My Running Addiction

The S-Lab 3 XT Wings is the ultimate trail racing shoe from Salomon. It is designed for the Salomon Adventure Racing team and it’s athlete who is looking to push their skills to the limits. If your idea of a racecourse takes you over a couple hills and mountain with massive changes in elevation, then put on the Salomon XT S-Lab 3 Trail Running Shoe and take home the trophy.

Now even lighter with a more comfortable upper than the previous version, S-Lab 2 XT Wings. The S-Lab series is aimed at the racers that who prefer a something lightweight, stable and comfortable for  their race. Thus, taking the mould from one of the most Awesome shoe by Salomon, the XT Wings, the S-Lab had made it a full 60 grams lighter then the original design. The S-Lab was design and perfected based on the recommendation and testing done by world class trail running athletes such as Jonathan Wyatt, Nick Sharpe and Killian Jornet.

They continue to use a seamless upper, which provides a custom fit and feel along with keeping this shoe lightweights. It is a great shoe for the runner with mild overprotection designed for racing, daily training and high mileages.

Upper

Quick drying and highly breathable mesh uppers keep your feet comfortable.  Quicklace™ Kevlar one-pull lacing system takes just one pull for a precise fit across the instep. SensiFit system works to cradle the foot providing a precise and secure fit. A gusseted Tongue, mud guard  and a protective toe cap guards your foot against mud, twigs, and random debris that comes your way.

OutSole

Equip with Contagrip outsole that provides a great combination of traction and stability, with excellent grip on mixed terrain. Reliable braking lugs (the rubber treads on the underside of the outsole) with a multidirectional design that offer greater traction regardless the terrain. AC Tendon technology is utilized in the heel helps to provide high energy return from each stride thus providing a smooth heel to toe transition.

Cushioning

AC2(Agile Chassis) Muscle extends from the heel to the mid-forefoot and is sandwiched between the outsole and AC Skeleton. This composite foam is designed to provide cushioning. It is 10% lighter and 15% more cushioned for maximized comfort and responsiveness.

AC (Agile Chassis) Skeleton is utilized from the heel to midfoot and sits above the AC2 Muscle unit. The AC Skeleton is a thermoplastic unit engineered to aid in heel to toe transition while reducing lateral movement.

Triple density midsole offers maximium cushioning, comfort and responsiveness with twice the durability of average EVA foam.

Pronation Control located at the midfoot help to reduce overpronation.

Insole

Ortholite™ footbeds provides step in comfort and enhanced durability by using a combination of special PU and rubber crumbs. Ortholite™ footbeds use an anti-microbial treatment for reducing odor.

Overall

Overall this is an Awesome pair of shoes to wear for a hike, trail running or even normal running. The colors on the shoe may be slightly too bright and flashy for some but I personally love it, It’s a sure head turner. Running in S-lab 3 XT-Wings is not only light but also comfortable thanks to the cushioning and technology in place, it hardly feels as if you are wearing a pair of trail running shoe as it only weight a mere 320g which is actually lighter than some of the running shoe available in the market today. No suprise why some would refer or compared the S-Lab series as the “Lexus” of the Salomon trail running shoe.

While training up for the Singapore Marathon, I had included trail running as part of my training routine. Running uphill, downhill across trail and sands at the nearby beach and mountain bike park in hopes to increase my endurance for the race. I was really impressed by the cushioning support, traction and the responsiveness of the S-lab 3 XT-Wings . However I feel that the shoe would be a better if they had included the Goretex technology or some kind of waterproof technology into the shoe as it will help feet stay dry even when running in the rain. All and all this is one shoe that I personally love and I will continue wearing it for my training and for my upcoming trail running race  such as the 12^th Sabah Adventure Race in April 2011.

The Salomon S-Lab 3 XT Wings will be made available in Singapore in selected World of Sports Store in 2011.

Do check out my other Salomon Trail Running Shoe reviews.

• SpeedCross 2
• SpeedCross 2 GTX
• XA Pro 3D Ultra GTX

Cheers! (: