Cheap materials
I have generally had good experiences with Salomon’s various “Speedcross” and “fell running” shoes, which combine an aggressive tread, adequate foot protection, and reasonably sticky rubber. So when I found myself out of shoes, and found the Speedcross Varios on clearance, I picked up a pair. Though they look more or less suitable for my purposes, the use of standard laces rather than “quick laces” should have tipped me off to what they are: a clumsy attempt at market segmentation between them ($120) and the even pricier Speedcross Pro ($150) and S-Lab Speedcross ($180).
Delaminating sole
Though I slightly prefer speed laces, I don’t mind using the regular kind, and had no trouble making the shoes fit. The problem with the Speedcross Vario is its shoddy materials and construction. Soon after I started using them, the soles started delaminating, something I have not experienced in years with non-Walmart shoes. After a bit of cross-country travel and scree-skiing, the toe rand tore and became unstitched, letting sand and gravel into the shoe and making it useless. I stopped using them after only a few weeks, and eventually threw them away with plenty of tread left.
Salomon shoes normally use good materials and construction, so I was surprised and disappointed. $120 shoes should be better than this.
