The Salomon Speedtrak is Salomon’s latest entry into the trail and obstacle course racing shoe category. Back in the Fall of 2013, Salomon were eager to get their new deep lugged shoes into the hands of obstacle racers. So everyone (and their mom) got a pair Salomon Fellraisers to review. The feedback was very similar across the board. Great in the mud, but a little on the heavy side, and they don’t drain. Oh, and like most Salomon’s, they run a little narrow.
Since then, the OCR shoe market has caught up with the idea of larger lugs. Several brands including the Merrel Crush, Reebok All-Terrain OR, and other shoes you can find here have incorporated them. While the Salomon Fellraisers have continued to be produced every year with no change, this spring (2016), the SpeedTraks were born and we finally have a new version to run in.
Salomon Speedtrak Features
QuickLaces – As stated in previous reviews, I am a huge fan of speed lacing. They insure I don’t have to stop mid race. Additionally, I don’t spend countless minutes loosening double knots to retie every time.
Anti-debris mesh outer – Updated better materials from the previous Fellraiser. The mesh is now a different pattern that allows water to flow slightly better while keeping debris out even better.
Wet traction contragrip outsole – The kept the same exact grip as the Fellraisers which was a good call because they had already gotten it right the first time.
Top is the Salomon Speedtrak, bottom Salomon Fellrasier
Salomon Speedtrak Usage
Along with the usual trails I cover on training runs, my first obstacle race in these guys was at the Hannibal Race in Lebanon. These was some of the roughest/strangest terrain I have been on. Lots of different types of rocks including some massive ones that I could only describe as coral out of the water.
The uppers are damn near impenetrable as I finished the race with no rocks inside the shoes. The lugs are fantastic and I was able to scale the muddy slip wall where many were failing wearing inferior shoes.
Salomon Speedtrak Durability
As stated above, the uppers are not letting anything in. The rest of the shoe, can best be described as “tank like”. Durable may be these shoes middle name.
Salomon Speedtrak Pros and Cons
Pros
- Great for rough terrain.
- Solid construction on tongue an upper. No rocks getting in these anytime soon.
Cons
- Still a bit too heavy for my taste.
- No drainage holes. Considering adding my own holes with a drill, since everything else about them, makes a great OCR shoe.
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Salomon Speedtrak Conclusion
The Salomon Speedtrack is a beast on trails. I would wear it for any trail run or ultra-marathon. You do lose being “light on your feet”, but this is probably about as light as you can get with this much durability. Concerning, the million dollar question about being too narrow. At size 11 (my standard running shoe size), I began getting blisters on top inside of my foot. When I bumped to 11.5, they feet perfectly, including the heel.
Matt B. Davis
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