Salomon Speedcross 6 Trail Running Shoes Review
The Salomon Speedcross 6 shoes provide excellent traction and stability on the steep, slick, and technical.
September 25th, 2024
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The Salomon Speedcross is consistently one of our favorite trail running shoes, as it offers some of the best traction of any trail shoe available. The Speedcross 6 is a wildly popular shoe — on and off the Treeline Review team — as it has proven to be dependable, durable, comfortable, and excellent on steep and rugged trails.
After testing these shoes over hundreds of miles on mountain trails, muddy hills, gravel, grass, and dusty paths, we can attest to why these shoes have a loyal following. With a wider base and increased stability in this model, and with its ever-impressive traction, the Salomon Speedcross 6 is the best trail shoe we've tested for muddy and snowy conditions. In fact, it earned Best Trail Running Shoe for Traction in our Best Men’s Trail Running Shoes guide and has garnered a lot of praise from our women’s testers in our Best Women’s Trail Running Shoes guide.
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Our Verdict
The Salomon Speedcross 6 shines on rocky, steep, muddy, technical terrain. While it's not the best for everyone for everyday conditions, especially runs that crossover to pavement, this shoe is designed for rough trails and is an impressive workhorse for fall, spring, and even some winter running.
We tested the men's and women's models on mountain trails in Arizona, Colorado, California, and Nevada, and in the Bay Area in the winter, spring, and summer. These shoes do their best work on steep terrain, easily navigating loose dirt and allowing for agile movement while racing down trail.
The Salomon Speedcross 6 is one of the best shoes for dependable traction. They may be overkill on flatter trails and aren’t well-suited for the roads, but the lugs aren’t so beefed up that it’s too much for the occasional flat trail runs or paved sections. If you're primarily running rugged trails, the Salomon Speedcross 6 is probably the shoe for you.
Salomon Speedcross 6
Women's
Men's
Specs
MSRP: $140
Sizes available: 7-14
Fit: True to size, runs narrow
Widths available: Standard, Wide
Weight: 9.2 oz (women's per shoe), 10.5 oz / 298 g (men's)
Drop: 10 mm
Stack height: 32-22 mm
Cushioning: Moderate
Rock Plate? No
Ideal use: Off-trail, Mud & Snow Traction
Comparison table
| TRAIL RUNNING SHOE | WEIGHT MEN'S | WEIGHT WOMEN'S | CUSHION | HEEL DROP | STACK HEIGHT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salomon Speedcross 6 Men's Women's |
10.5 oz | 9.2 oz | moderate | 10 mm | 32 - 22 mm |
| Hoka Speedgoat 6 Men's Women's |
9.8 oz | 8.2 oz | maximum | 5 mm | 35 - 40 mm |
| Altra Lone Peak 8 Men's Women's |
10.7 oz | 9.15 oz | moderate | 0 mm | 25 mm |
| La Sportiva Bushido III Men's Women's |
10.5 oz | 8.8 oz | moderate | 6 mm | 13 - 19 mm |
| Hoka Challenger 7 Men's Women's |
8.9 oz | 7.3 oz | maximum | 4 mm | 24 - 26 mm |
What we liked:
Amazing on mud and snow
Great traction
Quicklace system is fast and gets a good fit
Very protective
Available in standard and wide sizes
What could be better:
Doesn't work well on the road
Feels like overkill on flatter terrain
Updates in the newest version
The updates to the Speedcross 6 are small, which is a good thing as the Speedcross 5 was already a fan favorite. The upper was revamped and includes adjustments to the lacing slits for a more comfortable fit and less pressure from the laces.
Minor changes to the outsole supposedly expel mud faster and grip surfaces better. We didn’t notice a big difference, but we already found traction and grip to be good qualities of the previous version.
Features
Outsole/Traction
The tread has deep lugs made of Salomon’s proprietary sticky Contragrip TA rubber. The 5mm lugs on these shoes are some of the deepest of any shoe we tested, which is why they’re so great for muddy and rugged trails.The deep lugs might be more than necessary on hard-packed dirt, but they also don’t feel like they negatively affect the traction. Our women’s tester rarely runs in trail shoes with big lugs, and found the Salomon Speedcross 6 nearly as comfortable as her trusty Hoka Speedgoats on less-technical trails.
As mentioned many times already (because it’s truly impressive!), the pronounced lugs provide phenomenal traction on steep, slippery technical terrain. With such incredible traction, our testers even feel secure running in the snow in these shoes without adding traction or spikes.
The Salomon Speedcross 6 has 5mm lugs and a grippy Contragrip TA rubber outsole for excellent traction on steep and slick surfaces.
Stability
The wide base and durable outsole, midsole, and upper construction of the Salomon Speedcross 6 provides excellent stability.
One tester for our review of the Speedcross 5, which is nearly identical to the 6, was particularly pleased with the stability after she wore this shoe on a mountain excursion that included a steep, rocky, and technical descent with about 4 inches of fresh snow on top of slick dirt and rock. She ran confidently, found secure footing, and could keep a good pace due to the traction and stability of this shoe.
The standout features of the Salomon Speedcross 6 are its outstanding traction, grip, and stability on steep, muddy, rocky, and slick surfaces.
Midsole/Cushion
The Salomon Speedcross 6 is a moderately-cushioned shoe. The midsole is constructed with EnergyCell+, which provides a balance of energy return along with cushioning and durability.
Upper
The uppers are welded and hug the foot comfortably. They feel durable while maintaining breathability. The upper on the Salomon Speedcross 6 also have slight updates to the lacing system.
The Salomon Speedcross 6 fits comfortably though can run a bit narrow. Wide sizes are also available, so we recommend trying those if you have wider feet.
Fit and Sizing
The Speedcross is snug where you want it (the heel cup), roomy where you want it (the toe box), and has a wide base for increased stability. The improved lacing system prevents there from being too much pressure on the top of the midfoot.
However, the Speedcross 6, like many Salomon shoes, fits pretty narrow compared to many trail runners on the market. We tested the men's and women's standard width. Our wide-footed men's tester says they feel comfortable over 6-8 miles, but anything longer can be uncomfortable. Our women’s tester has average-to-narrow feet and was comfortable the whole run.
These shoes also come in wide sizing, which we love, so we recommend that option for runners with wider feet.
Rock plate
The rock plate provides added protection running on rocky trails, offering some of the highest protection of any trail running shoe we’ve tested.
Lacing
As with all Salomon shoes, the Speedcross 6 uses the Quicklace single-pull lacing system, which allows you to simply pull a cord and tuck it into a pocket.
The Quicklace single-pull system means you don’t have to tie your shoes. Simply pull the cord as tight as you’d like, then tuck it into the pocket on the top of the tongue.
Warmth
While the Speedcross 6 is not an insulated shoe, the Speedcross 6 GTX (Gore-Tex version) is also available for added warmth and waterproof protection. We did not test this model, but if waterproofness and warmth are a priority, and you’re willing to sacrifice breathability, this could be a good option for you.
Drop
The Speedcross has the highest drop of all the trail running shoes we've tested (10mm), which can feel different for those not used to a high drop. This was designed for going uphill, and another reason it may not be best for flat runs (especially if you’re not accustomed to high-drop shoes).
If you have a consistent mid-foot strike and usually run in shoes with a 4mm drop or less, heel striking in these shoes may feel strange and uncomfortable, and may require a longer break-in period.
Weight
Finally…the Speedcross 6 is one of the heaviest trail running shoes we've tested. They weigh 9.2 oz per shoe in women's and 10.5 oz in men's. This weight is the price you pay for such excellent stability and deep lugs, which is why we recommend this shoe for folks primarily running on steep, technical, rocky, or muddy surfaces.
The bottom line
This shoe specializes in traction. We don't think it is the best for everyone for most conditions, but for people who run more technical and steep trails, or in winter conditions, the Speedcross 6 are top tier.
Our testers picked this shoe for its specialized use in slippery technical terrain and steep descents, especially in the snow. If that’s your running style, the Speedcross is an excellent choice.
Other shoes to consider
Scarpa Spin Ultras
MSRP: $159
Fit: Narrow, true to size
Weight (per shoe): 9.5 oz (men’s), 7.9 oz (women’s)
Heel Drop: 6 mm
Ideal use: Rocky, technical terrain, daily trail runs
Cushioning: Moderate
Rock plate: No
What we liked: Highly durable, great traction, comfortable
What we didn't like: Not ideal for flat surfaces or crossing over to pavement
The Scarpa Spin Ultras won our Best Trail Running Shoes with Traction in our Best Women’s Trail Running Shoe guide due to its performance on rocky, technical terrain. The reliable grip and ankle support make this a true mountain shoe that handles rough conditions well. They’re also a little lighter than the Salomon Speedcross 6, so if weight is a concern you may like these better.
Scarpa Spin Ultras
Men's
Women's
Salomon Sense Ride 5
Price: $140
Weight: 10.1 oz (men’s), 8.7 oz (women’s)
Heel-to-toe drop: 8.3 mm
Stack height: 29.6 mm / 21.3 mm (heel/toe)
Closure type: Single-pull Lace
Cushioning: Moderate
Rock plate? No
What we liked: Comfort, versatility, price, great for day-to-day use, lightweight, no break in, traction
What we didn't like: Sizing can be tricky, laces are divisive, narrow fit can be limiting for folks
Like the Salomon Speedcross, the Salomon Sense Ride has been a tried-and-true trail running shoe for Treeline Review testers for years. They offer excellent cushioning and traction over a variety of terrains, from technical mountain trails to rolling, smooth trails. This makes them a little less specialized than the Speedcross and thus a little more versatile.
The Sense Ride won Best Affordable Trail Shoe in our Best Men’s Trail Running Shoes guide, and Best Trail Running Shoe for Narrow Feet in our Best Women’s Trail Running Shoe guide.
This shoe also has less heel-to-toe drop than the Salomon Speedcross 6, which could be an easier transition for folks who aren’t accustomed to high-drop shoes.
Salomon Sense Ride 5
Men's
Women's
How we tested
After our men’s tester put in well over 150,000’ of vertical and over 440 miles gain in a pair, and our women’s tester ran them around the less-technical trails of the Colorado foothills. Our testers put the Speedcross 6s through a variety of terrains and conditions. We ran on trails in Arizona, Colorado, California, Michigan, and Nevada. We ran on dry dusty trails, mucky wet trails, and even in a few inches of snow. Basically, we put these shoes through nearly every condition we could to get a full picture of their capabilities.
We tested the Salomon Speedcross 6 on as many trail surfaces and conditions as possible. Here, one of the authors stands on a peak in the Colorado Front Range.
About the authors / Why you should trust us
Becca Downs
Becca Downs ran D1 cross country and track for Indiana University—Purdue University of Indianapolis (IUPUI) and continued racing everything from elite miles to an ultramarathon in her post-collegiate years. She earned a USATF Level 1 certification and coached boys and girls high school cross country and track in Indianapolis for four years. Becca then joined the IUPUI women’s distance coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach in 2020-2021.
She geeks out on trail running, track and field, and cries every time she watches a marathon (they’re just so beautiful!). After notching a few small FKTs under her belt in 2020, she was diagnosed with hip arthritis and now channels her passion for running into coaching, writing, creating training plans for her friends, hiking, and running when her hip allows it.
You can read more of Becca's work at her website or on her author page.
Sam Schild
Sam Schild is a thru-hiker, trail runner, cyclist, and mountain athlete based in Colorado. He’s been a runner since he was a child when he ran 5 days a week as cardiovascular training for soccer. As he grew older, he stopped playing team sports and focused on running and cycling.
After moving to Colorado a decade ago, he started trail running on the local trails. Since then, he has completed countless ultra-distance self-supported trail runs on trails throughout the American Southwest. He has thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Grand Enchantment Trail, and the Colorado Trail twice, always in trail runners.
You can read more about Sam on his author page or his website.
