Shoe review- Salomon XT Wings S-Lab
Fresh out the lab!
Trail shoes are a phenomena of the 21st century. In the past there really was just Walsh PBs, a studded shoe, aimed at coping with the harshest mountain terrain, an area in which they have had very few rivals until recent years.
Studded shoes are also ideal for that XC race that has just a little too much road for spikes, and they perform admirably in muddy conditions – something we are quite good at in this country! So, with the advent of racing at lower altitudes on forest fire roads, interspersed with road, single track trails, canal tow paths, and farm tracks, a road shoe, with support, stability and an off-road grip is the order of the day.
The French Revolution
Identifying these factors, especially in Europe, Salomon would argue that they have effectively helped to create a whole new sector in that of trail and alpine running – the likes of the Raid, Pro 3D range, Speed Cross and Trail Comp shoes have helped to set new standards in quality and design. Of course those nice people from inov8 with their fantastic range of lightweight off road racers and trail shoes, and shoe giants such as Asics, adidas, Puma and New Balance, would have something to say about that, but you cant deny that in the last decade Salomon have emerged as a strong contender as the ‘shoe of choice’ for many trail runners across Europe and the US. Enter the XT Wings.
These shoes are very, very, red.
The Science
Now I must point out that the XT Wings I have here are (currently) not for you mere mortals, oh no. These are S-Lab shoes. Salomon states that S-Lab kit is a development product, for the sponsored athletes. I personally really like the fact that athletes such as Jonathan Wyatt, Nick Sharpe and Killian Jornet are out there testing kit, perfecting it – frankly this is what the mainstream brands have been doing for years and it means that when the product comes to us every little gremlin has been eradicated. As S-Lab kit is aimed at the racers, they demand weight-saving as one of their priorities, so these shoes are a full 60 grams lighter than the production model.
That's one stable mother...
Techno, techno, techno
When you first set eyes on these babies you’ll see that aesthetically they have more in common with road than mountain shoes, but its when you venture onto the rough stuff that you notice that their DNA lies off-road. Being a, lets say, lightweight runner it doesn’t take much to knock me off my stride – stability in a shoe is my friend. Thanks to the Agile Chassis System (yep ACS) the XT Wings have enough stability to win the stability World Cup, and then dish some out to its competitors. With a three piece system (skeleton, muscle and tendon) the marketing states that the ACS is a perfect balance of cushioning and stability, yes I’ve mentioned the stability, but did I mention the cushioning? Well, no, and that’s because I feel that the cushioning is a little too, well, cushioned, and for me it takes away a little from the responsiveness of this shoe. Throw in the good old Contagrip soles though, and you’ve got one gripy, stable, cushioned shoe.
Quicklace rules...
The uppers sport the Sensifit and Quicklace systems which are superb, it has to be said, and the little lace pocket keeps the excess lace from flapping around and bruising your shins. The production range is available in boys and girls sizes and flavours, colour-ways are a plenty, so that should satisfy us boring Brits (Aluminium black) and all of the Europeans with a penchant for colourful attire (Grass X) – with word on the street that there will be a Clementine (orange) for the guys in 2009! Rave on…
I’ve had the XT Wings S-Lab for nearly 4 months now, and the great British summer has meant that they have had more wet than dry use this year, but I have to say they have performed well on almost every surface that I have run on. (and that includes a fell race, loads of trail runs and a 10k road race) Oh, and they look just as good après-run at the barbeque or in the pub – so no need to pack extra shoes for that dirty weekend!
Downsides
Very little. Beware on the real slippery stuff, the grip is definitely more at home in drier, craggier ground, and the light traction outer sole struggles in heavy mud – but hey its horses for courses, and if you want the real deal in the mud your gonna have to go for the mud-daddy Speed Cross 2.
Upsides
Loads. Salomon shoes are rough enough and tough enough for most things out there, and in the last 4-5 years any product that I have had (footwear and apparel) has been superbly hard wearing and of the highest quality. The XT Wings carry these ethics in cart loads…
Overall
A great shoe that will for sure evolve over time if we know those people at Salomon, of course by the time you read this they may have even launched an even lighter model.
So head over to Ransacker now, and get yours…
These guys get you a deal AND give money to charity!
SRP: £85 / S-Lab N/A
Reactions so far
Carl Jan 9, 05:16 AM
I have to agree with you. I got a paird of the XT-Wings SLabs earlier this year and was really impressed. They have even coped with the depths of winter better than I expected!
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