, the Speedcross 4 encompass a molded EVA foam cushioning protecting your precious feet from rocky, rough trail surfaces. Without sacrificing comfort, these shoes are still quite responsive while practicing your mountain goat-like trail running skills.

Sizing & Comfort

I’d love to say that these shoes are comfortable right out of the box, but they required quite a lengthy break-in period for me. The shoes run true to size, but I had to put in about 30-50 miles in these shoes before I felt like they began to become somewhat comfortable.

I have neither wide, nor narrow feet, yet I developed hot spots and blisters on my toes. Sadly, it still happens from time to time depending on how long I’m running in these shoes. With that being said, I’d rate the toe box of these shoes to be more on the narrow side.

On the plus side, if you like a snug fit, the Sensifit design of the shoe hugs your foot, so you never have to worry about your foot sliding around when your running on the side of a mountain. It’s all about preference here on what you desire in a trail running shoe.

After the “break-in period” the cushioning on these shoes are great for long distances.

Special Features

The traction certainly did not disappoint as I’ve used these for both trail running and OCR and I was incredibly impressed!

No matter if I was running uphill in the mud or bombing down a slippery downhill, I didn’t have to worry if I was going to slip because of these killer treads. As mentioned previously, the ingenious design of the arrow-shaped lugs makes the Salomon Speedcross 4 a force to be reckoned with.

Equipped with a quicklace pocket, Salomon is notorious for their no-tie lacing system which is a great feature knowing that you’ll never have to worry about an untied shoe during any of your running excursions.

Improvements

Biomechanically, these shoes are designed for the classic heel striker. Being a midfoot striker, I did notice during long runs I had a tendency to heel strike in these shoes which I wasn’t too happy about. I was accommodating the shoe more than it was accommodating me.

In addition, perhaps if the shoe had an option for those with wider feet, it would be desirable for a larger variety of runners as the shoes err of the narrow side.

For obstacle course racing, in particular, you can always expect wet and muddy conditions. The water-resistant textile of the Salomon Speedcross 4 hinders the water shedding capability that is desirable for those looking to race OCR in these shoes.

Also, at 260g these shoes are relatively heavy, particularly for racing. Otherwise, the heavier weight could be beneficial if used as a training shoe. Futuristically, Salomon should create a race model of the Speedcross shoes that are lighter in weight and have greater ventilation and water-shedding abilities.

Pros

•          The traction/tread is phenomenal
•          Treads have good longevity
•          Great protection from uppers
•          A durable shoe for tough conditions

Cons

•          Most disappointing was the long break in period
•          Continually blister after a break-in period
•          The fit is narrow and caused hot spots
•          Doesn’t shed water/poor ventilation
•          On the heavier side for racing
•          Biomechanically designed for heel-strikers