Winter Running Shoe Review: Salomon Spikecross 5 GTX
After running in Edmonton’s ice and snow for over twenty years, I finally broke down and bought a proper winter running shoe: the Salomon SpikeCross. I’m pretty cheap, and putting slip-on spikes over my regular running shoes served me well for years … or so I thought. This year, having switched in the spring from my beloved New Balance 880’s to Saucony ISO Hurricanes for more ankle stability, I discovered that my slip-on spikes didn’t want to stay on the wider Saucony’s, and my toes were super cold, way colder than they’d ever been in my old New Balances. So last week I took the plunge to winter shoes, and I’ll tell you, I’m never going back.
So far, I’ve worn my new shoes both on trails and pavement, and loved how they performed on both. Yesterday I ran 18K in them on surfaces from packed snow to ice to bare pavement, and they performed well on them all.
There are 5 particular things I look for in winter running shoes, and the Salomon SpikeCross scored 4.5 out of 5.
- Traction: The SpikeCross has big, chevron-shaped Contragrip rubber lugs on the outsole for extra grip and stability, but the real stars of the shoe (I mean show) are the embedded tungsten spikes. My first run in these shoes was over snowy, hilly trails in the dark, and my footing was incredibly secure, better than I’ve ever had in slip-on traction aids. Though they’re not motion-control shoes, my tendonitis-prone ankles didn’t roll or give me grief, even on some pretty uneven terrain. The spikes were a bit clunky on bare pavement, but definitely less so than slip-on spikes. And my gait felt less altered than it does when I’m wearing slip-on spikes.
- Waterproofing: The entire boot of these shoes is made of Gore-Tex, and kept my feet dry through slush and snow.
- Warmth: I have Raynaud’s Syndrome, which causes poor circulation, especially to the hands and feet, and my toes are chronically cold. During most winter runs, my toes are freezing for at least the first 10K, and sometimes for the whole run. But these babies kept my feet nice and warm from the get go.
- Visibility: This is where I took off half a point. The shoes are a bright red, which gives great visibility in the snow, but they don’t have any reflective trim for dark morning or evening runs.
- Quick lace system: No shoelace tying is required, which is handy when you’re wearing heavy gloves or mittens. Salomon’s uses Quicklace, a one-pull tightening system that’s easy for gloved hands to adjust.
Other considerations:
The entire upper is welded and stitch-free, and no parts of the shoe rubbed or caused blisters, even after 18K. The SpikeCross have good cushioning, and are lighter than they appear.
The sizing is unisex, which made finding the right size more challenging than usual. I usually wear a women’s size 7.5 running shoe, and I had to go down to a size 6.5 in these, so trying them on in-store was necessary (not so great in these COVID times). The forefoot is also narrow, which suits me fine since I have a fairly narrow foot, but may be an impediment for some people.
Lastly, at $230, they definitely aren’t cheap, even with the discount I received for being part of a local running group. But as they say, you get what you pay for, and now that I’ve experienced having exceptionally stable footing and toasty toes, it seems worth the investment for the six months out of the year I have to run in icy, sub-zero temperatures.
To read more about cold weather running, visit my website www.hypothermicrunner.weebly.com
