Salomon Speedcross 5 GTX

A Year of Running in Salomon Speedcross 5 GTX Trail Shoes

When I invested in a pair of Salomon Speedcross 4 GTX shoes I was excited to finally get some proper trail shoes. I really enjoyed running in them and I tried my best to look after them too. Sadly they developed a fault and had to be replaced by a pair of Salomon Speedcros 5 GTX.

My Speedcros 4s were a great pair of trail shoes but they developed a tear in the same place on each shoe at the pinch point where the toes bend. I’d bought them on Amazon and paid £75 for them, which for me is a lot of money to spend on running shoes. To the credit of Salomon, they honoured the 2-year warranty they offer as I could provide the invoice from Amazon.

The faulty Salmonon Speedcros 4 GTX

It was during the pandemic so I’m not sure whether them accepting photos of the shoes rather than me sending them to them is normal, but that’s what happened. Within 24 hours of sending the photos and warranty claim form, Salomon had sent me a £150 voucher code for their website to buy a replacement pair. Now that’s what I call good service.

Since this happening to me I have come across a few people that have had the same issue with the Speedcross 4 and pointed them in the direction of the Salomon 2-year warranty and they too have been able to get replacements.

My first run in my brand new Salomon Speedcross 5 GTX shoes was 12 months ago. After a year of use I feel the time has come to share my thoughts about them.

My initial observation when they arrived was that the toe box area had clearly been redesigned with a much more resilient material at the pinch-point. I had high hopes that the same issue would not occur again.

I have to say that these trail running shoes are very comfortable. The toe box is a good shape for me and they fit extremely well and there’s no rubbing of any kind anywhere.

They are properly waterproof and the Gore-Tex certainly does its job in keeping my feet dry. I’ve run through streams and rivers in these things and they’ve kept my feet perfectly dry.

The Speedcross 5 GTX does have a similar look and feel to the Speedcross 4 GTX but with very obvious differences. Comparing them side-by-side you can see that the material is tougher and less fabric-like. The lacing system is the same and this is something I like in these shoes a lot. The heel support rises higher on the 5 when compared with the 4 and this is also something I find I like.

While actually running I find the 5 has the same excellent grip as the 4 and I’ve never felt like there is a terrain they can’t cope with. I often have to run on roads to get to a trail when running from my front door and I have noticed that the tread on the 5 is wearing far less quickly as it did on the 4.

I have run on various off-road terrains in these shoes and they have performed excellently on them all. From the boggy mud on the North York Moors to the shale and rocks on the slopes of Snowdon, they have been all over with me.

Of course, the £150 price tag is an issue for me. Would I have bought them had Salomon not given me the voucher? Probably not, I’m afraid. While I appreciate you get what you pay for and good kit comes at a price, this is a price that I simply couldn’t justify to myself.

Are they worth buying? Yes, if you can’ justify the price tag then they are an excellent trail shoe.

You can find out more about these trail running shoes here.

If you haven’t already fathomed it out, this isn’t an #ad or a #sponsored post. I bought the Speedcross 4 GTX with my own money and just had them replaced by Salomon under their excellent 2-year warranty.


2 thoughts on “A Year of Running in Salomon Speedcross 5 GTX Trail Shoes”

  1. I’ve been buying the Speedcross 5 and 4 for a very long time and just like you mentioned they wear out in the same spot (toe crease outer edge) each time. I didn’t know about the 2 year return policy, thank you for sharing that. Yes, this shoes are expensive but the arch support and the comfort are next to none. That said, I only ever buy these shoes when they go on sale at a clearance website, I refuse to pay more than $80… and typically get mine for $65 CAD…. last year I got lucky and bought 2 pairs for my hubby for $30 CAD . But this usually means I need to wait until Jan/Feb to get a pair and you can never be picky on the colour…. neon yellow here I come 💛!

    1. Ah, I’m glad the warranty info for useful for you. I’ve not run enough in my 5s to wear them out but there’s absolutely no sign on the toe crease yet.

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