I’ve spent the last few months running trails on and off in this shoe. Salomon does an amazing job with the Speedcross 3. It’s rugged, relatively light, fast, and grippy. Not having run in earlier iterations of the Speedcross, I can’t speak to the changes from the previous versions, but I can stand by the solidity of this model. The lugs allow for constant grip on softer surfaces, even performing beyond expectation on snow and ice. I can now understand why Salomon ranks high amongst trail runners for brand loyalty & quality of goods.
Despite an overall positive experience with the shoe, I did have a couple of problems. The shoe is pretty bulky and the heel drop is pretty extreme, especially for someone like me that favors reduced running shoes or even minimal running shoes. Salomon seems to be addressing that with the Sense, due out later this year. The shoe is also a bit narrow keeping my toes from splaying properly. And finally, like the La Sportiva Crosslight 2.0, the shoe is condition specific in that the bigger lugs limit it’s usefulness on hard pack trails like those I run in Southern California.
Despite these shortcomings, I really love the shoe. If you are a trail runner like me, definitely slip some on and get some miles in. Even the minimalist in me likes them and the soft comfort will impress you! If you have any questions or want more information, be sure to visit: SalomonRunning.com and follow @Salomon_Running (these shoes were provided by Salomon for review)
Also be sure to subscribe to the Ginger Runner YouTube Channel here:bit.ly/subGINGERRUNNER
LIKED:
- Looks
- Grip
- Build Quality
- Comfortable
DISLIKED:
- Heel Drop (roughly 9mm)
- Terrain Specific
- Narrow
- Bulky
QUALITY: 4/5
COMFORT: 3/5
PRICE: 4/5
LOOKS: 5/5
TOTAL: 16/20
Tags: best, ethan, hornet, jornet, kilian, kilian hornet, marathon, marathons, minims, minimus, new balance, newberry, north face, race, racing, review, running, salomon, speedcross, speedcross 3, TheSampler, trail, training, ultra, western states, worst, youtube