A few years ago I attended a Salomon workshop. It was a
great day and getting to run with Kilian and Anna Frost were among the
highlights (not that I kept up for long).
During the presentation, one of the main things that stuck
with me was a comment from the team manager (it could have been one of the
designers, I’m not sure). He was responding to a question about if Salomon
would make a road shoe. His comment was: ‘We are a mountain company, and that
is our focus.’ It may not have been those words verbatim, but that was the
idea. It meant a lot to me that a company would focus on their strength and not
branch off into every possible area of running in order to make more money. It
reflected my passion for trail running: my focus is here, on the trail, and I don’t
worry about everyone else around me who does triathlons and weights in the gym,
because for me it’s about the trail and the mountain.
So, I am disappointed today, about 3 years after that
workshop, to see the release of a road shoe from Salomon.
There seems to have been a movement in the company towards
commercialism and away from that passionate single mindedness I loved about
them. I remember the days of there being only a few models of shoe. The heavy,
tough XA pro, and the lighter XT wings.
Now there are so many shoes, in so many variations, I can’t
keep up. I can’t help feel like this barrage of shoes into the trail running
niche is simple an attempt at turning a bigger profit. For example, there is no
reason why anyone needs a shoe like the Fell raiser. It’s too big and heavy for
the serious runners to use (they would use the Fell cross for muddy running),
and its tread is too aggressive and impractical for the everyday running. So,
who is it for?
The same is true for many models.
 |
| The pointless Fell Raiser |
Another big disappointment is that you can no longer buy the
original Sense. The first model, super light and super fast, isn’t available to
purchase anymore. The reason given is that no one needs the shoe Kilian uses,
we all need heavier, less fine tuned shoes. To me, that’s a display of Salomon’s
move into a commercial industry and away from a focused, passionate pursuit of
excellence.
 |
| The best shoe they ever made, now not available. The original Sense |
I write this with passion because I love the brand and I am
unhappy to see it move this direction. My opinion is that Salomon refocus on
its passion and its roots: make a smaller range of gear, but focus on making it
well. Make the very best trail running gear in the world, instead of trying to
make gear for every type of possible running discipline.
I could go on and on, but the point is made. Please Salomon,
stick to what you said before and refocus on the small, narrow and difficult
path that is your strength: that muddy and gruelling trail up the mountains.
