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Salomon XR Mission Shoe Review

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Scott & Don

Salomon XR Mission ($110) is advertised as an “all terrain, short to middle distance training shoe”. On significant thing to note about the XR Mission is that they come in a woman specific trail shoe. The woman’s shoe has deeper flex grooves, a different heel to accommodate a woman’s Q angle, and different SensiFlex panels in response to women specific feet changing shape during running.

 

INITIAL IMPRESSION

The XR Mission fit great out of the box. There is plenty of room in the toebox. The XR Mission weighs in at 11.5 oz.

Some great features in this shoe are:

  • SensiFlex
  • SensiFit
  • Quicklace (w/Lace Pocket)
  • Contragrip
  • Protective TPU Toe Cap

 


TRAIL TESTING

The XR Mission is great in muddy, wet, rocky and light snow terrain. In addition to the regular testing on the trails in Northern California, I had the opportunity to test this pair in the rocky canyons in Utah.  In short, they are very comfortable in all terrain and environment.

The shoe appears to have a lot of cushioning from the appearance of the shoe. It has just the right amount for the heel striker. I was surprised to “feel” the trail under my feet so I could respond quickly to the terrain. My toes have plenty of room in the shoe to splay.

During wet conditions, the XR Mission drained okay. There was some “sloshing” for awhile on the trail before it subsided.  In the “lab”, the evaporation test results were “Good”.

Overall, I enjoyed running in the XR Mission.  I’m not sure what Salomon meant when they state that this shoe is a “short to middle distance training shoe”. I would use the XR Mission as an everyday trainer and for any distance.


TECH SPECS
  • Toe Measurement – 10 mm
  • Heal Measurement – 20 mm
  • Drop – 10 mm
  • Non-gusseted tongue (But has meshing over the tongue)
  • Neutral Shoe
  • Midsole – EVA
  • Upper – Synthetic
  • Made In – China
Weight Breakdown

 


CONCLUSION

I think minimalist runners will be surprised with the Salomon XR Mission. This shoe will satisfy the heel striker to the minimalist runner. It is slightly below the average weight of other shoes, but this shoe has lots of features.

The things I liked:

  • Plenty of room in the toebox
  • Very durable
  • Flexible
  • Great traction in wet and muddy trails
  • Gender specific shoe last
  • Quicklacing system (like this a lot)
  • Breathable Upper
The things to improve:
  • Hmmm, I really can’t think of any improvements to be made
Salomon has added a great new shoe to the XR line-up.

 

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8 comments
  • Holy Crap!!!!!….I have never felt shoes that were more comfortable!!!! My first pair, and can’t comprehend buying anything else! Ecstatic!

  • Love my XR Missions – use them on and off trail now. Also just added a pair of neutral crossmax’s for more challenging trails ans love them too. Love Salomon gear!

      • would you guys recommend these shoes for cross fit training? e.g. running on roads, grass etc. or are they more suited for trail running?
        cheers

        • Hi Ben,

          The 10mm offset may too high as a crossfit shoe, plus any running shoe has the toe rise for running transition. I’m guessing you want one shoe for multiple activities (like the old x-trainers). If you are mainly looking for a crossfit shoe, there are plenty of crossfit specific shoes on the market or minimal trainers that could be used for light road running. From a running specific shoe perspective, I had no issues on the trails or road with the XR Mission. They have a smooth transition in both terrains. Although they have a 10mm offset, they felt like they were around 6mm.

          Happy running (or crossfit),
          James

  • Just did my first trail run in these and love love loved them! Great feel of the terrain in forefoot, and wide toe box let me call on all 10 toes to assist in balance over rocky/uneven trail. That said, there’s great padding in heel and mid-foot, so no rock bruising. Being a too frequent ankle roller, I felt very stable and totally enjoyed the run!

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