So this post is a little past due as I ran in these shoes way back in May. Salomon is the number one selling trail shoe in the world and the local shoe store in town sells them. I tested them out one night for a 5 mile run and I have a biased opinion. I see the appeal, but it's really not my style. The city trail shoe is designed to work well both on pavement and trails. In Fort Dodge, IA we don't have much outside of pavement so this is definitely the go to Salomon shoe in this area. Many of their shoes are designed for real trails, not sidewalks and crushed gravel.Now back on track. I didn't particularly like this shoe and I can't see myself really running in any Salomon shoe. Anybody that knows me knows I am a minimalist runner. I don't like a lot on my foot and as the picture shows, this is quite a bit of shoe, especially for my liking. I have a natural mid foot strike (which is appropriate), and the heel on this shoe is heavy, and I definitely felt that weight after running a few miles. The shoe is bulky, but surprisingly not very heavy. It is a comfortable shoe, but like I said just not what I like to run in. I love the easy laces on them, and the built in storage on the tongue for the laces after they have been tightened is unique and smart. The bottom of the shoe is great for pavement and for easier trails. I wouldn't recommend using this shoe on single track trails with tree roots and rocks jutting out at every turn.
Don't quote me on the price, as I'm not 100% sure, but I think they run at about 110 which is reasonable for a shoe. The bottom line: would I buy this shoe? No. Would I recommend this shoe to anyone else? It depends on what they need in a shoe (which is the story for any shoes). If you run on a mix of terrain, and need a little more shoe than a barefoot style shoe, this is a great shoe. The best part, you can boast that you are part of a growing fad in the running industry. Trail running is growing in popularity like crazy and Salomon is the best of the best in trail running shoes, and if you want to be the best you might as well dress the part.
