Salomon - THUNDERCROSS Series

I've personally used Salomon thundercross trail shoes .I've run the sprint, super, n beast Salomon makes a great shoe, IMO. I trained with them while running the hills and trails in Austin's Greenbelt and really liked the feel and support of the shoes. AROO

I actually ordered these a few months back, they fit okay but i just didn't gel with them, I'm not sure why, a bit too soft and vague for my liking maybe. Nothing against them though it was purely a preference thing rather than anything wrong with the shoes.

The best ones are the ones that fit!! I have wide toes and wore Solomon trail runners for a long time. I switched to Merrell Moab hikers a couple of years ago. Both are 13 Wide (EEE).

The downside of trail runners to me (Solomans) was I would sometimes get foot bruises on sharp rocky ground. I switched to hiking shoes (Merrell's) and I feel it's a better compromise between trail runners and boots. Pretty light and more comfortable.

My Solomans had a rock plate (thank you for pointing out my omission), but I feel a big difference with my Murrell Moab's. To each there own, I know trail runners are the favorite, the Moab works better for me (I have dainty feet, I guess).

Both Asics gortex and Salomon gortex Ive found to be the best I've used.   I get probably 2-3000km out of them?   Say 8km a day of sandstone gravel fire trails and rocky escarpments for a year. I  would get 12-18 months out of them.   Sometimes I just wear out heel rubber and foam is still good so I build it back up using Sikaflex or something to go another 6 month lol 

This would be the holy grail of UK shoes wouldn’t it. Best I’ve found off the shelf is the La Spo Mutant but I would rate the Thundercross as a better ‘running’ shoe if that makes sense. The mutant is a bit more like a workhorse than anything sporty. I actually stuck a pair of Inov8 boomerang insoles in my Thundercross which transformed them a fair bit. Left field option - resole an old pair at the Key Cobbler. The 5mm black Megagrip Litebase sole actually works really well on all types of terrain ive found. Same as the one on the Nnormal Tomir. Won’t do you for steep downhill fell running but good enough for sloppier less steep stuff.

Best shoe for mixed UK terrain in terms of grip is the La Sportiva Mutant in my opinion. Sticks to wet Lake District rock and is decently lugged. Would be perfect for the ultra. Of the ones you mention, I’ve raced the Thundercross and the Genesis and got on fine. The sense ride would be less grippy than those 2 although a great shoe in itself. What didn’t she like about these? I’ve not ran in it but apparently one of the best shoes for UK out there at the moment is the new Inov8 Trailtalon. Looks great.

Anyone have experience to share with the Salomon S/Lab Genesis? Thinking of getting these for my first 50k later this year since I do better with the 6-8mm drop range Currently have all of Salomon Thundercross and Ultra Glide, Nike Pegasus Trail 5, Altra Lone Peak 8, and Nike Pegasus Trail 4 GTX (my go to during this snowy training period)

I just stuck inov8 boomerang insoles in my thundercross. Will be testing it out on 100 mile in a few weeks. I love the thundercross and the trail talon feel a little heavy for me

I use Solomon trail runners, non-waterproof because my feet overheat easily in the summer. They've seen the presis in the summer without issues, and have decent grip.

Salomon Thundercross

Salomon Gore Tex sneakers. My second choice are Saucony Gore Tex sneakers.

I prefer the Genesis for more runnable trails, whereas I like the firmer midsole and aggressive lugs of the Thundercross for steep grass and T5/T6 terrain. Horses for courses 😄

What do you want to do? I love my Solomon trail runners but if I'm sliding down shale I'll take the Keens all day long. Both are good brands in my experience.

I've found that it's rather a matter of preference as long as the heel height isn't too high. My partner goes for zero drops, I tried them but they weren't good for me because I have a flat foot. I am currently enjoying the Salomon Thundercross w/ 4mm height. It has a slightl wider toebox than other non-zero drops. With that box checked, foot stability is what makes a lot of difference, and can that be trained. A high heel height makes me feel like I'm walking on a boat so I feel like it undermines that stability. PSA, completely personal opinion. I am not a professional anything.

I have the Catamount 2 and I really like it (ran in them today), but actually prefer the Cascadia. Also, another vote for skipping GTX. You probably don't need it (or want it) for most runs.

Over the years I’ve worn trail runners from Merrill and Salomon, or standard running shoes from Nike and NB. A comfortable fit was the main criteria. Even on wet ground I’d rather have fast drying sneakers than boots.

Commenting to see other answers, I have same problem! I switch between my Salomon thundercross and HoKa Mafates for winter trail runs - I use my Hokas on long runs if I know there will be a fair bit of harder surface. They are « ok » on mud, better than other trail shoes like Speedgoat, but still find myself slipping about on muddy uphills and wishing I had my Salomons on.

I like Oboz boots. I also like my Solomon trail runners. I've done massive days in both, totally depends what you are more comfortable in. I do personally find benefit in some ankle protection and waterproofness. Some folks poopoo that... but I bet they have wet feet.

Salomon speed cross were my go to when I lived out there. Still are even in a different climate. I did just get a pair of thunder cross for my runs with less elevation/rocks and thus far they’re pretty comfy.

I did the W earlier this year and used my Salomon goretex trail runners and they were amazing! They were light and comfy. Just bring an extra pair of socks in case it rains and your feet get wet. I also had my tevas to wear at night and walking around camp which was a must to give your feet a breather.

The answer is: it depends on the shoe. My Salomons shed mud pretty well (Ultra glide 2, Sense Ride 4, Thunder Cross), as do my Saucony Xodus Ultras. I wouldn't recommend either the Sense Rides or the UGs for very muddy conditions.

Salomon Thundercross, speed cross grip with actual cushioning.

I'm impressed they lasted that long. XT6's now are for fashion. I had a pair 3 years ago and the tips started tearing after 80 miles. I complained to Salomon. They sent me a credit for new shoes, but said that these shoes are their sports style line and not made for hiking/running. I used the credit on a pair of Thundercross and haven't looked back. As far as your shoes go if the midsole foam is good and you aren't slipping because of the lugs being worn down. Keep wearing them. If your legs are hurting more than they should after long hikes it probably means the foam is toast and it's time for a new pair

Most running shoes become ice skates but a lot of trail runners have studs that provide a solid grip. I didn't have any issues with my Solomon trail runners when it was 4° in Colorado last winter. That being said, It would have been a nightmare in my Saucony running shoes.

Salomon Thundercross. Higher stack and quite wide toebox that deviates from the 'standard' narrower Salomon.

I have Salomon gore-tek trail runners. I bought these 5 years ago and used them all over Australia and hike regularly with them. If you want a bit of ankle support go for the hiking boots but on the trails around here you will be fine in trail runners. I found the gore-tex to be worthwhile just because the trails can get muddy after winter and you are able to just step thru them. Took them to do the overland trail in Tassie and held up fine as well. Salomon currently have a sale on.

Trail runners for all hiking and backpacking. My new favorite is the Solomon Thundercross with a Sol insole. They grip great on red rock and sand. Wore them in Arches and Canyonlands in March and it made me love them even more.

The Salomon Thundercross has become my all-time favorite shoe. I wear it for hiking, backpacking, hunting, refereeing soccer, and everyday office wear. I have multiple pairs. Some that I use outdoors and some that I wear every day.

Nike Pegasus 39 for road. Nike Pegasus trail 4 and Asics Trabuco 10 for trail when its dry, otherwise some gtx Salomons for wet. Just ordered Nike InfinityRN gtx for rainy road season.

Solomon’s are great. The mud doesn’t pack up op the sole, super waterproof. The tread is ultra durable. $120-$150 but I play 300 days a year and they lasted about 18 months.

definitely. I used these on the Brenta traverse and the Alta via 4: [https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/s-lab-alpinway-li5204.html#color=88089](https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/s-lab-alpinway-li5204.html#color=88089) and I used Solomon thundercross trail runners on the Alta Via 2. wouldn't have used anything else. My friend used Hoka speedgoats the whole time including lots of via ferrata.

Though I like the width, altras always seem to fall apart after only a few hundred kilometers. Even worse, I find that my feet tend to roll out of them on complex terrain. I've been on a pair of Salomon Thundercross for well over 1200km, and they're going strong. Excellent grip and a 'performance' fit that's still somehow comfortable. I've put them through the ringer, and they've shone on every kind of terrain imaginable. In the end, it's about what's comfortable for you. I have very wide feet and the Salomons run narrow, yet they still somehow work incredibly well for me.

I swear by Salomon Thundercross. I take these babies on moraine and awful Tian-Shan rock and scree more often than not and they still hold up for 1500-2000km, which I haven't seen in any other trail runner, or boot for that matter. Not even close. Ive taken them on 60-80km runs and other than the obvious pains inherent to long distance activity I have felt fine in them. Will die by these shoes

I have their thundercross and I love them but they are narrow. I don’t think I could do any long real long distance in them for that reason. And they aren’t good on anything wet.

I've had success with my Salomon Thundercross for my wide feet. Topos and Altras aren't available here

Salomon Thundercross. Very comfy, they fit me very nicely, good grip, love the lacing system, doesn't let debris in.

The Rift is too much shoe for my taste, very unstable with the rocker, thick foam and meshy upper. Ended up changing it for a pair of Thundercross'. My 2cts.

I have the same issue with my Salomon Thundercross when there's stream crossings, I usually just stop, take them off, drain the water and then continue. The good thing is that mud and dirty practically never gets in though and other than water they breath just enough for muddy cold weather. If you want something with better breathability its just a matter of fact that dirt and mud will also get in. I used Saucony Peregrines for summer runs with stream crossings and they worked great but are not too cushioned for longer distances. Perhaps the Xodus work better.

Salomon Thundercross didn't even make the cut and its my fav shoe!

Salomon trail runners. They’re my goat shoes - the only thing they don’t get a grip on is wet wood.

I use Asics Trabuco Max 2 and Salomon Thundercross. I have a very wide forefoot but both of these had wide enough toe boxes in the normal width.

I have gortex salomons that I really like. the lace system is pretty great for changing up fit on decents quickly

I alternate between the thundercross and speedcross. I’ve run marathons in the speedcross and also wore them to do the GR54 even although it wasn’t muddy (apart from 2 wet days) and they were fine for 190km.

I have these also. Just did a 20 mile race in them and they were great! Fairly light for how much protection they give. Also speed laces rule

I hike in waterproof Salomons (Soles are not stiff and flex just enough with the ground) and wear “loose” wool socks and have no problem in single digits on packed or loose snow. Having air pockets is key. Don’t wear tight socks or have boots that are tight, go a half size up if they fit “just right” with thick socks.

Except for something on clearance I don’t think you can find anything under $100 too easily. That being said, if you are in the U.S., I’ve been shopping around for lighter stuff like trail runners on clearance to try and have picked up Salomon Thundercross from Public Lands with a 15% email subscription coupon for about $59 (Black/Fiery Coal color is the clearance one), Lowa Amplux for $70 from Sierra, and Merrell Moab Speed 2 for about $50-$60 after using a 40% off sale price coupon (I think EXTRA40 was the code) in the last two weeks. Still waiting on the latter two to show up and test in the house before I pick something to stick with. They can all be had in non-clearance colors in my opinion too depending on your size.

Salomon Thundercross for me good for narrow feet!

I was going to mention the Thundercross but that is literally the only one I know of that crosses over from paved roads onto *genuinely* muddy (like UK muddy) trails. They feel plenty soft and bouncy to me but they don’t have lots of stability and that coupled with the low drop (4mm) mean that I also can’t wear them for long distances. How about the Courtney Dewalter Limited Edition S Lab Genesis…? Longer lugs than the regular Genesis but still at home on harder surfaces and made for ultra distances.

Have you tried the Thundercross though? It fits very differently to all of the other Salomons I have worn, so it is worth a look for sure. It also loosens up a a fair amount in the first 50k of wear, so if they feel a tiny bit tight at first, they will ease off.

Absolutely, did all of the ABC trek in trail runners (Hoka, Salomon). You really appreciate the lightness of them.

Only 6? I had mine for a year and a half and after that they were still good to wear, but the sole was in preety bad shape. I run at least 30km per week, but mostly soft ground though. Then I bought Asics Gel Trabuco 6, which tore last week (after around 6 months) and now I bought Salomon Thundercross.

For me, the Thundercross is the best fitting shoe ever. However I’m now looking for a road shoe to accompany my Salomons that’s similar, yet this turns out to be harder than i thought.

I’ve been positively surprised by the Solomon Thundercross; wider than usual, minimal drop, about a 25mm stack I believe. For me a perfect find.

Salomon Thundercross, unusually wide at the toebox and midfoot for the brand and a 4mm drop iirc. Runrepeat got a review on them.

I just ordered a pair from my local running store, only commenting to suggest you try them on first. I'm a 12 in Salomons and a 12 to 12.5 in Hokas, and I had to size up to a 13 in the 001s.

I had that problem with the speedcross until I switched to the thundercross.

I went through three pairs on two back-to-back Caminos (Portuguese Coastal with my Mom then the Frances). First were a pair to Topo that I wore through the back heel a little after Logrono . Second, a pair of Salomon's that I didn't realize were Gore-Tex until it was too late and I abandoned in Leon. Third were Hoka Speedgoats. Those lasted me till I got to Finistere, but the insoles had been destroyed at that point. I will always have replacement insoles in the future and probably change them out every 150-200 miles. Granted, I'm not a light person...250lbs (115kg or so) with a short stride. The Speedgoats were by far the most comfortable. Also, I opted to go a full size up on the Speedgoats.

I find my Salomon Thundercross like that , Have it 44 EU , i usually wear 43. but 44 are spacious enough and rugged. Great outsole. Great soft midsole. Light as it can be. Great lacing system with quicklace and lace garage. Heel lock ain't the best but if you get them tight enough won't ever be a problem.

The thundercross I find very soft. Raced in them one size up. Fine as hell if laced thight.

I live in the PNW, always raining and muddy this time of year. The Thundercross gets the job done for me. Only complaint is if you get water in, it doesn’t come out haha. I have ran several 20-30 mile runs in them. No huge issues.

I used to use Salomon Speedcross. Been wearing them since the OG all the way to the 6. They worked amazing up until my distances started increasing over 10-15 miles. I then switched to the Thundercross which was amazing up to 26.2. When I ran my 1st 50k and my feet started barking I knew I needed more. I now have hundreds of training miles and several races ranging from 50 to 100 miles on the SLab Genesis and they are absolute perfection!

A minor correction: there's both GTX and non-GTX models available from Thundercross. I have the non-GTX and I felt that they are quite warm for summer weather but I'd expect them to perform better in lower temps. The construction of the lower part of the shoe seems to be somewhat waterproof material instead of a mesh, so I think that contributes negatively to the breathability. My comparison point is mainly Sense ride 2. Otherwise the shoe served me well in my first trail marathon in Finnish national park, can recommend.

I walked the Portuguese trail from Lisbon in Salomon GTX shoes and didn't get any blisters. Definitely helped walking in the rain. The socks are key in whatever shoe you choose.

With the exception of It being a little hot for my feet mid summer, i think the thundercross is underrated esp at the price point.

What is the course like? Lots of “trail” races are glorified gravel races :) you can run those in nova blast. On other hand it might 500m up then down or more it also depends if it is rock or mud/roots. My recommend first ask questions later right now is Salomon Sense ride 5. Such an awesome fast shoe and it wants to fly on descents also relatively cheap. Also Salomon Genesis, more cushioned, stickier sole and bigger lugs, if it is muddy try those? But nothing replaces trying, I though about getting Thundercross.. tried them at an even a ran couple k, really trrrible fit for me. But some people I know love them

I used to rock a pair of GTX trail runners from Solomon during walnut harvest... They stopped making them (boo), and I couldn't find any existing pairs that weren't stupid-overpriced. I went on a deep dive and tried every GTX model from Solomon, hoping for a replacement. They all fit differently. It was infuriating. So, a warning to all: Try all models of a given brand, because you can't rely on equivalent fit. I currently rock a pair of Altra lone peaks in blue for travel shoes, and they're the only shoes I've bought where I did not have to replace the insoles with my Soles. I was blown away.

I love my Salomon trail runners. I prefer them to my hiking boots and exclusively use them for hiking.

Same, great for Belgian winter trailing

I'm a fan of Solomon hiking shoes (or really their trail runners) with Gore Tex and micro spikes! The spikes stay in my pack most of the year, just in case I go further than planned or I got unexpected conditions. A must have for me.

Current Salomon trail runners have to thick of a sole and cant feel rock well beneath them but I do agree that ideally trail runner style would be cool. maybe the ones I have just dont work well for this specific use case.

Some of my favourites: Topo Ultraventure 3 - these are what I want to reach for most of the time, but wouldn’t do so well with too much mud. I think I’ll try the mtn racer next, but I love the toe box and fit. On Cloudmonsters - all road. I have 1 and 2, not totally sure I can tell much difference but the 2 are true to size and maybe slightly bouncier. On Cloudultra 2 - good ground feel and really like the breathable, easy draining mesh upper. Also been pleasantly surprised with the grip in most conditions as the sole doesn’t look very aggressive. North Face Flight Vectiv - I like it for similar reasons to the Cloudultra, but it has slightly more cushion and the lugs are slightly deeper. Salomon Thundercross - comfortable and I like the aggressive lugs for running in snow (probably also applied for mud!) Salomon Ultraglide 2 - great all rounder, comfortable, cushioned, decent but not outstanding grip.

Update in this. Bought and sent back the Nnormal Tomir, lovely shoe and exactly what I wanted but just didn’t fit my feet, same as with the Thundercross. I also went to Decathlon and their shoes are just too narrow. So, we’re trying a new approach and will be sending a pair of shoes I know fit to a specialist cobbler to have a Vibram Zeglite sole added to them.