Salomon XT WINGS 2 Trail Running Shoe Review

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In pursuit of outright flight, here at Active Gear Review we have made a number of daring attempts at the impossible. Activities such as hucking ourselves off of cliffs are commonplace, and while we do find the term “lemming” offensive, we’ll admit that it is sometimes apt. These shoes are built from top to bottom for all around trail running, and yet don’t sacrifice all the bells and whistles to get there. Literally going from the ground up, Salomon features its “Contragrip” outsole. This combines a number of directional lugs with toe off and heel in zones; the overall effect is a more streamlined pattern to help you tackle multiple terrain types. We put this to the test and ran on every surface we could find, from slick muddy trails to dry rocks, gravel roads to pavement. We have to say that we were surprised at how versatile it felt. Salomon completely does away with tried and true EVA foam with their AC Chassis system, combined out of AC muscle, AC tendon, and AC skeleton. The thought is to use materials which mimic the motion of the human body in order to increase response time. In short – it works. For those who hate socks, Salomon threw in their “Ortholite” removable liner, which has an anti-microbial coating to reduce and eliminate odors. While we prefer the sock route, we did feel comfortable without them over shorter distances, and didn’t immediately develop blisters. We tested the non-Gore-Tex version, which was extremely breathable in all conditions. Combine this with Salomon’s unique lacing system and lace pouch (which allows you to instantly pull your laces to any desired tension without the bothersome tying and untying) and you have a truly unique racing shoe. Pop culture drinks overloaded with caffeine and sugar don’t give you wings…but Salomon does. For more information on the XT WINGS 2 and other Salomon footwear, please visit www.salomon.com or www.amazon.com/salomon.