SALOMON XT 6: THE ULTRA TRAIL “TANK-SHOE” IS RESURRECTED AS IT WAS.

TrailrunningSpain

5 years ago

SALOMON XT 6: The ultra trail tank shoe, resurrects as it was. Heavy, reluctant and extremely reliable. Our TRAIL SHOES section presents today another great novelty of the catalog of the French brand. The XT Wings 6 is already in stores: It returns with 140€, weight 365gr and a drop of 10.5mm between forefoot and heel.

We open with the 2022 glimpse over the Ultra Glide with 32mm of cushioning to run in firm ground and the Salomon Cross Pro 2 for mud and soft racing. Today we are going with the return of the panzer, whose last thorough test with us dated from the Salomon XT Wings 3 of 2012. And the truth… it comes back as it went.

SALOMON XT 6: THE ULTRA TRAIL “TANK-SHOE”. REVIEW BY MAYAYO

The Salomon XT wings saga was conceived as a multipurpose technical mountain shoe. “Mountain Trail Running” is the segment where the brand qualified it at birth. It has always been a model focused on a long and versatile run. In those days, honors were distributed with options such as Speedcross focused on technical vertical races but not very long or for light runners of excellent technique in long distances, of course. Speedcross has always been alive today with Speedcross 5. The Salomon XT family is now back in the ring.

Three pairs of Salomon XT Wings used between 2008-2012: In 2008 I ran with the pioneers of the saga, races such as the Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix. Over the years, I went through his Slab4 version later. The last version I thoroughly tested was back in 2012. I went back for the third time to triscar with this saga through the mountains with the XTWings 3.

So were the last Salomon XT Wings 3 of 2012. Take a look… that barely change now. They then said goodbye to the market, weighing 370 grams, drop 10.5 mm and at the price of 135€.I run with them the 89k/ ±11,000m of the Cantabria Challenge: during 16h53m of fight for mud and limestone of the Picos de Europa with them 🙂

SALOMON XT WINGS 6: DATA SHEET

Price: 140€. An average price, which curiously maintains almost that of 2012. Logical, since it will now be a mid-range solution, for popuar runners who prime protection and confidence.
Weight: 365 grams for men. Almost identical to the one back then. Revival in full order, without changing almost anything.
Drop: 10.5mm, A high drop, which makes them a shoe not very demanding in the technical and that allows us to heel if we get tired by singing many hours with them.
Ground height: 12mm front and 22.5mm at back. A shoe particularly attached to the ground. It doesn’t cushion much in front, of course. But it doesn’t fall behind, thanks to the wide drop. And so, being glued to the ground in front gives us a lot of tact of ground.
Clamping: Extremely firm, with several shoulder straps that “fix” the instep plus the chassis.
Laces: Quicklace cable
Agile Chassis System: The heart of the shoe. This system combines stability and damping. Works in harmony with the EnergyCell midsole. Cover wears abrasion-resistant TPU material
EndoFit Fastening: Classic salomon. Internal adjustment cover that “hugs” the instep and offers greater fit
Lugs: Medium-high prominence, 4-5mm. With Contagrip TA rubber. They will go well on firm, soft ground, as long as the mud or snow is not particularly deep.
Sole: Oversized width 1cm front and 0.5cm at back. The trapezoidal shape of the chassis and the wide sole makes them hyperestable. At the expense, yes, if I’m not the most agile in the class. That’s what other sisters are for.

SALOMON XT WINGS 6: CONCLUSION.

Return to the countryside… by popular request. Three pairs used in the last years. Having premiered them back in 2008, running together those 100km from the CCC, I am excited to see them back as they were bron, in this 2021. And it is that, losing sight of them after those Salomon XT Wings 3 of 2012 gave me, and a large number of popular runners, a lot of grief. They left a void in the range, for stability and protection that is filled now, years later.

They have always been and are now returning firm, safe and dignified trail shoes cushioned to run long down the mountain. Today, with lighter materials, they are already pure “tanks”. But that feeling can be very welcome when many hours of training or races pass. So, the reflections are no longer the same as on the way out.

The Salomon XT is history because they protect the foot like almost no other shoe: With them, poor career support is much less likely to end in fall or twist. At the same time, even if they are not the most comfortable or light to “fly” by forest tracks or vertical walls always fulfill dignity when they touch stretches like this. Real multipurpose, as a popular bully they were and continue to be a workhorse to trust every day.

And by the way, a shoe that we can also pay for in other uses: Hiking, mountain trekking, daily walk… And all those running/walking features that Salomon for a while left alone in the hands of his sister XA Pro 3D V8. Now, a good alternative is the resused XT Wings 6.

More agile alternatives: Now, if you want to run,with more terrain feeling, no doubt options like the Salomon Sense Ride 4 or its sister the Salomon Sense Pro 4 allow you more and better running performance for an almost identical price. Much more modern, they are therefore more agile, light and sharp.

But on its own. these XT Wings are a cannon. Normal, after almost 10 years of absence, they return to the mountain, by popular request.