[Review] New Trail Running Shoes from Sweden: SALMING RANGER

The newly released trail running shoe from Salming is called Ranger. Just hearing the name makes me want to play a game... Wait, these are running shoes... Oops!

 

First of all, I would like to thank the brand Salming for sending me this pair of shoes to review. 

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My first reaction after opening the box and seeing the Salming Ranger in person was to exclaim, "Whoa!"

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"The upper fabric has no ventilation holes at all. Plus, there are no drainage holes because the TPU coating covers the entire bottom... Is it really suitable for trail running in Thailand, where we have to deal with heat, waterfalls, and rain?"

But after stroking and pressing the upper fabric, I have to say it feels really smooth, soft, and comfortable. As for whether it's suitable, I'll have to try it out in real use."

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After admiring the upper, I flipped the shoe over to look at the tread pattern. "Whoa!"

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"The tread is deep and seriously impressive." Wow, that's some serious stuff. 

So, I had the opportunity to take them out and try them on Khao Pang in Chumphon Province.

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"Whoa!"

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The Khao Pang trail features loose rocks, broken concrete, and extremely steep dirt paths. After running and walking for over 3 and a half hours in light rain, I'm going to review how they performed!

View Salming Ranger details: CLICK

Upper

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As I mentioned earlier, the upper has no ventilation holes and no drainage holes. After actually running, it turned out that my feet didn't get as hot as I expected. This might be because I wasn't running very fast, and the fabric retained sweat after running for a while. What I really like is that the upper is extremely soft and comfortable—softer than any trail running shoes I've worn before. This is because most trail running shoes focus on thin, breathable, and durable fabric, so they don't offer this level of softness and comfort.

The front toe bumper uses Rocshield technology to protect against kicking rocks and branches. 

Heel Counter

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The padded fabric is very thick and doesn't hurt the Achilles tendon. It's soft and comfortable, but it does come at the cost of not locking the heel as well. However, if you're not running fast, it's not a problem at all.

Midsole

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The Swedish brand's foam technology is called Runlite. The sole looks thin, not thick, but it's soft. I tried running on concrete... "Wow, that was unexpected. It's not harsh at all—much softer than I thought."

Outsole

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Bam!! How about that? Just by looking at it, you can tell it has great grip. There was one section with a dirt path about 70% steep, where I had to use my arms to scramble up. Let me tell you, the grip is incredible. 

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Looking at it from another angle, you can see that the tread is about 5 mm deep, just like the Vibram Mega Grip tread used in top-tier trail shoes. If it doesn't grip, I don't know what to call it.

How was it on wet rocks? I can't answer that yet. It was drizzling on the day I went running, so the rocks weren't wet. However, from my experience with Salming, I can say with full confidence that Salming's outsoles are very grippy even in the rain.

In summary, who are the Salming Ranger shoes suitable for?

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I think they are suitable for "beginner trail runners or people who don't trail run very often and have a limited budget" for the following reasons:

1. Affordable price

The retail price is 3,700 baht. With a 10% member discount, it's 3,330 baht, plus free shipping!

2. Soft and comfortable upper fabric

Even though the ventilation isn't great, for a beginner, wearing soft and comfortable upper fabric shoes will make our first trail running experience better.

3. Can handle any terrain

With its deep tread, you don't have to worry about steep terrain, and it can handle concrete surfaces without any issues.

For these three reasons, I think they are perfect for this group of friends. 

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View Salming Ranger details: CLICK