Salomon's hot streak ain't limited to joint efforts. Though the French sportswear brand is likely best-known among the youngs for its Advanced, ACS, and tech-y XT lines, especially when they get the collaborative touch, Salomon is perfectly capable of cranking out equally great in-line shoes, like its new Elixir trail shoe.
Available in low and mid-top form, Salomon's Elixir shoes are new for Fall/Winter 2023, an unpretentiously excellent silhouette perfectly situated to be one of the season's great sleeper hits.
The Salomon Elixir is a satisfyingly chunky, GORE-TEX-lined hiking sneaker available in some pleasantly neutral colorways, affecting a meaty silhouette that's versatile but not boring. That sounds simple but this is not a middle ground any ol' sneaker can achieve, otherwise we'd be covering every shoe in REI's sale section (no hate to REI).
Really, Salomon's Elixir sneaker is the yin to the HOKA's Tor Ultra series yang, in that they're heavyweight trail steppers that emphasize function over fashion despite being pretty darn stylish.
It just so happened that the HOKA TOR Ultra Low happened to be one of the surprise smashes of 2018, when they debuted and I could've envision a similar fate for Salomon's Elixir, had Salomon launched the Elixir as a limited edition collab.
But the Elixir instead quietly launched as a general release shoe in late July, undeservedly going under the radar. I can't quite figure out why no one is talking about these shoes beyond a few hiking-oriented websites, except for the fact that their release simply wasn't terribly well-publicized.
Well, consider this my effort to right that wrong.
Real hikers already approve: "In my opinion, the comfort and support they offer is a worthy trade for the extra weight," one reviewer says on Salomon's website, where the Elixir is widely available for $190.
"They also look pretty awesome," they continued. Couldn't agree more, my friend.
We all know Salomon is top dog at collaborations, dishing exclusive shoes with partners like Chicago store Notre, UK mega-retailer END., and French afro-vegan restaurant Jah Jah with impressive consistency, both in terms of frequency and quality.
We also must also make time for Salomon's new in-line footwear, however, as it's all getting noticeably better at its own patient pace.
These sorta in-house designs may not immediately sound quite as sexy as a one-off sneaker created with a recognizable name but some of the great undersung shoes of our time are born in this unassuming arena.
The brand once called HOKA ONE ONE, for instance, recently came up with two slam dunks: the beautifully beefy Skyline Float-X and the Restore TC slip-on shoe, neither of which needed an external collaborator to be entirely excellent.
Salomon's Elixir is similarly strong enough to stand tall on its own. Still, I kinda hope it receives a collaborative update in due time, if only to give the sneaker even more deserved attention.
