TLog: Trying out the new Salomon trail shoes

An easy week for recovery and transition to more trail running.

Mon: rest
Tue: easy 15k bike
Wed: easy 2.8k swim
Thu: easy 1 hour trail run - relatively flat

Took me a while to figure out where to run. Then Tampines MTB park where there were some relatively flat trails, thanks to our run there one year ago organized by tekko. Also the first chance to try out the new salomon XA COMP shoes.

Started with going round the perimeter, which is relatively flat, measuring 3 km. The northern perimeter is only a narrow path, with denser vegetation, the rest are wide open paths, paved and unpaved. Then I went round the south "hill". Recalled going round and round last year, and it's round and round again today! Next went up the second "hill", and decided not to go round that. Overall, 1 hour covering 8 km.

View route on Garmin connect.

The one concern I had with the Salomon was possible blisters. My good friend experienced blisters on the inside of the foot arch a couple of times. Before I purchased the shoes, I checked with my friendly shoe consultant, and he told me it was probably due to the pronation control that came with some models. The model I purchased is without pronation control.

How did the XA Comp 4 worked out? Pretty well, I'd say. There's more flexibility than the NF Boa Arnuva, and the fit is much better. I feet better heel support and the width is sufficient for my wide feet. There's a nondescript feel about the shoes, nothing loud and fanciful, but with a ruggedness to get the job done and yet comfy enough.... at least for one hour. And as for the goretex, well, that will have to wait for a wet day.

Nothing much to add, except that over the next few weeks, it's going to be love 'em or hate 'em.