June 17

SALOMON CROSS OVER CHUKKA GORETEX. HIKING BOOTS WITH THE SPEEDCROSS SOUL.

Posted by Héctor Rubio on June 17, 2021 in Hike, trail running spain | Leave a comment

SALOMON CROSS OVER CHUKKA GORETEX: Hiking boots with the Speedcross soul. Our HIKING SHOES section presents today one more novelty of the FRench brand catalogue for 2021-22. Heiress of the speeecross philosophy, now comes a very peculiar fast hiking shoe.

We continue the advance 21-22 Salomon after the Ultra Glide with 32mm of mattress to run long on firm ground and the Salomon Cross Pro 2 for racing in mud and soft. Today we go with this shoe that, for visual effects, shares an familiar image of the Cross Pro, without a doubt. But with a more “quiet” approach of use.

SALOMON CROSS OVER
THE SPEEDCROSS PHILOSOPHY APPROACHES THE TRAILS.

The Cross Over range recently launched by Salomon seeks to apply the successful Speedcross philosophy of maximum grip and traction on soft ground to all trails. If in the mountain races this 2021 we already have the Speedcross 5 as a classic of the saga and with the Salomon Cross Pro as a new version with newer technologies, in the hiking range Salomon has happened the same.

The Salomon Cross Over family has two models, with high top and low cane. As you can see in the image below, the first is nicknamed “Chukka” and both carry this winter Goretex membrane.

The official presentation of the brand says: Inspired by the iconic SPEEDCROSS trail running shoe, the CROSSOVER CHUKKA GTX is adherent, daring and adventurous. Developed especially for hiking, it combines aggressive and durable grip with the exact amount of waterproof protection, so you can fly with agility even through the most muddy terrain. Given the brand’s approach, let’s now go with the data.

SALOMON XA CROSS OVER CHUKKA GTX: DATA SHEET.

Price: 150€ (The version in low cane are 130€) high cane gtx. An average price, within what are hiking shoes with high-end membrane.
Weight: 380 grams for men high cane 360 high cane, with membrane included. More or less the same as the classic alpine XA Pro, if we look at the version with membrane as well. With it they are about 20 grams less.
Drop: 10mm, A high drop, 1mm lower than the classic reference. Even so, it makes them a shoe not very demanding in the technical and that allows us to heel if we get tired of putting many hours with them.
Ground height: 10mm in front and 16mm behind, plus 6-8mm studs depending on the area. A shoe quite glued to the floor. IT does NOT dampen much in front, of course. But it’s not far behind, thanks to the wide drop. And therefore, that being glued to the ground in front gives us a lot of touch of terrain.
Clamping: Extremely firm, with several shoulder straps that “fix” the instep plus the chassis.
Lace by classic laces, a novelty inside the house that has made the cable its usual lace.
hank: Molded part between sole and midsole offering torsional stiffness and stability at a lower level than 4D Advanced Chassis. DO NOT look for the alpine stiffness of the XA Pro, but let us step on softer and more comfortable to make more kilometers.
Lugs: High prominence, 6-8mm. With Contagrip MD rubber. They will go well on firm, soft ground, as long as the mud or snow is not particularly deep. Contagrip MD rubber gives a little more durability over the CONtagrip MA of the XA Pro.
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.