THE JOURNAL
There is a sense that, now more than ever, we need to make the most of our planet as it changes and evolves. And to create meaning in our lives, many of us are becoming increasingly active and getting more in touch with earth and nature – literally, rather than figuratively. As our movement needs evolve along with the environment around us, what we wear must keep pace.
This sentiment is at the centre of Salomon in 2024 – an outdoors-inspired brand that has been outfitting trail runners, hikers, climbers and now active urban dwellers, since 1947. Welcome Back To Earth, the label’s latest campaign shot in Slovenia and the Italian Dolomites, is a call to arms, if you will, to the creatively active communities in cities, the urban road runners and stair climbers, to head to the hills and reconnect with nature in search of satisfaction and well-being.
Little surprise, then, that Salomon has launched four new styles to go along with it, inspired by its classic back catalogue, but very much innovatively tweaked and designed for our changing world and active needs in 2024. This is footwear for new environments, but also for a fresh, open-minded outlook.
01.
The Speedcross in Sulphur
As you might be able to tell just from looking at the Speedcross 3 (which is an updated version of the brand’s flagship trail-running shoe), it was conceived to traverse mountainous terrain. Its grip is described by Salomon as “aggressive”, while a large protective outsole unit around the base of the foot provides cushioning and stability. But you don’t need to run up mountains to enjoy this shoe. You don’t even need to be particularly active. With colour-blocking like that – the Sulphur colourway is inspired by the original shade it went to market with in 2011 – we can see these featuring as heavily in bars in London and New York as in the foothills of European mountain ranges. And we’re here for it.
02.
The RX Marie-Jeanne
In some ways, this design has been 120 years in the making. It’s inspired by classic Mary Janes – low-cut with a strap, first named by the Missouri Brown Shoe Company after the girlfriend of cartoon character Buster Brown. Fast forward to 2024, Salomon has taken a traditional silhouette and applied its authority in outdoorsman-meets-city-dweller style to proceedings. Minimalist, monochrome, technical yet comfortable, Salomon sees these as recovery shoes (you definitely wouldn’t want to go trail running in them). They’re lightweight, packable and have a soft, breathable upper – and let’s not forget the trademark trusty grip. They can be worn in pretty much any which way, and by anybody.
03.
The ACS Pro
Salomon is here to respond to the changing nature of the planet, and our place on it. And so it is with the ACS Pro Desert, which is a technical redesign of an archetypal trail shoe some diehards might remember from the mid-2000s. But, while our style influences might have remained similar, our environment hasn’t. The design team has taken cues from the evolving nature of our natural terrains. Think arid, chalky lands, mineral textures and a muted, earthy, terrestrial colour palette (if you want your footwear loud and proud, look elsewhere in the ACS Pro line). But it’s not all superficial – this is an intensely practical shoe made to face unpredictable ground. It has a sturdy, ridged construction, with the now-classic Salomon Kurim structure on the upper and the Agile Chassis System, which, unique to the brand, delivers balance between control and cushioning. See you on the mountain.
04.
The XT PU.RE Advanced
If this shoe had a philosophy in the design stage, it might just be the idea that our environment builds us and inevitably shapes who we become. That sounds lofty, but think of it in more simple terms. This is the celebration of movement as a virtue. Indeed, the Advanced range is designed to fuel exploration, the collaboration between humans and the outdoors. And the XT is a necessary update on these ideas. Lightweight, with a low, sleek, streamlined silhouette, this shoe clearly takes its design influence from the racing DNA of Salomon. There’s a rich, structured anti-debris mesh upper, protective toecap and an infiniFOAM midsole. And its made from recycled materials, too – a reflection of how we must move through the world in 2024 and beyond.