Last week, we showed you a sneak peak of the Speedcross 3 Forces, part of Salomon’s upcoming Forces line of footwear for Law Enforcement and Military. Now, we are honored to have been selected by Salmon to host a giveaway. Here’s a chance for 4 lucky readers to get their hands on a pair of this new model for themselves.
To enter, we want to here how you’d “twist” any currently available Salomon footwear to make it more in line with Military or Law Enforcement purposes. What design adjustments or products technologies would you add to make your ideal Military/LE Salomon shoe or boot?
To enter:
1. In the comments section of THIS article on SSD, share your “twist” on any currently available Salomon footwear. Text, photos, and drawings are all accepted – for any image entries, we suggest providing a link through a popular image sharing website such as imgur or Photobucket. Only entries here are eligible to win.
2. Comments are open from now until 1700 Zulu December 12, 2014.
3. Use any alias you want to post but be sure to use a valid email address since that’s how we’ll contact the winner.
4. Four (4) winners will be chosen by the Salomon Forces team based on their selection from among best submissions.
5. Winners will be announced on December 24th, 2014.
6. One entry per email address. We will delete entries that violate this policy.
7. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited.
Good luck!
Tags: Salomon Forces
As others have suggested higher ankle coverage, the other suggestion is a beefed up closure system for the laces. The other issue is that when tightened the laces are too long and get caught up so I would suggest some sort of system to capture the extra material.
XA Pro Mid GTX Blackout
– I would like to see a pair of these with non gortex. generally speaking the only time I can get away with wearing these is in the field and if i’m wearing them chances are it because i know am going to get wet. (i do like the Gortex so do not get rid of that!)
– Also, the Canadian Armed Forces along with most of the western Military’s are doing away with black boots, a flat Coyote brown/ brown color would be even better. some of the multicam colors have too much going on.
XA Pro 3D/ 3D ultra2
– I would like to see these resemble the Speedcross 3 Forces shoe. Do away will all reflective surfaces. Nothing attracts the RSM or CSM’s eye better then reflective surfaces!
– Between the two above mentioned shoes and tough sole would be appreciated. The soft sole just gets shredded in the rough mountains. A “Approach shoe” style would be amazing!
A side note.
I have seen it with a few boot manufactures. They offer a load bearing rating for their boots, which allows the user to make the best educational decision for what his or her needs actually are. Time and time again I see soldiers wearing the wrong foot wear. i.e wear new balance minimalist or the Rocky equivalents on a ruck sack march. A scale or load bearing rating would be appreciated.
I have extensive time on trail running ultras and fast packing with the speed cross 3. A service boot should have 2 variants. A cold weather and noncold weather boot.
Cold weather boot should have integrated track like threaded spikes in addition to the already badass spikes on the plantar surface of the sole. A goretex version much like what is already produced would be beneficial.
The non cold weather version could benefit from a web like exterior much like the Reebok nano 3 and 4.0. It’s would be breathable and capable of abuse in brush and on the move. The web should extend from the toe guard to the upper.
Both the cold and warm version should have a fast rope/rope climbing instep like the Nano 3.0. If I could cross 2 shoes to make the most reliable fast boot it would be the Nano and the Speedcross. I have fast roped with the Nano 3. It’s perfect for foot control. The medial portion of the upper on this proposed speed cross boot should have a Kevlar web to withstand abraison and the instep should be knurled for fast roping and climbing rope.
I love the quick lace system on the Speedcross and XAPRO 3D Ultra but I would use a small braided cable. Like the BOA system on the old Dean Karnazes North Face shoe. The BOA failed me one too many times. The Salomon system is bombproof. I would just change the lace to a braided cable or SPYDER wire. A Kevlar base product.
The lace studs should be made of high friction thermo plastic or even Ti.
Last. The inner sole should be a thicker sole. The OD and ID of the boot/shoe would change a couple MM to accommodate the thicker more forgiving sole, but it would be better for longer rucks and bigger distances.
I ran a brutal 50k 2 years ago called the Bandera 50k. Bandera is just North of Hell. Steep rocky shelves. Unforgiving terrain. The speed cross handled it like a champ. I just wish the inner sole were a bit more endurance prone. I took out the ortholite sole and replaced it with an aftermarket sole and I made my own laces out of braided cable. The shoe is indestructible now.
I would like see to any of the S-LAB, especially a version of the S-LAB XT 6, in all black or more subdued colors to wear for PT and runs. It would be awesome to see a jungle boot, too!
8inch height boots for those that prefer it. Make a straight plain black for LE Agencies that don’t allow booots that have silver stripes.
Loved to see a mountain/neering boot… with a logger’s heel.
Speedcross 3 GTX in earth tones like coyote brown or flat dark earth. This provides a very versatile product that is waterproof, blends into most environments, but is not too tactical looking.
I’d like to a larger variety in your “tactical footwear” options: taller boots, low pro colors, side zip, etc……..
Also, the rubber tab on the toe area of my Salomon’s keep peeling off after a year or less. please reinforce it. ‘
Otherwise, love my Salomons’ and plan to keep buying more!
Multicam parttern for mid GTX pro.
Please, make a full 8″ combat boot in black!
I’ve helped a ton of guys in FDF to get the 3D Forces model, as it’s issued only to the special forces. All feedback I’ve heard, is that they’re excellent for marching and sports, but everyone wishes that there would also be a full size boot for combat use!
Thank you!
I know this will be unpopular..but would love to get a version (of any Salomon product, really)with a polishable toe. I don’t WANT that, but many LE agencies require it. Doesn’t have to be much. I know that this would sacrifice some of the look/durability, but it would open up Salomon’s to a much larger market. I love my XA Pro 3ds and have used Quests for tactical team service/training. If I could wear them on duty, I’d be ecstatic.
Wide widths so I can actually wear a pair of Speedcross, otherwise I’m happy with other Salomon products.
In on this one….. All my ideas have already been suggested. Cheers
Start with the improved XA Pro 3D and combine some of the best qualities of both the low and mid versions to make it into a versatile assault shoe (the Salomon Forces XA Assault, maybe)…
– Replace the light cushioning around the heel box, and the insole, with hydrophobic material.
– Incorporate a single mesh drain plug, to work in conjunction with the hydrophobic materials and allow the shoe to drain and dry quickly.
– Raise the inside of the heel “collar” asymmetrically to above-ankle height (something done previously in some bike and trail shoes), while keeping the outside edge at the current low cut height.
– Place an abrasion resistant patch on the instep, from sole to top, to allow for limited fast-roping.
[Done correctly, the hydrophobic heel and ankle padding could be a closed cell foam fused to the abrasion resistant panel in a single piece that rises above the inside of the ankle.]
– Sell the shoe with an “integratable” scree gator that the user can employ at his/her discretion.
– Include a replacement QuickDraw lacing kit with the “system”, so a user has only one purchase to make.
– Offer it in a primary coyote brown color, to meet the emerging requirements to go along with OCP (as well as in a low-signature mix of coyote brown and tan, so it doesn’t present a monochromatic military appearance)
Actual boot height, temperate weather usability, drainage, protection in to sole to prevent piercing, made in USA. Just about what everybody else said. Make it and we will buy it.
Add me to list for a polishable toe. It would be awesome to transition from gore-tex to breathable, depending on the season/weather, and wear the same style.
Next on the list would be something similar to the XA Pro Mid, but with FR materials and sticky rubber soles.
Last on the list would be some of your gaiters to go along with the new colors coming out. A reversible model with ranger green on one side and Multicam on the other would be perfect!
Thanks for everything you guys do and the opportunity to offer some input. Cheers!
Keep in the heel of the shoe a reflective strip helps you to be seen running in the dark.
A shoe that is made for urban tactical operations.
– Lightweight
– Durable soles that survives long on asphalt
– Soles should protect from nails and other sharp objects
– Closed loops for fast roping
– Forces colors (Black, sand, green, wolf grey and brown)
– Normal width and wide version
– Probably a XA Pro 3D mid with a different material for the sole, making it more durable for asphalt and other urban ground types. A lot of people i work with in the Mil and LE community loves Salomon but the two main issues are the width and the durability of the soles in urban usage (Since they are intended for terrain use).
Only way to tell if it needs changes is to let me try a pair out… (I mean wear a pair out, and start from there) if there anything like my Mantra 2’s there shouldn’t be a lot to alter/upgrade
Only way to tell if it needs changes is to let me try a pair out… (I mean wear a pair out, and start from there) if they’re anything like my Mantra 2’s there shouldn’t be a lot to alter/upgrade
Salomon 4D GTX in all tan or all Coyote. No brown, red, etc. Many LE units do not require real leather or 8″ height, but contrasting color schemes are dealbreakers. The 4D GTX in all black would also work for LE.
The only things that I would change about my XA Pro 3D MID GTX (Forces) is to toughen up or delete the “mud flap” at the rear of the shoe- its the only real failure point that I have found. The other twist would be to build the material at the inside of the shoe out of something more durable for fast roping. The shoes do very well on the rope but they do show burn wear after a few iterations.
That said….these have redefined work shoes for me. I work out in them, run in them and can generally wear them everywhere.
During my time overseas, I (like many others) wrote my name and blood type on my shoes for easy identification. I think a great “twist” to a combat or LE shoe would be to include a small strip of velcro near the bottom of the heel which would allow for the easy attachment of patches.
Another thing I saw overseas was people hiding a small amount of money or ID cards in the soles of their shoes. An amazing “twist” for this would be the inclusion of a small compartment in the sole of the shoe to quickly hide these small items.