I’ve been loyal to Salomon for years as my go-to trail-running shoes. They’ve consistently fit my slightly wider feet well, and their colors are bold and bright, just the way I like ’em. The lug pattern on the soles provide excellent traction when jogging on the trail, as I mentioned here in my review of the XR-Mission shoes last year.
Being loyal to Salomon for their trail-running model, I was curious as to how their X-Scream trail-running shoes would hold up. Specifically designed for more of an urban environment, these shoes are a crossover between a pavement running shoe and a trail-running shoe. I tested the X-Scream in both environments, both hitting the paved trails in Boston and the dirt trails just outside of the city, to really get a feel for how the shoes held up.
As I hit the paved trail along the Charles River in Boston, I pulled the single lace to tighten the shoe, tucked it in the small lace pocket, and and quickly found my stride. The shoe is designed to cradle my foot and create a tight fit once I pull the single lace, which makes sure my foot won’t slip in the shoe while running. They were lighter than my XR Mission and the heel base was narrower, more like a traditional running shoe. The lug pattern on the bottom was also more refined and not as chunky as previous trail-runners, designed for smoother surfaces.
When I reached the dirt trail for a jog in the woods, the shoes again held up well on the uneven surface. I jumped over roots and my foot didn’t move around nor did my footing feel unsteady. I was aware of the lack of ankle support on my trail run, but that is always a factor when running with ankle height shoes. I was aware as well of stepping in mud or wet surfaces, as the shoes aren’t Gortex-lined, but I had no problem doing this.
I did find that the shoes were a bit large for me than usual, which was a surprise, as I’ve had Salomon shoes for a number of years, and have always had a perfect fit with a 9 and a half. With the X-Scream model, I was much happier with a size 9.
What I loved:
- Bold, bright colors. Very bright. (Did I mention they’re bright shoes?)
- Single lace adjustment easy to use and supportive to entire foot
- Lighter, more traditional “running” shoe than the previous trail runners.
- No worry for pronation, strong support for heel to toe running style.
Not so much:
- Needed a half size smaller than I normally do, shoes run a bit large.
Overall, the Salomon X- Scream trail-running shoes fit my running needs well, in particular if I was running more in the city than on the trails.
You can buy the Salomon X-Scream shoes for $110 here on the Salomon website.