My favorite part of attending the Outdoor Retailer conference is getting a chance to see all of the new trail shoes coming to market before the general public can purchase them. The offerings for trail running and hiking just seem to get better and better with each year. I covered the new offerings from Hoka One One in a previous post, and will highlight the new shoes from Salomon, La Sportiva, Altra, and Mammut today.
Salomon
Salomon X Alpine Pro (Spring 2019)
One of the most exciting new shoes that I saw at Outdoor Retailer was the Salomon X Alpine Pro. This shoe is built on a 6mm drop platform with 24mm in the heel and 18mm in the forefoot. A size 9M will come in at a superlight 10.6oz and sell for $160.
As the name implies, the Alpine Pro is going to be great for mountain running and peak bagging. The midsole has a Carbon Edging Chassis, and the outsole has a flat toe climbing zone for scrambling and edging.
Salomon Speedcross 5 (Spring 2019)
The very popular Salomon Speedcross gets an update for 2019 as well. The changes for the Speedcross are mostly minor, but are welcome refinements nonetheless. Most notable are a new upper mesh and larger lugs on the outsole for more surface area contact. The Speedcross 5 has a 10mm drop with 29mm in the heel and 19mm in the forefoot.
Salomon Supercross
Salomon is also releasing a budget version of the Speedcross 5 called the Supercross. This shoe is geared towards the masses with a price of $110 and a more relaxed fit throughout the shoe. Like the Speedcross 5, the Supercross has an aggressive outsole and a protective upper. The Supercross has a 10mm drop with 29mm in the heel and 19mm in the forefoot.
Salomon SLAB Ultra 2
Salomon did not have the SLAB Ultra 2 on display, but they did feature the shoe in a booth banner. The SLAB Ultra was one of my favorite shoes in 2018, and the shoe I wore on the Camino Portuguese. It looks like Salomon is keeping the midsole and outsole unchanged, and will make minor changes to the upper.
La Sportiva
La Sportiva Bushido II (Winter 2018)
The La Sportiva Bushido has been one of my favorite trail shoes for backpacking, hiking, and running on technical terrain. The Bushido is getting an update for 2019, and from what I’m seeing, the refinements look modest. The Bushido will add an additional 3mm of midsole for a more forgiving ride, and has an refined upper for better all-day comfort. The outsole looks unchanged, and the midsole still has a 6mm drop. Best of all, the Bushido maintains its $130 price point.
La Sportiva Kaptiva (Winter 2018)
La Sportiva is also releasing a brand new model called the Kaptiva. This is a snug fitting and lightweight trail shoe. The Kaptiva rides on a 6mm drop platform with an aggressive outsole. In hand, the Kaptiva felt liked a stripped down racing flat version of the Akasha. The Kaptiva will retail for $140.
Altra (Winter 2018)
Altra Superior 4
Altra is releasing version 4 of their popular Superior. The Superior v4 gains a MaxTrac sticky rubber outsole, and a brand new upper. From my initial impressions at Outdoor Retailer, this might be the most comfortable feeling upper Altra has released on a trail shoe. The new Superior will retail for $110.
Altra King MT 2
Altra is also releasing a new version of their King MT. The King MT v2 has a newly designed Vibram Megagrip outsole and a newly designed upper. The upper still uses a Velcro strap and laminate overlays for lateral stability. The King MT will retail for $140.
Mammut (Spring 2019)
I had a very exciting meeting with Mammut at Outdoor Retailer and got caught up on all of their footwear. Mammut is a well known Swiss brand for those that ski and snowboard. Mammut is now starting to grow their footwear offerings. The Saentis was the Mammut shoe that caught my eye most, as it seems perfectly suited for peak bagging, fast packing, and trail running. The Saentis has a burly upper, plush midsole, and aggressive Michelin outsole. The Saentis Low will retail for $130 and a mid top knit version will retail for $180.
