Salomon Speedcross 6 | Quiet Shade / Black / Pearl | Mens / UK 8.5

My Sense Ride 4’s were showing their age, and needed a replacement. I have spent the last 2 winters (In icy cold Edmonton, Alberta) running on a pair of Cross Spikes with the built in studs, AMAZING shoe for winter runners by the way. So I thought I’d give the Speed Cross a try, as they are a non-spiked version of what I have been loving. This logic didn’t disappoint as they fit well, feel supportive and provide me with a good balance of cushion on the trails, as well as feeling connected to the ground. Right out of the box I took them on a 12km trail run in the river valley and it held its own on a bit of pavement to get out of the neighbourhood, some compact dirt, roots and loose rocks, and even some frozen (and on the way back home thawing) mud, as well as a bit ... MoreMy Sense Ride 4’s were showing their age, and needed a replacement. I have spent the last 2 winters (In icy cold Edmonton, Alberta) running on a pair of Cross Spikes with the built in studs, AMAZING shoe for winter runners by the way. So I thought I’d give the Speed Cross a try, as they are a non-spiked version of what I have been loving. This logic didn’t disappoint as they fit well, feel supportive and provide me with a good balance of cushion on the trails, as well as feeling connected to the ground. Right out of the box I took them on a 12km trail run in the river valley and it held its own on a bit of pavement to get out of the neighbourhood, some compact dirt, roots and loose rocks, and even some frozen (and on the way back home thawing) mud, as well as a bit of snow and ice. Excited to run my first trail Ultra in them in a couple months! *Can’t give a durability rate as I’ve had them less than a month, so will leave it in the middle at 3 stars. Otherwise, amazing shoe.

Salomon Speedcross shoes have been my go to for several years. They're comfortable, traction is unparalleled, and they just work on all sorts of terrain. Typically, out of the 5 model I would get 400-600 miles a pair with 400 being on the low end, as tread reliability starts becoming compromised around the ball of the foot at around 400 miles. However, even in mostly dry and dusty conditions, I can squeeze out another 100-200 miles out of them, especially if no pavement is involved and get that 500-600+ if I'm really trying to stretch it.The Speedcross 6 model, however, appears to have changed the rubber compound, or at least, so it would appear. The first pair, I managed to get about 400 miles out of, and that was after basically squeezing them for everything ... MoreSalomon Speedcross shoes have been my go to for several years. They're comfortable, traction is unparalleled, and they just work on all sorts of terrain. Typically, out of the 5 model I would get 400-600 miles a pair with 400 being on the low end, as tread reliability starts becoming compromised around the ball of the foot at around 400 miles. However, even in mostly dry and dusty conditions, I can squeeze out another 100-200 miles out of them, especially if no pavement is involved and get that 500-600+ if I'm really trying to stretch it.The Speedcross 6 model, however, appears to have changed the rubber compound, or at least, so it would appear. The first pair, I managed to get about 400 miles out of, and that was after basically squeezing them for everything their worth. The tread was actually shredding and getting severely compromised at about 200 miles, where they wouldn't even approach those conditions until around 400 on the previous model. By 400 miles, holes in compound began forming and rocks were beginning to get embedded (which I had never experienced before), and I was slipping all over the place on anything remotely smooth. The second pair that I'm using currently appear to be displaying similar symptoms.So while I'd typically rate the Speedcross shoes based on previous models at 4-5 stars, this model I have to mark down a step or so. You're still getting that excellent Speedcross performance, but if you're in dry and dusty trails most of the time, don't expect the durability you may have seen on the previous iteration.

I took these shoes to Kauai recently and they held up great. I did a lot of hiking on various terrains, including mud and volcanic rock. In muddy terrain they did well, they didn’t slip off my foot and they were easy to clean off. On packed dirt, they were nice and grippy even while slightly damp- I half expected to start slipping on the looser areas of dirt like gravel on an incline, these shoes gripped the ground well. On the volcanic rock, they endured lots of nooks and crannies, sharp edges. For me, that was the real test because volcanic rock can be very sharp and would easily shred up a cheaper made shoe, especially the outsole and tip. I got them wet a few times crossing a number of rivers during a hike in Hanakapi’ai. The outside stayed dry, the inside did ... MoreI took these shoes to Kauai recently and they held up great. I did a lot of hiking on various terrains, including mud and volcanic rock. In muddy terrain they did well, they didn’t slip off my foot and they were easy to clean off. On packed dirt, they were nice and grippy even while slightly damp- I half expected to start slipping on the looser areas of dirt like gravel on an incline, these shoes gripped the ground well. On the volcanic rock, they endured lots of nooks and crannies, sharp edges. For me, that was the real test because volcanic rock can be very sharp and would easily shred up a cheaper made shoe, especially the outsole and tip. I got them wet a few times crossing a number of rivers during a hike in Hanakapi’ai. The outside stayed dry, the inside did get wet and sloshy as I submerged my feet during a slip on wet rock. When I got home, I left them outside for the night to dry and by morning they were only slightly damp, I put them on anyway and they felt fine even with the slight dampness. No funky smell from the water exposure. The shoes were also very comfortable right out of the box, no breaking in or stretching was necessary. I would buy these again in a heartbeat! Awesome, durable shoes!