Salomon - Speedcross 6

Firstly, Salomon's are generally not wide. You can buy them in wide, but they are narrow feet shoes. I've got ultra narrow feet and found Salomon's some 25 years ago and never looked back. Now that that's out of the way. I really love the Speedcross 6 non-GTX trail runners. Very comfortable, very breathable. Even when my feet do get wet, they dry in a flash. Some years ago Salomon made a high-top GTX boot version called the Cross hike. Not sure if they are still made, I got them when they came out and wore them for a trip. Pretty good, but they just weren't right so I returned them. Now, I use the Speed-crosses as my daily drivers, and my old faithfuls the Quest 4 GTX boots as my hikers. The Quest 4s are lightweight, super comfortable, and breathable enough to not get stinky after wearing them all day.

I keep going back to[ ](https://productpickzone.blogspot.com/2025/06/salomon-speedcross-6.html)[this shoe](https://productpickzone.blogspot.com/2025/06/salomon-speedcross-6.html). It grips like crazy on muddy trails and doesn't kill my feet on long runs.

I have hypermobility. My ankles are mostly fine on long days, but if we're doing off-trail bushwacks, that lack of support starts to hurt. The uneven ground of scrambles and alpine Heather gets to my ankles pretty good after a while. Fwiw I have hypermobility in my ankles too so they don't sprain even if rolled badly (which happens all the time they're so floppy).  Really really important for patella pain is a good orthotic. I also work as a bootfitter so I get to make lots of orthotics for all my shoes. I'm pretty good at my job but still take my orthotics to my physio who does the final tweaks in rolling the heel (usually to the outside). A few mm of wedge makes a big difference by the end of a 30km day.  I have speedcross 6's. I wish I had got the ultra 5 GTX because the cross has too much drop (heel raise) and the trails where I am are super steep. I also wish I had the GTX version because they wet out crossing snow or shaking dew off plants. I'd probably get the mid just because we do a lot of route finding nonsense and they would help my ankles a lot.  The mid weighs hardly any more and will probably be safer for you to use in general. 

These would be perfect. I did round the mountain Ruapehu in these exact shoes. Though consider getting some solomon gaiters to keep scree and pebbles out.

Yeah, I run, hike, and backpack in these shoes (non-GTX version) and haven’t had any issues. The lugs do wear off eventually but I think I got close to 1000 miles from each pair before they did.

Recommendations for best shoes for traction on snow and ice? I did my first winter mountain run today in Salomon Speedcross 6 (my workhorse shoe) and definitely had to take it slow with the snow/ice. Parts of the trail were pure ice, while others were melting snow, so ideally I’d like a shoe that’s good on both. (My winter trail running experience is limited since in the past, I’ve switched to hiking, snowshoeing, and running on treadmill or at lower elevations once the snow hit. But I’m taking my training more seriously now and even signed up for a winter ultra next month… I do love my micro spikes for hiking but it seems like they would be uncomfortable for 50k race, no? Plus I don’t want to take them off/put them back on when I hit dirt at lower elevations.)

Thanks! I’ve tried a variety of shoes and keep coming back to the Speedcross, so I’ll check out the other Salomon options.

I find my Salomon Speedcross 6 have been great in muddy in muddy conditions.

Salomon Speedcross has excellent grip on wet rocks and mud. Comes in both GTX and non-GTX version, but I’ve only tried the latter since it dries quickly anyway and I wouldn’t do waterproof shoes in above freezing weather. I hiked the TMB (with a heavy-ish backpack) and ran the Alta Via 1 (with just a hydration vest) in these shoes (different pairs since this was in different years) and found them to be perfect for both. Had a decent amount of rain and lots of mud on both, and the shoes kept me stable and moving quickly. I haven’t sized up but as I move toward running (hopefully) 100k races, I might have to since I assume my feet will swell after the 50k or so mark. I’ve completely switched to trail runners for both hiking and backpacking and find the only drawback is that I have to buy shoes more often. But if you can afford that, the comfort is worth it!

Is there any reason OP can’t buy a second pair once/if the first pair dies? He mentions U.S. parks so is there a reason he can’t stop at a nearby REI to replace the first pair? (I get packing light and only taking one pair at a time but seems like it would be replaceable…) So absolutely trail runners. I like Salomon Speedcross, which I’ve worn for city walking and running (in addition to hiking and trail running). That makes the lugs wear off faster, obviously, but I’ve still gotten 500+ miles from each pair.

Seconded. Great shoe for hiking and trail running. Never tried the Goretex version but Salomon does make them.

I’ve found the grip on Salomon Speedcross to be excellent. I also prefer the non-GTX version since it dries much more quickly.

Personally the Salomon speed cross 4-6 are my go to for anything up to 50k with that degree of technical terrain. Mainly because they fit my feet like a glove. Genesis have me curious though.

I trained for and ran my birthday trail marathon (non-organized) in Salomon speedcross 6. They just fit my foot too well to try something else. This year’s model is sexy af too. Still in my same slab ?5 L vest (funky closure, will upgrade)

Personally Salomon fit me quite well. Speedcross has been my go to for most steep/rocky terrain.

Speedcross is less narrow. Thundercriss pinches after 5 miles. Speedcross is good for 27+

Yea. Bought the thundercross thinking they would be a similar fit with a broader range of use case scenarios, and within 3 months was back to my Speedcross

Salomon Speedcross 5 or 6 are trail running, waterproof shoes that work nicely for DG. The fit tends to be somewhat slim, so best to try them on for proper sizing, which could be a number different than your norm.

Wide boi here - oddly enough the Salomon Speedcross 6 works really really well for me, and not even in the wide size that they do make - just half a size up. Something about the upper design is extremely accommodating. No other Salomon fits me. Maybe worth a try.

FYI: I’m a very wide boy, but the Salomon Speedcross and Genesis both fit very comfortably. None of their other shoes do, but those are both great shoes you might want to try. Hoka also has nice wide options across their lineup. If it‘s grip you want, I find the Speedgoat is second only to VJ Shoes - but VJ run narrow.

I have a pair of Salomon speedcross 6 too. Probably them too for the real easy hikes and go from there.

I went to REI thinking by I’d get Altras based on how much backpackers love them. Most definitely not for me! I *love love love* the Salomon Speed Cross 6es I ended up with.

Trail runners! Salomon Speed Cross 6. Unbelievably great.

I would buy new just for an excuse to get a pair of the Salomon Speed Cross trail runners. They are the BEST hiking shoes I’ve ever had.

Not sure how speed cross compares to those other options. I have Salomon boots that I love, but switched my lows from La Sportiva (that were never quite right) to speed cross. Never looking back!

Right out of the box. And it’s my lucky day! Just found a barely worn pair at REI for half price.