Weight: 290g
Heel-to-toe drop: 4mm
Lug depth: 5mm
What everyone's reading
The shoe
If you’re looking for a trail shoe to see you through the worst of what the British winter can throw at you, the Salomon Thundercross might be it. Designed to deliver a ‘dynamic and cushioned ride’, the latest addition to Salomon’s Cross range comes with deep 5mm lugs that will revel in mud and on technical terrain. In fact, the outsole is almost identical to that of the popular Speedcross 6, with Y-shaped lugs designed to provide additional lateral traction for running across slopes or ridges.
Yet, while the two are similar when it comes to their ability to tackle technical terrain, they're undeniably different when you move up to the midsole. The Speedcross is firm and aggressive, but the Thundercross remains springy and soft underfoot thanks to a generous wedge of Energy Foam, creating a stack height of 27mm in the forefoot and 31mm in the heel.
It’s also got Salomon’s Quicklace system, which holds your foot snuggly in place and has a secure built-in pocket on the plush tongue. If you’re not used to the Quicklace system, it can be a bit fiddly to begin with. The Thundercross doesn’t have a pull tag on the back either, so we found it quite tricky to get our foot in it initially. But, the foothold is impressive and stays secure no matter how many miles you put in.
What is the Salomon Thundercross like to run in?
The Thundercross is designed to sit in the technical segment of Salomon's trail shoe range, capable of clambering over rocks, roots, soft ground and steep terrain. We found the relatively small heel-to-toe drop (4mm) created a more nimble and stable ride than the likes of the Speedcross (which has a 10mm drop), with a decent amount of ground feel that puts you in control on uneven surfaces.
Impressively, our testers also found the Salomon Thundercross felt at home on dryer trails and even road sections, making it a plausible door-to-trail option. However, there’s plenty of cushioning here for longer off-road runs too. In fact, one of our testers described the cushioning as 'almost feeling contoured to the sole of their foot'.
The upper in the forefoot of the shoe uses the same material as the Speedcross 6, which is nice and breathable, while the Sensifit construction in the midfoot helps to lock the foot in place. There's a nice amount of padding around the collar and heel too, providing plenty of comfort for those long days on the trails. We had no issues with heel slippage either.
How does the Salomon Thundercross fit?
All of our testers found the shoe fits true-to-size (if anything, it’s ever so slightly on the big side) and we experienced no hotspots while running in it, including straight out of the box.
RW verdict
If you're looking for a shoe that can give you the confidence to tackle uneven terrains, while remaining comfortable underfoot for several miles, the Salomon Thundercross should be on your radar. In fact, it could almost be described as the lovechild of the Salomon Speedcross and Ultra Glide 2 when it comes to combining a classic outsole with a cushioned midsole.
Sure, there’s nothing particularly flashy or cutting edge here, and at 290g it’s not a shoe for shorter distance races, but if you’re in the market for a durable workhorse of a trail shoe, it’s a thundering success.
