Salomon Raid Race

In 2000 I took a pair of these shoes’ predecessor, the Raid Wind, to the Marathon des Sables. While they performed the job adequately and my feet didn’t suffer too badly there were several major flaws. Having just returned form the Himalayan 100 mile Stage Race without a single blister I am delighted to say this latest incarnation has gone a long way to resolving many of these problems.

As a whole the shoe feels much lighter, softer and more responsive than the RaidWind. Performing nearer to a running shoe than a boot. However the relative high cut and heel counter give excellent stability and support for the ankle joint. The chassis construction including an EVA midsole gives good shock absorption for a trail-shoe (although I did pair them with Sorbathane insoles) and, even though the shoe is marketed at those blessed with efficient running strides, as a moderate pronator I found the support more than adequate. The dual rubber outsole appears more aggressively lugged than before and provides excellent grip on both rock and scree. In real filth though the grip does fail and the tread clogs up very quickly. My main problem with the original was with the lacing system. I seemed to have a unique knack for snapping the “unbreakable laces”. One pair went midway through a technical descent in the Peak District and another with 10km to go on the 80km stage of the MdS….not the way for a pair of shoes to endear themselves to me.Thankfully the Himalayas passed without a break in sight. A slight change to the lacing pattern does give more flexibility and feel to the toe region but for all it’s “one-pull, no tie” convenience, I’m still sceptical, and won’t be leaving home without spare laces in the near future.

Available from....

[url=http://www.ellis-brigham.com/]Ellis Brigham
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