Solomon S-Lab X-Series Review

I received the Solomon S-Lab X-Series a little over a month ago.  I couldn’t wait to try them out because they are designed to help you tackle all life has to offer in urban settings.  Solomon made these shoes to provide traction and instill confidence on the road or smooth trails.  As far as I have been able to determine, this is Solomon’s first attempt at a road shoe. 

These shoes are extremely comfortable from the moment you put them on.  They have a quick lacing system similar to some of the Hoka One One shoes (the Huaka in particular).  I found that it was quick and easy to lace.  There is a pocket at the top of the tongue to store the excess lace after you tighten them.  I found it slightly difficult to use this pocket, but it is a great idea.

These shoes have a hybrid outsole that takes characteristics from road and trail shoes to provide the best traction on various types of trails.  There are smoother areas that are typically used in lighter weight road shoes and deeper lugs that are typically found in trail shoes.  I found that the traction was great on smooth trails and pavement.  These shoes definitely do not provide enough protection for technical trail running on rocky trails, but I found them to be really comfortable on pavement.

These shoes weigh in at 7.7 ounces for a men’s size 9.  The X-Series has an 8mm heel drop (19mm in the heel and 11 mm in the forefoot).  This provides adequate protection while still giving you that feeling of being connected to the ground. 

The upper is made up of a combination of barely there mesh, thin Lycra, and a more structured nylon area near the ankle.  There isn’t any toe protection so don’t try kicking any rocks.  The upper is nice and airy and I felt that it fit my foot well. 

The X-Series uses a rocker geometry that helps promote a forefoot strike.  This rocker design has worked well for companies like Hoka One One and I did feel it made a difference.  All in all this is a great shoe.  They are somewhat expensive costing $160 on the Solomon website, but you can find it cheaper on various other sites including Amazon for about $125 including shipping. 

 

Pros:

Very comfortable

8mm heel drop

Fits like a slipper

Very light (under 8 ounces)

Plenty of cushion

Quick lacing system

Superior traction on various surfaces

Cons:

A little pricy ($160 MSRP)

I feel that the Solomon S-Lab X-Series is a great shoe and can be used on the pavement, smooth trails, or a combination of the two.  I really like the shoes and they fit like a slipper.  I will be keeping these in my shoe rotation.  This is a great entry into the road shoe arena Solomon.  Two thumbs up!

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Note:  I received this product in exchange for a review.  The review is my personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular opinion of it.  I am not a doctor, so please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.