Salomon XT Wings GTX Trail Running Shoe - Men's - 2009 BCS

Hey Jaz,

Of all of the Salomon shoes (thus far :)) the XT Wings have the most "road ready" tread.

It is still considered a trail shoe so you will not get the same flex as a traditional road running shoe, but in terms of grip, Salomon's Contagrip soles have exceptional grip in more urban settings.

but you can get replacement laces for the quicklace system...

No.

By the way Backcountry, you should switch the order of the answers to questions. The 1st answer needs to be on the top, not bottom. It would be more convenient. Notice Nick's answer to my question is on the bottom of all the answers, while the question is at the top. The first response should be directly under the question...

The aluminum/black version is offered in the non gore-tex version. The gore-tex version is offered in Asphalt/Black

These definitely have great arch support. I have flat feet so I was really pleased with the amount of support these shoes provided. Should be perfect for regularly arched feet as well. Not too high, not too low.

The lacing problem is fixed since we changed the eyelets to ease the sliding of the lace and reduce the abrasion. From a cushioning standpoint, the XT Wings is way more on the comfort side than the XA Pro and the Agile Chassis System (the system we developed to provide atbility and underfoot protection) is more flexible than the 3D Chassis we use on the XA Pro 3D. If you run mostly on trails, the XT Wings and its energized heel to toe rolling effect is the right choice

Hey Erfan,

The XA Pro's definitely have more of a firm sole. XT Wings are much more pliable and should give you a little bit more of a plush ride. You might want to be a little careful, or just take notice of the lacing system. I use to wear these and had mass problems with the laces wearing through after only a couple longish runs. Hopefully they have fixed the problem. Absolutely comfortable shoes none-the-less.
Hope that helps.

If you wear a 10.5 or 11, i'd recommend the 11. The XT Wings are a little narrow in the forefoot area for wide feet.

I'd say "they must be worn with socks. Never wear trail running shoe in trail running conditions w/o socks, because of the potential abrasion of your skin by dirt. And by the way, the Gore-tex bootie is not directly in contact with your foot, there's textile material between your foot and the membrane.

In case you were wondering, he is just jerking your chain. They can be worn with socks.

No, you cannot wear socks with these shoes.
Nor with those over there, or back there.
Gore-Tex is never to be worn with socks.
Not now, not tomorrow, not ever.
Thank you for giving me the power to decide this for you.

all the shops who are selling the XT wings have access to replacement lace kits. The issue is now corrected and the new models have no more early breakage of the laces. We changed the loops. And if you're happy with the XT wings, don't exchange them with the XA Pro 3D ultra, these are not at all the same shoes, and they are not at all made for the same usage. The XT Wings are lighter and more cushy than the XAPro 3D.

I had the same problem. If your're interested, exchange them for the XA Pro 3D ultra. The fabric lace loops have little plastic reinforcers which help not put so much wear on them.

Take the XA Pro 3D Ultra. I recommend those for off trail and light backpacking, especially if you don't run. In addition, they are wider in the forefoot

Salomon tends to have a narrow fit.

I don't agree with Steve regarding the comment on similarities between fit and comfort for XT Wings and XA Pro 3D. The forefoot is wider on the XA Pro and the comfort (if by comfort you mean cushioning) is better on the XT wings. Regarding the Quicklace system, they are now similar in terms of relialability. The early problems of the XT Wings Quicklace breakage are over and solved.

the xt has a much cooler sole

Personally I'd go with the XA Pro 3D's simply because their lacing setup is much better than on the XT Wings. The XA's won't wear through laces near as quickly. They're both really comparable as far as fit and comfort so you should be really good to go. Great shoes by the way!

Ralph, ,
to make a long story short, the main difference between Boa and Quicklace is the first is mechanical when the second is manual. You can always take with you a replacement lace, but if the Boa dies you're stuck in the middle of nowhere w/o solution

Interesting, Steve. I have a pair of old XA Pros (the originals) that I wore training and racing for several years. The only problem I had with the laces I trace back to the time I neglected to tuck the loop into the little pocket on the tongue--it turns out that a big kevlar loop is not a good place to stick the toe of your other foot while you're running. That lace eventually broke--but not right away, even then.

You might be faster than me though, heh. It wouldn't take much.

I heard that the BOA system is not good for trail running.
is it right?

Ralph,The BOA system uses a dial and a steel cable to tighten your shoes. They are similar in the sense that you can not tweak your lacing and you are able to lace your shoes very quickly, which is a huge benefit for trail shoes. This type of lacing isn't able to get the laces as tight as the BOA system. Also, the kevlar laces aren't as strong as the steel cables, used with BOA. Still they are stronger and more durable then conventional laces. In the event you are able to mangle them, Salmon does sell replacement lace kits. I have used this style laces on the Salmon Pro 3D and the XAComp2 and have been very happy with them. Mahalo, SumoHey Ralph,I don't know if it's the material or design of how the laces are run up the shoe but I had horrific problems with them. The most miles I got on 1 pair of shoes was 60-70 miles but usually 1/2 that. At that point the laces were completely destroyed which is okay in that Salomon replaces them no problem. I just got tired of them wearing out and if you're doing longer runs there's always that chance they'll break mid-run and then you're totally hosed. Incredibly comfortable shoes but design flaws in the lacing system....in my opinion. Hope that helps!