I just finished my first run in the new Salomon XR Crossmax. This neutral, "door to trail" shoe is the latest offering in Salomon's trail running line. My first reaction was that the XR Crossmax is an EASY shoe to run in. I typically run in either road shoes or trail shoes and have struggled to find one that works well for both. Runners who are used to a technical trail running shoe, like the XA Pro 3-D Ultra, will immediately notice that the XR Crossmax has a softer feel. I had to spend just a little longer with the lacing system to find the right fit, but once I did it was the same Salomon fit that I am used to with my XA Pro's, with more comfort. The XR Crossmax also makes it easier to maintain a forefoot running style than my XA Pro's. This is a lighter weight shoe designed for neutral, high-mileage runners that could find themselves running on pavement, soft trails or technical trails and it will handle all three environments well. If you are on the fence about the forefoot running phenomenon and are hesitant to adopt one of the more radical options that are currently on the market, but are interested in making a small paradigm shift towards a more neutral, forefoot running style without sacrificing total support and protection on trails, the XR Crossmax is the shoe for you. If you are running barefoot, or nearly barefoot and want a shoe for high mileage days that include some trails, the XR Crossmax is the shoe for you. I will continue to wear my XA Pro 3-D Ultras for advanced and technical trails, or adventure races, where more support is needed due to super aggressive running and terrain. And I will continue to wear my road shoes for long road runs. But I do predict that MOST of my time running will now be spent in the XR Crossmax. Do we finally have the perfect crossover shoe for road and trail?
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