The Salomon XT-Rush Utility shoe is an excellent choice for someone looking to get into trail running. Not only does it perform well, but it also has a reasonable price point and great specifications. I have run a few times in this shoe and have little qualms with them.
However, I will start with the one issue I encountered with this shoe. The laces are strange, and the buckle got stuck after a muddy trail run. I like the lacing stem as it stays tight (so far). I tuck the excess lace at a loop towards the toe to keep it out of the way.
One of my initial runs was on steep and muddy ground. I felt secure and had no issues slipping on the ascent or descent. The softness of the rubber is excellent for quicker-paced ascents and descents, helping your feet stick to the ground better by conforming well with the shape of your foot.
I also like that there is a little pocket on the tongue to store the quick lace system to keep it hidden. And hopefully not have it full of mud fighting to get the shoe off as I did.
The Salomon XT-Rush Utility shoe isn’t advertised as fully waterproof. However, I found the water repellent that has a standard worked well. Being a shoe with no ankle, it’s inevitable that you will get some water especially trail running. This happened when I was using it, but until then, no water came through the shoe, which means the water-repellent works. Who knows how long it will last? You’ll have to redo the waterproofing on it at some point. That’s the same with everything, though.
I plan to write about the best waterproofing products and techniques. So, be sure to check back for that, as ill be testing loads of stuff out to determine the best products.
Specifications
These specs are from Salomon.com
RRP£145
- Inlay sole: Textile
- Lining: Textile MCL
- Outsole: Rubber
- Upper: Textile / Synthetic
- Weight: 331 g
- Lacing: system: Quicklace®
- Waterproofness: Water repellent
I hope this post was what you needed to help with your decision on this Salomon trail running shoe. We review lots of different products, so take a look. You may even find some other gear you’d like to buy. That’s all from me for this review (I update these as often as I have something new about the product, so check back soon, and I may have more to say about these).
