Salomon Index.03

£130 | salomon.com | Tester Esther

The fit

These clever shoes are designed to have a second life as ski boots. The uppers are made of undyed fabrics, while the proprietary Infinifoam underfoot is the part that will end up on the slopes. The upper feels and looks a little peculiar. There’s no stretch or give in it, and it crumples and flexes very easily. There’s plenty of space in the toe box but, without any stretch in the upper, there’s very little support – my foot isn’t hugged, and doesn’t feel protected. The heel cup is very unstructured too – you can fold it flat. The midsole is also a bit different to the usual; made from TPU, there are a couple of sharp angles around the heel.

The comfort

The midsole is comfortable. It’s quite firm underfoot, but the combination with the gappy and unsupportive upper is disconcerting, especially if you are prone to lower leg niggles.

Who and what are they for?

Salomon says they are for once-a-week runs, rather than for intense or long workouts.

On the run

They’re not protective enough for anything more than 10K – I ran up to 5K and wouldn’t be keen to go further. I found the upper rubbed as it wasn’t close to my foot, and the outsole didn’t have as much traction as I’d like in the wet. That said, the push off and energy return was great.

The sustainability of the shoe has to be applauded – it marks a shift upwards in terms of Salomon’s efforts towards circular production. Having a distinct end goal with these shoes

– ski boots! – means it’s far more likely that runners will send them back to Salomon once they reach their end of running life.

Should you buy them?

If you run occasionally and are determined to make your next purchase not cost the earth, then certainly consider these.