Salewa Speed Beat Gore-Tex
Best footwear for trail running from the Fall/Winter 2018 Gear Guide.
To trail run in the fourth season, you need a shoe that can handle conditions that might make other folks opt for a treadmill. The Speed Beat’s protection received high marks from one Alaska tester, who praised the mesh that stretches over the laces to keep debris out, as well as a Gore-Tex membrane that repelled moisture. The Speed Beat’s rubber Pomoca outsole with chain link-shaped lug patterns (designed specifically to increase contact area while running in snow and slop) held in slushy and muddy conditions during multiple 2,000-foot descents on Douglas Island outside of Juneau.
THE DETAILS
After tackling Juneau’s West Glacier Trail and a dozen more trail runs, our tester was impressed with the Speed Beat’s durability: “I took it on technical routes, and it looks fine even after high-speed run-ins with rocks and debris,” he says. Credit stout TPU reinforcements that wrap around the shoe. Check fit: The toebox is narrow.
TRAIL CRED
“The snug heel cup is great; I never felt slippage, and it gave me confidence to pound on the uphills,” our tester reports.
Weight: 1 lb. 8 oz.
Sizes: Men’s 6.5-13, Women’s 5-11
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See more Footwear for Winter 2018
See the entire Winter Gear Guide
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