Salomon's ACS+CSWP: Old-School Runner Meets New-School Tech
Salomon is so good at making in-line shoes, even trend-agnostic ones, that its ACS+CSWP sneaker seemingly slipped under the greater sneaker world's radar. Well, fear not, as I will right the wrong and give yet another excellent in-line Salomon shoe its due.
Debuting for Fall/Winter 2023, Salomon's ACS+CSWP shoe is a subtle hybridization, infusing a footwear silhouette from its retro-indebted Agile Chassis System (ACS) line with the weather-fighting properties of the ClimaSalomon Waterproof Membrane (CSWP).
ClimaSalomon is typically applied to hiking boots and similar shoes that need to prevent wet feet on long treks but it also makes sense that ACS shoes would benefit from some CSWP tech, as they're typically fitted with '00s-inspired closed mesh uppers. Very breathable and prone to soaking-through, hence the benefit of CSWP.
Salomon describes the properties of the ClimaSalomon coating as "moisture-wicking," "insulating," and "non-rigid" so it's at least somewhat different than GORE-TEX lining, which typically isn't insulating and sometimes makes shoes stiffer.
A little extra warmth probably isn't ideal for summer but, again, these are ostensibly winter shoes. If you suffer from cold toes and want to keep your technical Salomon sneaks in rotation, the ACS+CSWP is a clear solution.
The debut colorways, which are all rolling out in the lead-up to autumn, are all pretty attractive as well. 'tis the season for comfortable, waterproof runners, after all, and shoppers are responding in kind: on Salomon's web store, the $200 ACS+CSWP sneaker is flying off digital shelves.
We're currently in a real boom time for excellent technical trail running shoes, what with the rollout of excellent new shoes from reliable purveyors of functional runners, including Salomon and HOKA.
HOKA in particular is enjoying a real hot streak with the debut of the Skyline Float-X, Clifton 9 GORE-TEX, and Restore TC slip-on.
The old adage about having too many good things doesn't apply here, IMO. Bring on all the handsome in-line running shoes. Who needs collabs?
