Having the right type of hiking shoes makes for a better experience while out on the trail. Today I’ll review my first pair of hiking shoes, the Women’s Trail Runner Speed Cross 5 by Salomon. Going on hikes with the wrong type of shoes is not the type of “adventure” I want to have. I go on hikes once a week depending on what’s going on in life. However, Covid-19 affected that a bit during the lockdown. Hiking in Guam there are many different types of terrain. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of the Salomon Speed Cross 5’s.
Purchase info
I purchased these locally at Southern Mountain Gear (in Guam). Luckily, I happened to buy them on sale for around $100. I saved around $30.
Below I will link where you can find the shoes on Amazon.
Speed Cross 5 fit
These run pretty true to size. I purchased a size 6 and normally I wear 6-6.5 in women’s shoes. A size 6 fits fine but if I want to wear thicker socks a 6.5 would work much better for me.
Pros
The Speed Cross 5’s are extremely lightweight. It was evident the first time I placed the shoes on my feet. Very comfortable to hike in! Like walking in air lol.
They come in several colors which is nice to have some fashionable options.
While hiking on Guam in the mud, grass, dirt, tall scrubs, or hills these shoes really held their own. They give incredible grip for most terrains and surfaces. Wet rocks we were the only type of surface I had issues with during the months I have worn these. I discuss this below in the cons section.
They contain a no lace design that has a simple pull type of system to tighten or make the shoes looser.
This shoe provides some ankle support.
Cons
These Salomon’s just don’t do well with slippery hard surfaces like rocks, bricks, etc. I found myself having a hard time keeping my balance while hiking in these areas.
These shoes are not waterproof they are slightly water resistant though. The Speed Cross 5 will soak your socks if you happen go submerge the shoes in water. However, as you walk the shoes dry relatively quickly. With each step, water seems to get pulled from the inside out. During rain, they manage to keep my socks and feet dry.
While on beach hikes I have gotten the shoes wet and removed my socks. This was definitely a bad idea as I noticed the inside of my foot started to get sore from the pressure of the inside of the shoe.
Watch the shoes in action
Final thoughts
Overall, I’m very pleased with my purchase. The pros definitely outweigh the cons for what I need. I would say if you are in search of some good hiking shoes check these out. The Speed Cross 5’s are not great with wet hard surfaces so if that is key for you probably skip out on these and opt for a water shoe or diving boot.
These shoes are meant for trail running so I think these would be great for that.
As I continue wearing these I will update this post as needed.
Thanks for hanging out!
XO Terreana