As a year-round runner on the dirt roads near my home in Montpelier, Vermont, I know a thing or two about cold, wet, muddy feet. I’ve worn Saucony running shoes since high school, and I still love them, but the slush and mud just soak right through the mesh fabric.
This fall I bought a pair of Salomon XR Mission CS running shoes (the CS stands for Climate Shield). They have
been super comfortable and have kept my feet warm and dry all winter, but their real value became apparent this past weekend when the temperature soared to 40 and my dirt road run became a quagmire of mud, slush, and snow. These shoes aren’t waterproof, and my toes were damp after 4 miles in the mud, but I was much better off than in my traditional running shoes. I didn’t have a cold puddle inside each shoe, splashing and squishing with each step.
The XR Mission CS is classified by Salomon as a door-to-trail shoe, a name it lives up to. I’ve been running in them several times a week, and they have also become my go-to shoes for a quick trip downtown or to the chicken coop. I was worried that my old knee problems would surface again with a change in shoes, especially to something not quite as cushioned as my regular running shoes, but I have been injury free.
I’m predicting the Salomon XR Mission CS will be my favorite hiking shoes this summer as well!
Reviewed by Patty
The Salomon XR Demo fleet is coming to Onion River Sports!
Friday April 27th, 12:00-7:00 pm
The
Salomon Trail Tour is rolling across the United States starting…now! It’s a nation-spanning opportunity for all runners to experience the spirit of Salomon Trail Running. As the mobile showroom stops in eight regions of the country, Salomon pro runners, sales reps, brand managers and retailers will offer free trail running clinics, group trail runs, demos and giveaways.
As part of Salomon’s commitment to be directly involved in running sports, the Salomon Trail Tour is partnering with local retail shops where experts will keep runners keyed in on the latest trail running tips and trends. Runners will be able to test
Salomon shoes and
Suunto heart rate monitors, learn about door-to-trail running regimes, and enter to win Salomon products. In addition to demonstrations and education, Salomon reps will hit the trail, participating in community runs at various locations on the tour.
The demo fleet of shoes will be at Onion River Sports from Noon to 5 on Friday April 27th, rain or shine. Try on some shoes, get some fit tips, and go for a trail run in Hubbard Park! Run leaves the parking lot around 5:30 and will go for about 3 miles. After the run, come back to the shop for grillables, refreshments, and great company!
After much anticipation,Vibram FiveFingers are here!. Get your toes down here and try a pair! We have quite a few styles, and will be getting more as it becomes more “spring-like” outside. Right now we’ve received the following styles: Men’s and Womens’ KSO and KSO Treksport, Biklia and Biklia LS. 
For those of you who have missed or resisted the “barefoot” running phenomenon, here’s an article by our friend Dr. Robert Rinaldi that says most of it waaay better than I ever could: http://www.vtsports.com/articles/barefoot-running-it-you. The bottom line is: you are not just changing your shoes, you’re changing the way you run. While we’re super psyched to have FiveFingers, we’ve all been waiting to try them out, too. If you’re planning to embark on a new, forefoot running style, we’d be glad to help you find the right shoes, but we’d also recommend finding a good trainer, coach, PT or doctor who can help you transition your stride from heel strike to forefoot strike – so you minimize the chance of injury from this big change!
And, for those of you who are not running (I’m looking at you, fellow-gym-frequenters), FiveFingers can also be a great shoe for non-running-oriented workouts – stop by and try a pair!
