Review: Salomon Speedcross 5 Trail Runners

Look no further… Salomon have outdone themselves with the new and improved Speedcross 5. Not only are they a super aggressive, technical trail shoe. They look great as well which, let’s face it, is important to most people.

The Salomon Speedcross range has been around and well-reviewed for a long time now.

The Speedcross 5 have had a few updates on previous versions making them an even better option if you’re looking for an aggressive, technical all-terrain shoe to keep you upright and your feet firmly attached to the ground when it really counts.

The side body of the Speedcross 5 is a welded construction meaning no stitched seams around the sides of the shoe or on the toe area of the shoe. The sides wrap well up the body of the shoe and the only stitched seam on the shoe is around the base of the tongue on top of the shoe. The lack of stitching and clean lines of the shoe give them a very sleek look and add to the comfort of the shoe. The shoes are a reasonably wide fit so should suit people that don’t have the narrowest feet. The upper of the shoe covering the top of the foot is made up of a very heavy mesh type material which offers really good foot protection. Add that to the thick lugs on the sole and well-padded innersoles the shoes offer great foot protection and great padding for running on uneven surfaces.

The shoes have a feature Salomon called Sensifit. The Sensifit system is designed to cradle the foot from the midsole to the laces to create a really snug, secure and comfortable fit. The lacing system is the same style as numerous other Salomon shoes I have and love. The quick lace system doesn’t require the tying of any laces as such. They instead use a toggle that you just slide down the ‘laces’ and it tightens up like standard laces would. Once tightened, they stay done up and across all the Salomon’s I have owned with this style of lace system I have never had one undo or loosen on me. It’s probably my favourite feature of the Salomon’s I own and once they are done up the toggle tucks neatly inside the Lace pocket on the front of the tongue to stop it flapping around. The inner soles in the shoes are ‘Molded OrthoLite®’ which provides amazing cushioning and are designed to breathe as well to stop your shoes stinking up with use.

The fit of these shoes is fantastic, and I have quite a wide foot. The shoes wrap around your feet snugly and support them really well. The mesh-like material that wraps around the front of the shoe really allows for real comfort. Further, the non-mesh material around the bottom of the shoes does a good job of keeping the water and mud out of the inside of the shoe. I have read other reviews which claim the shoes don’t breathe as well as some others, but I have mostly used them in cool conditions to date and haven’t had any issues at all with breathability.

I have worn the Speedcross 5 on numerous different surfaces to date and the way the shoes transition from one surface to the next is absolutely superb. Given the design of these soles on these shoes though they really excel on rough and loose surfaces like slippery and muddy off-road tracks with less traction. That’s not to say they can’t be worn on solid surfaces like the street, but I don’t think that’s what the designers had in mind for these shoes. The other thing to consider is given the size and spacing of the lugs on the soles and the fact that they are designed for maximum grip meaning the rubber has to be a softer compound. The possibility is that the lugs may wear down a bit quicker on hard surfaces although I haven’t had issues with that to date. Just something to consider if you’re planning on using them mostly on hard surfaces like roads or footpaths.

The Speedcross 5 clean up well after walking through dirt, dust and mud and look as good as new again with a quick wipe with a damp cloth.

So far, I have used the Speedcross 5 for trail running, hiking and also ‘boot camp’ style training sessions on a wet and muddy local footy oval. I’ve always found them to be comfortable and stable and they really give you a sense of confidence in your step. I also tried them out during a training session on an indoor basketball court and didn’t find the soles marked the courts at all which is nice to know if you do the occasional indoor gym or training session.

I’ve worn the Speedcross 5 with short ankle socks and long thicker socks and found them comfortable with both types of socks. Comfort and grip really are where these shoes excel.