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Salomon XA Series Trail Running Shoe - Men's
At first sight, Salomon's XA Series shoe looks like the latest in super stylish athletic footwear. It also just happens to be the latest and greatest in lightweight off-road racing, designed specifically to cover rough terrain at high speeds. Part of its unique look can be attributed to a one piece seamless mesh upper that helps keep debris out, and is breathable & extremely durable. A molded toe bumper & heel stabilizer keep your foot locked and loaded for explosive off-road performance. Supremely soft and responsive, the XA Series features Salomon's Contagrip sole that has a lug pattern with varied texture to respond optimally to uneven surfaces. A quickfit lacing system with locking mechanism makes for a secure and custom fit. ***NOTE: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE XA SERIES SHOE IS YELLOW (not pictured), SO THE SHOE IS HALF BLUE, HALF YELLOW.
On Sale
$99.95 $64.97 
Great shoes
I thought it was important to submit a review that reflected how well these shoes function for their intended purpose. The XA Series fill a strange role, but they do it pretty well. The forefoot is a little loose, but that should be expected if they are to be as light as they are. Figuring out the lace tension can be a bit tricky: too tight and they really bear down on the forefoot, too loose and the shoe feels sloppy. The shoes definitely feel light and fast, but bottom line comes to how much downhill running you will be doing. If the race course includes long or especially steep downhill sections, I would recommend going with a different shoe.
very light, but compromised
These shoes are extremely light, similar to lightweight road trainers. They also have an incredibly sticky sole - I run mostly off-road with these, so durability hasn't been an issue for that (the road might kill the tread quickly). Now the downsides for me: there are only three attachments for the laces on each side - creating hot spots/pressure points when trying to snug up the shoes for running off-road. The sole is also extremely flexible, which is fine for dirt, but sometimes permits a little too much rock penetration. My feet were more tired than usual after running a root and small rock-ridden trail. I've recently purchased the XA Pro 2, which weighs only slightly more, yet addresses these two negatives perfectly (4 lace attachments and stiffer, but still flexible sole). If you're only running soft dirt, these may be fine for you.
Salomon XA trail running shoes
Right out of the box I thought they were too light and flimsy for a technical run or even anything other than groomed trails. Wrong! I have now run technical trails with a lot of roots, cypress knees, rocks and whatever up to 18 miles at a stretch with these shoes and they have been more than adequate. The support is good enough, the lacing system pretty comfortable, the lightweight toe bumper works fine too. These shoes are ultralight and I might not recommend them for a 50K or further, but otherwise no complaints and plenty of compliments.
the envy of your friends
Functional nothing--these shoes look hot! I have no intention of running in them until the summer party season is over and they've danced at least 200 hours. Salomon has consistently made shoes that look great in outdoor psychedelia, but these sweet reds take that to another level. Plus the lacing system is far better than I could have anticipated.
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Training Tips
When buying a new pair of running shoes, bring your old ones with you. You will get a better fit if you know if you supinate or pronate.
Heart monitors are useful for knowing when you are in the right zone for your training efforts. If you understand what your maximum heart rate is, you can set up your monitor to beep at you when you exceed the high or low range of your heart rate for the type of workout you are doing.
Cross training gives your body a chance to recover while still exercising. If yesterday has a hard run day up and down hills, then today's bicycle ride gives your aching knees a well deserved break.
Anaeroic threshold is when lactic acid starts to build up in your body as your muscles are not getting the oxygen they require. This threshold is typically expressed as a percentage of your VO2 max - the amount of oxygen per kilogram of weight that a person can use in converting fuel to energy. Elite athletes threshold might be as high as 90% of VO2 max.
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