I loved the look and design of these shoes so I read the buyer reviews. I wanted these for casual street wear but the reviews were mostly from hard core trail runners, mudders and other people who can probably kick a grizzly bear's ass. Since I had no intention of running the Paris-Dakar Rally on foot I wasn't sure if these weren't "too much" shoe for me. I mean, look at that action figure lacing system, and my tires have less aggressive tread than this shoe, the little colored words on the sides made me think of sponsor labels on a top fuel dragster. I began to wonder if I was worthy of this shoe. Would real athletes call me out as an imposter? A Poser? Would normal people look at my feet and assume I was a dork? (really, my shoes are the least likely cause of this).
So, still feeling inadequate for these shoes I placed my order. They arrived 3 days later (probably ran half of the trip on their own) and I got them out and tried them on.
Ugh. Too tight! But only at first. After ten minutes they loosened to a snug fit. After two days they fit perfect. No kidding perfect. I love the feel of them. They are comfortable as all get out. I almost climbed a hill in them just for the joy of it.
They feel like they will last forever. It's almost like they are bulletproof. In fact, if a thug ever shoots me I hope he aims for my feet. I'm confident these shoes will protect me.
The lace system seems odd at first but after a few times I figured it out so I can do it without taking my eyes off the TV. It's tricky at first but if that thug tries to take them off of you he will be stymied by the lace system long enough for you to run away up a nearby mountain... another plus.
The style is fantastic. So many people like my feet now. I catch people looking at my feet, nodding at my feet while nudging their friends, smiling at my feet. These shoes made my feet more popular than my head.
They do get hot. Not hot, but warm. I always went for mesh sided shoes before...light and airy. These are like armor compared to those and the trade off is a bit of trapped heat. Nothing too terrible but dark blue on a 90 degree day in the sun is a bit warm. I suppose if I wore them for what they were made for I could cool them by running across a glacier or alpine stream. Instead I prop them in front of my ac vents. But really, it's a minor thing since I live in Ohio and we only have weather that nice on accident. I'm sure I will appreciate that heat trapping during the other 320 or so odd days of usual cool and wet Ohio weather. (Ohio sucks by the way...unless you're a mudder)
The description says water resistant. I think they are. I was on a soccer field after a rain (hosting a Jr. Olympics competition, not actually playing soccer) and the wet grass did not soak my feet. I got some very minor dampness towards the end but my last pair of shoes would have sloshing water bags after ten steps so these were great. Plus the snug collar kept the grass clippings from getting into my shoes and turning my socks into rattan mats by the end of the day.
While the treads are excellent for quick cuts in turf or dirt they can be a bit slick on smooth wet surfaces. It's not banana peel type slick but just that little bit of slide that makes me think "whew! glad I was not running from that thug on this stuff).
In the reviews people talk about the longevity of this shoe in terms of miles or, in some cases, races. Now I don't know how many miles I wear my shoes (or if races to the restroom count) but I fully expect these shoes to last much longer than my previous pairs of shoes. They seem like someone actually designed them to work and last rather than just adding pretty swooshes or springs of shocks on a mediocre pair of nylon/leather sacks and called them shoes. I think these were designed by someone who got fed up with the garbage the big names put out.
I wore these to the zoo last week and climbed a pretty high hill in them. Granted, I was in a tram on the way up and on a wooden switchback walkway on the way down but I felt like I could outrun the other people if I had to. The important part was that my feet were comfortable. I did not think about them at all...except when other people stared or pointed at them.
So, do these shoes work for a fit, non-racing ordinary 46 year old male like myself? Of course they do. They are comfortable, durable and, I am assuming, thug proof. Plus they have the added benefit of making me look like I am a crazy trail runner...a very careful and clean one, but maybe they will think I am on the way to my first race.
Buy these shoes if you even remotely like them. Just don't look at them too many times on Amazon. I swear the prices go up after about 20 visits to the page..
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Bought these for the Tough Mudder in Beaver Creek, CO.
Worth every penny. Never slipped, even on very muddy hills. These even had very reasonable tread/grip on the snow obstacles. The laces hold tight, the shoes produced no blisters, they didn't hold very much water or mud and therefore didn't noticeably increase in weight after they were wet. I typically wear a size 12 and there was no variance in these shoes my typical size fit perfectly. I really can't think of anything remotely bad to say about these shoes.
Would definitely recommend these shoes for Tough Mudder.
Also, many people throw their shoes away at the end of the race.. I think these have multiple runs of Tough Mudder left in them!
Update: March, 2013:
Been wearing these shoes for a pick-up flag football game. They work great there too. Playing on dry, winter-grass I see a lot of other players sliding around wearing regular football cleats, but these work great.
Best Deals on Salomon Men's Speedcross 3 Trail Running Shoe
After reading a TON of reviews on the Speedcross 2 and Speedcross 3, I decided to pony up the extra cash for the 3's. I like the fact that they lowered the heel height and they stiffened up the outer heel material.
Performance-wise, I couldn't be happier! Right out of the box, they felt great. My first run in them was on a 3 mile loose/hard packed dirt track and they performed like I'd been wearing them forever. No hot spots, no blisters, just straight comfort. Super light weight as well. I ran the Norcal Tough Mudder in these(which is why I bought them) and they never missed a beat. They handled mud, water, wood, hay, hard packed dirt, rocks, etc. They were everything I was hoping for and more. The lugs on the soles did give me a bit of trouble on the Twinkle Toes obstacle, but that's to be expected. My friends that I ran Tough Mudder with thought for sure that they were going to be thrashed after the event. Granted, they were disgustingly dirty, but they showed no major wear or any damage whatsoever. The no-tie laces are sweet too! They never loosened during the 12+ miles or hell. I highly recommend these shoes for a mud run type of event.
Honest reviews on Salomon Men's Speedcross 3 Trail Running Shoe
I purchased these shoes as well as the innov-8 x-talon 212's for use in two Spartan Sprints (with more to come) as well as trail running/training. I have no doubt that the Speedcross 3's are a great shoe for mud runs but I ended up returning these for reasons I'll get to momentarily.
I did not try these shoes out on any runs so I cannot vouch for their performance on trails but here are my thoughts based on my limited time with them.
PROs
The shoes hug your feet quite comfortably and seem very secure. I felt like my feet were protected from anything and everything with these on.
Grip is top notch. The cleats on the sole are deep and clearly made to grip and release mud, dirt or whatever you run through.
Lightweight. For a big shoe (mid-top/high-top shoe) this is surprisingly light.
CONs
Maximum cushioning. Tons of cushioning on this to the point that you probably gain an inch or so of height wearing them, like wearing a pair of hi-top basketball shoes. No way you will feel any rocks or branches when running these on the trails. Some may take this as a pro and, if so, this shoe is for you. If you like to have a bit more feel on your trail runs then this is not the shoe for you.
Thick shoes all around. All parts of this shoe seem thick and substantial. You feel secure in the shoe but these are not the type of shoes that disappear on your feet when you put them on. The Speedcross 3's are basically the anti-minimalist shoe.
There are many good points to the Speedcross and I would bet that for someone running long distance trails this is a perfect shoe. I prefer a bit more feel when trail running, not minimalist per se but definitely towards that end of the cushioning spectrum.
If you want a shoe that can take you through multiple mud runs and fight through mud, rocks and debris without your feet feeling a thing, this shoe is for you. If you prefer a less is more approach to your shoes, try something else like the innov-8 x-talon 212s.
Overall: 4/5 I considered giving this 3 stars but the shoe is top quality and is a great cushioned shoe for trails, it just didn't fit my particular needs.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Salomon Men's Speedcross 3 Trail Running Shoe
I mostly do long-distance road running so this being my first "trail" shoe purchase I thought a review would be helpful. For some context, I generally run in minimalist shoes (5-7 ounce), about 40-50 miles a week when in season. I tested these shoes on several trail runs done on the Routeburn track in New Zealand (varying pitches, lots of rocks and mud, and the shoes got wet a number of times).
Pros:
Right out of the box the shoe is comfortable and provides fantastic support in areas that I felt needed the most support (the front and heal areas for hard landings). I didn't feel like I had to break them in at all, with a medium thick wool sock I took them through a 6 mile test run without a hitch. They also double as a great hiking shoe, are way less bulky (less weight in my opinion means more comfort). For technical runs, the shoe has great traction (very knobby bottoms) to hook onto rock, moss, wet surfaces. This too was a huge benefit during the hike. The zip tie system was a breeze, easy to adjust and you can fold up the excess material and tie up into the top of the shoes tongue, which was nice).
Cons:
Not much to report here. Even after being wet, the shoe dried out fairly quickly and while not water proof, did a good job. I read about the water proof (Clima Shield) version feeling hot, so I got this version instead, and the shoe never felt great (never felt hot in them).
Sizing: I wear a 10.5 in most running shoes, and these fit true to size.
