First Impression: Amazing. Long-term: Disappointed in lace system.

By Steve Clark Ranked #244 - Men's Trail Run Shoes November 8, 2011

If I had written this review the first week I owned them, it would be a 5-Star glowing review.

Alas, it is a 2+ month review and a few glaring setbacks have made themselves evident.

We'll start with the glowing parts first...

The fit on these shoes is incredible. Hands-down the most comfortable shoe I have put on to date. Slip your foot into a pair of these and you'll never understand how you wore other, less supportive shoes, ever. Incredibly comfortable to both be active in outside, or even wear around all day.

So if they are so comfortable and fit so wonderfully, why are they not 5-stars?

The lace system.

It was brillant for the first month or so. Then it started to lose it's luster. The laces loosen on their own very easily at this point and I find myself crouching down quite regularily to retighten them, only to find them loose again a few minutes later. Secondly, the bottom two loops are lacking the plastic reinforcements/guides. While the fabric has yet to let go, it is showing signs of wear and I question it's ability to survive a full year.

Final verdict - While I LOVE the fit and feel of these shoes, I am incredibly disheartened by the failure of the lace system so early in it's life and am further concerned by some of the wear that has been caused by the system at this point. At $140, they are a pricey shoe and they should be a perfect product, and perfect they are not.

View Details: Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra 2 GTX Trail Running Shoe - Men's

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