Customer Reviews Salomon S/Lab Cross

They're seriously great! Been running in S-Labs for about 7 years now, in my opinion the greatest trail shoe available. The grounds a bit dry here in CO, so no real need for the extra grip below the tree line this time of year. But when it's time for technical scrambles they thrive. Looking forward to many more ridge runs to come

I have run with this shoe for around one year now. I feel for running fast when wearing it. It has a smooth upper that holds good around my feet. The midsole is light and thin. I feel I'm in contact with the ground when I'm running, but the midsole protects the feet from sharp rocks. The outsole has solid lugs for good grip in mud and rocky terrain. I think this shoe is good for technical races up to marathon distance. Last year I ran OCC with this shoe for testing its limits in the longer distance. It was ok for that as well.

S/Lab Cross is like the S/Lab Sense 8 SG and the Speedcross 5 had a baby! Softer but more durable than the former, lighter and more agile than the latter. Highly recommend for steep, rocky terrain.

Good grip and comfortable shoes for quick runs on a technical trails. Also, nice upgrade with padding under the lace system in the "sock". I missed that on my S/LAB Sense 8 SG.

Just took these bad boys for a 1.5hr spin in the worst muddy, wet, windy conditions and they absolutely excelled. I managed to get the black edition ones and they look fantastic too. The noise when your foot is exiting sticky wet mud is amazing sticky, tacky, gloopy sound. It's the most confident I've felt in a pair of deep lug trails shoes ever, they're that good. They go a little wider than the pulsar I wear an injinji ultra trail sock and had no issues with hot spots or crushed feet, in my normal 8.5 uk, the toe box is just perfect for my medium feet. The ground feel Is absolutely brilliant and it's really nice having no plates or mega foams, it really frees your feet. They feel kinda old school. That's not to say they're not comfortable they are very comfy, they don't want to be on hard roads or asphalt I actually found myself looking for the grass verges at the side of the roads and paths because they are utterly incredible underfoot in softer ground. I got these for an incredible price but I would happily pay full price for them they're that good. If you can afford them and live in muddy, wet, snowy conditions (uk most of the year) I would advise adding them to your rotation.brilliant shoes.

After testing the shoe, I can say that it is definitely capable. Uphill traction is great and grip on soft/rocky surfaces is unparalleled. Very comfortable for long runs, as the sole is very soft and bouncy. The only gripes I have are that downhill traction and stability are decreased due to the squishy sole. In addition, the lace pocket design is god-awful, as I resorted to tucking the lace under the front eyelet portion of the laces due to the lace pouch being so tight. The built-in gaiter is very secure and the width of the shoe is somewhere between medium and narrow widths.

I love these shoes and have had them for 7 months. If you're looking for an all-around trail runner to handle the best and worst-case scenarios, this is it! The gaiter was new for me but I've grown to like it--especially for what I call mayhem runs. Winter and Spring in Colorado can lead to every trail condition imaginable and these shoes have handled it all, usually within the same run! The traction/tread pattern is what was most exciting to me, the grip is excellent on various surfaces and also voids mud better than any other shoe I've tried. My only complaint is that the lace garage is tricky to open (but very secure once accessed). I am a more minimal-shod runner so these are a bit on the bulky side to me. I think that would make them fairly middle-of-the-road for cushion/weight.

It took me a while to learn to trust the grip on these shoes - it's unreal and unlike any prior shoes I've ever ran in. I've been running with these in downpours and 'winter' (i.e. muddy) trails in Forest Park in Portland and they absolutely deliver. They're super light to begin with and even after taking on moisture, they remain light. Great at keeping the mud out as well. Great shoe!

I bought these to replace a pair of speed cross. I referee soccer and love the traction, stability, and support Salomon shoes provide. I run through at least two pair a year consider them the best product I have found for the running I do.

I had previously worn the S/LAB Sense 8 Soft Ground shoes for about 2 months and had acquired holes in both toes of each shoe. I gave these shoes a chance and I love them! I've used them in all types of terrain and they've held up brilliantly. The built in gaiter really does help keep dirt and rocks out of the shoes. The quicklace system keeps the shoes snug and tight, yet breathable and comfortable when traversing rocks and tree roots. I will definitely be purchasing more of these shoes in the future. Highly recommend!!! The only suggestion would be to provide more color choices.

Sizing is consistent with the Salomon standard - choose your usual size. The toe box is roomy enough for a medium-width foot. Heel cup is decent although not as secure as the one of the S/lab Sense 8 SG or the Sense Pro 3. The fit around the instep/midfoot is mediocre comparing to the S/lab Sense 8 SG (which are like taylored for my feet) or the Sense Pro 3. This could be partially due to only 4 pairs of "eyelets" instead of 5 but I think the mid portion of the shoe is generally wider. The shoe lace garage is traditionally difficult to access but once the laces are tucked in, they stay in securely. Traction is good to very good on soft wet surfaces (mud) and likely the same in soft dry (dusty) conditions although I did not have a chance to test the latter properly. They would likely do on coarse rocky surfaces too although this type of lugs are not meant for those conditions IMO. They slip like no tomorrow on smooth wet rock and wet roots but everything does (short of climbing shoe rubber but that is not an option for running shoes obviously) so this is just a remark, not a complaint. They are somewhat (sufficiently IMO) water resistant (not waterproof!), especially after being treated with a waterproofing spray, while they breathe very well . I love the extended sock/gaiter. It is very easy to enter comparing to the low sock of the S/lab Ultra 3 (which rather sucks IMO). The sock is obviously meant to protect from trail debris but it fits tight enough around my (skinny) ankles to give me a feeling of improved proprioception (this may be just in my head but hey, it works for me!). Generally it would be a solid 4 star product for intended condition. BUT (!) after 240 km I've already noticed the shoelaces starting to cut through some of the webbing loops they pass through (picture). It isn't too bad yet and there is a chance they may last for two seasons (especially if the XC skiing season starts early and last well into April) but this is what happened with my Sense Pro 3 too and once it started it took only a couple of weeks for the lace to cut through the webbing completely (see also my, somewhat misplaced, review for Sense Pro 4). Interestingly, I don't see any signs of this issue on my S/lab Sense 8 SG (knocking on wood) after very much the same mileage. I must say though that Salomon customer service took a good care of me in the case of my Sense Pro after I'd finally managed to reach them (which was, admittedly, a bit of a hassle). Too bad it is impossible to edit one's review after being posted. In any case, I feel like I need to take one extra star off because of this durability issue (seems to be addressed in the next generation of these shoes already, how successfully only time will tell). That would take the score down to 3 stars but I would add half a star for the reassuring warranty policy. Can't choose 3.5 though and decided to go with 4 then because I feel I judged the Sense Pro a little harshly in my review there.

Why make a shoe for wet and muddy conditions that has no waterproofing whatsoever? My first hike with these, it was a perfect sunny morning, but the dew on the grass had my feet soaking wet within minutes. Grip is nothing compared to alpha cross tread. Fit is fantastic, looked like a great step up for me, but there are simply no trails dry enough (it has been a damp summer to say the least here in Switzerland). Why is getting your feet thoroughly wet a design feature? Makes no sense.

Almost a great shoe, the 'sock like' fit is great, the upper absorbs very little water and they're nice and light and flexible. But they are very much let down by the outsole. For a shoe supposedly designed for wet, soft and muddy conditions - the lug pattern simply does not work. The large flat lugs offer almost no grip on soft, muddy terrain - to the point it feels like wearing road shoes. They are fine in dry conditions but that's not really what they are designed. It seems as though they have overthought the outsole, when they should have stuck with the tried and tested S/LAB Speed outsole.

Exceptionally comfy, I could wear them all day, every day. Though, the round lugs do not work very well on Lake District terrain. On dry paths and trails they are good, but as soon as you take them onto the open fell you're all over the place. I really wish that they've kept the same lug pattern and outsole of the S/Lab Speed and just changed the upper to this. I really want to like the shoe, but I'm struggling to be able to do so. After 100 miles the eyelets which the laces go through were beginning to tear. However, luckily, once they've gone you can still use the shoe due to the clever sock like design of the shoe. It's a good shoe, but not Salomon's best by some way.