By Randy Whorton Rock/Creek Race Team/Grassroots Gear Team

 ”Salomon has built the perfect trial shoe for those of us that live for rugged trails”

I have a very neutral foot plant and arch and therefore have mostly taken a rather “don’t care” attitude towards running shoes. It is save to say that I am only a trail runner. There is one thing that I do like a lot about the typical road shoe is the extra cushion that you get. Obviously motion control is critical for a good trail shoe and cushioned shoes are typically poor at motion control… until now.

The Salomon XT Wings have built a shoe with both components better than any other. I started the Vermont 100 in these shoes with the plan to change out of them at 60, the other shoes stayed in the bag. Still steady and so in them at the end tells me that they have made the perfect trail shoe for those of us that live for the rugged trails but also enjoy some extra cushion when we land.

Age: 47
Occupation: Environmental business owner/operator

What I like most about running:
I have likely run enough miles to take me around the globe several times, and I still cannot clearly define what I like most in running.

By Bob Wade- Owner Ute Mountaineering in Aspen, CO

As a big fan of the Vasque Velocity I was eager to see what product would warrant keeping the old name and shoe while adding another namesake.

The VST has enough new stuff going on that it probably should not called a Velocity- but who can blame Vasque for wanting to continue what has become a legacy shoe?

To test I ran with a Velocity on one foot and a VST on the other. The VST definitely felt softer than the Velocity both fore and aft. More stone bruising protection for the forefoot in the Velocity. Overall a touch harder and more stable feel but only incrementally. Certainly the VST had more forefoot volume, particularly in the toe area. The Velocity is narrower at the toe and comes over the toe flatter. It gives a stronger feeling of control because it inhibits twisting in the front of the shoe. Motion control though, was more than adequate on both. Outer soles were quite different but I could not get one to skid on a downhill and not the other- presumably the VST has a more “evolved” outsole.

Overall, two terrific shoes. I’d recommend the Velocity perhaps to the bigger runner although a bigger person could benefit from the superior cushioning of the VST if they had a reasonably stable foot.
I think the vote from folks I’ve talked to is to tighten up the VST last just a bit.

Thanks for the opportunity to test!
Cheers, Bob Wade

Don’t forget to check out the Vasque Trail Tour when it makes its way to the 30th Annual Golden Leaf Half-Marathon on September 27th!

Click Here to Enter to win a free pair of Vasque Trail Shoes