Hardwear
Product 2020
Woman, Man
Salomon desire the impossible: to create a swimrun shoe capable of making you forget about them in the water and to be efficient in trail running. Therefore the Salomon S/Lab XA Amphib 2 must combine qualities that are usually contradictory. A successful gamble?
We immediately notice the mesh that covers practically the entire shoe, then there is a kind of plastic mesh covering ensuring protection against abrasion (frequent when leaving the water on rocks) and prevents the Salomon stretching out of shape due to the moisture. You don’t have the suction effect that you have with classic mesh products.
In front of the toes, there are openings that facilitate the water exiting.
The Salomon S/Lab XA Amphib 2 are light, we weighed them dry: 235g in size 42 2/3. Once wet, they to 280g per shoe, a slight increase of 45g. This performance is explained by the virtual absence of foam padding. You have some soft material positioned sparingly around the ankle and heel.
The sole has grippy lugs, very effective on wet and muddy terrain. The sole never gets mud stuck. When leaving the water, the grip was considered good on slippery areas (be careful, it is not a miraculous product that will grip to seaweed). The only downside with soft rubber soles is they wear out faster.
Putting them on is not the easiest operation, especially with wet feet because the Salomon S/ Lab XA Amphib 2 does not have a heel strap and the foot entry is not very wide. The heel also sags because this area is not reinforced. This relative “softness” has an advantage: in swimming, this area does not interfere with foot extension (Achilles tendon).
These are very narrow shoes, so not for wide feet. We could even argue that “medium-width” feet must choose thin socks or even run without them. Again, the advantages re obvious in swimming, these very narrow, fluid shoes don’t not slow down your glide through the water. The relative flexibility of the Salomon S/Lab XA Amphib 2 is nice in the water, the small stone guard doesn’t stiffen the front part of the shoes.
Running without socks, you will quickly notice that the area under the metatarsals heats up. It’s okay for short distances but you have to find solutions for longer swimruns.
The Salomon S/Lab XA Amphib 2 aren’t prone to small stones sneaking in. Very fine sand on the other hand manages to penetrate.
The usual Salomon fast lacing: powerful, so handle with care (otherwise too much pressure and you’ll get tendinitis) and sometimes it breaks at the little pull-loop. The excess lace is stored in a pocket at the top of the tongue.
Running, in the stride, you immediately know you have shoes without cushioning under the heel. Only the long lugs give any kind of comfort. Under the metatarsals, none either. Beware of rough terrain, you can feel pointy stones underfoot. On the new Salomon S/Lab XA Amphib 2 model, the sole has a red part in order for your teammate to recognize you.
These are best run forefoot. Otherwise, if you are big-built, and your stride is not adjusted, you will suffer, you will get shaken around and get tired. It is more designed for lightweight seasoned runners who will take advantage of the 4mm drop. You have immediate ground contact and so good spring (if you have the means). The heel area is narrow, some testers would have preferred more lateral stability.
You get folds above the toes in flexion: be careful of friction overheating when you don’t have socks …
It would be wrong to restrict the use of the Salomon S/Lab XA Amphib 2 just to swimruns. There are several sports where these shoes can be useful: rafting, kayaking, canyoning and hiking on coastal paths. Some Salomon runners even use this shoe for trail running when the conditions are wet and/or very muddy. So we saw these Salomon S/Lab XA Amphib 2 at the start line of the Xterra Trail Tahiti and win this race.
All that remains is the high price. Can 180 euros possibly be justified in performance logic? For other runners who are not looking to reach a podium at any cost, there are other alternatives.
The Salomon S/Lab XA Amphib 2 are cutting edge, elitist, effective in water and on land for those who are able to reap the benefits. These are shoes with very little cushioning, very narrow, super grippy and don’t clog up with mud. A superb model for swimrun racing. Wear out fast.
Pictures : Mooréa, Tahiti.
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
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