The latest shoe in Salomon's S/Lab premium line has dropped, and it might look like a mountaineering boot, but the brand promises it's built for tackling the most rugged trails at high speed. Taking a leaf out of the 's book, the looks at first glance like a technical boot, but it's a running shoe nestled inside a built-in . The gaiter is designed to keep dust, sand, snow and water out while you cross deserts, rivers and alpine terrain and the French brand says it's and fortified with a protective toe cap for when the going gets tough.
Unzip the (waterproof) zipper and inside you'll find a more familiar-looking upper secured with the same quickLACE bungee lacing system we're used to seeing on shoes like the that's so loved by . Together with the zipper, it means you can quickly pull these on, tighten them and hit the trail without delay. Underfoot, you'll find what looks like a massive of responsive , though the isn't as extreme as the design makes it look – it's a fairly neutral 6 mm from heel to toe.
That said, you can most likely expect plenty of bounce and comfort even as the miles rack up. For traction, the brand uses its proprietary All Terrain Contagrip outsole to help protect you against skids on hard, slick, steep, crumbly and sloppy surfaces. Again, this is the same grip you'll find on other S/Lab shoes like the Genesis and explains why runners like Dauwalter can tackle the desert and beaches on the and rivers and snow fields of the Hardrock 100 all in the same sh.
