Salomon makes several hiker-friendly trail running shoes. But I'll be surprised if the brand-new Salomon Thundercross doesn't quickly become the brand's most popular trail runner for hikers—courtesy of its killer combination of max cushion, light weight, and aggressive traction. My Salomon Thundercross Review gives a hiker's perspective on Salomon's latest—and potentially best—trail running shoe for hiking.
Meet the Salomon Thundercross trail running shoe
New for Fall 2023, the Salomon Thundercross is a trail running shoe made for running muddy trails and navigating tricky terrain. The shoe's DNA seems to be a cross between the Salomon Speedcross—with deep and aggressive tread—and the Salomon Ultra Glide's plush cushioning and roomy toe box. That adds up to a lightweight trail running shoe for moderate to difficult trails that's still super-cushy underfoot.
In many ways, the Thundercross is vintage Salomon. It's lightweight yet supportive and features Sensifit uppers that wrap around your feet for a comfortably snug fit. However, this shoe has several features that are fairly new for Salomon, such as
These new features mean the Salomon Thundercross may appeal to hikers (and runners) who have found other Salomons too firm or too narrow for them. Long-time Salomon fans may love this new addition to the family—like me—or prefer a more traditional Salomon trail running shoe, such as the Salomon XA Pro.
Just now hitting stores, the Salomon Thundercross lists for $140 (non-waterproof) with the GORE-TEX (waterproof) version priced at $160 (MSRP). Here are current prices—you can click the convenient affiliate links below to check available sizes and color options for men and women:
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Salomon Thundercross Review
As soon as I learned about the new Salomon Thundercross, I purchased a pair for personal use and quickly put it through the wringer near my Pennsylvania home. My test hikes deliberately spanned different kinds of terrain and day hikes of varying difficulty levels to evaluate this shoe's support, weight, fit, comfort, weatherproofing, traction, and overall value. My Salomon Thundercross Review focused on the waterproof Thundercross GORE-TEX.
Here's why I expect the Salomon Thundercross to be a hit with hikers:
Hiking Singletown Gap (PA) in the new Salomon Thundercross
Salomon Thundercross: Support
MODERATE
Salomon is the rare brand that knows how to cut weight without sacrificing too much support. The Salomon Thundercross has moderate support—in spite of being such a lightweight, cushy shoe. The shoe is soft-but rigid through the midfoot with moderate flex at the foot's natural flex point. That adds some foot support and torsional rigidity, which makes it a little harder to twist an ankle on rocks, roots, etc. Much like the Hoka Speedgoat, the thickness of the Thundercross's max-cushioned midsoles also add some backbone without adding much weight.
As a trail runner, the Thundercross is not as supportive as Salomon's signature hiking shoe, the X Ultra 4 GTX, nor is it as stiff or as beefy as their traditional trail runner for hikers, the XA Pro. However, I'm more than comfortable day hiking in the Salomon Thundercross (and I don't have the best feet and ankles). It provides pretty good support for a trail running shoe—more than you'll get from most lightweight trail runners.
Salomon Thundercross: Weight
LIGHTWEIGHT
And this is a lightweight trail running shoe. My pair weighs 1lb 8oz* (men's size 12)—significantly lighter than true hiking shoes. That's also lighter than most of the trail runners I recommend for hikers. The Thundercross is a smidge heavier than the Salomon Ultra Glide 2 and the same weight as the new Lowa Fortux. It's slightly lighter than my Hoka Speedgoats, a few ounces lighter than my Altra Lone Peaks, and about 6 ounces less than traditional trail runners, such as the Salomon XA Pro and La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 2. If you're a fast hiker, the Salomon Thundercross may save you a little energy, thanks to this weight savings.
* Women's start around 9oz per shoe.
Salomon Thundercross for women (multiple colors available)
Salomon Thundercross: Fit
STANDARD TO WIDE FIT
The Thundercross has a roomier fit than most Salomons. Salomons generally have a snug fit in the heel, standard fit in the forefoot, and slightly narrow toe boxes. The Salomon Thundercross fits snug in the heel with a slightly wide forefoot and roomy toe box that lets my toes spread out naturally for a strong base. It's much wider than the Salomon Speedcross (which runs narrow) with a fit closer to the wide versions of the Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX and XA Pro.
This slightly roomy fit favors hikers with standard to wide feet. I'm normally limited to Salomons available in wide sizes. However, I can wear the Thundercross (in a half-size larger than my everyday shoe size).
Salomon Thundercross: Comfort
MAX CUSHION
Most men and women who will buy the Salomon Thundercross will do so for its cushioning. Similar to the Salomon Ultra Glide 2 (which I also like), this is a max cushion trail running shoe that's almost (but not quite) as cushy as the best-selling Hoka Speedgoat. Its fit and feel are quite similar to the Speedgoat, actually, except that the Thundercross has less rocker, adds a quicklace system (which I like but not everybody does), and doesn't feel as tall or as bulky underfoot. It's a good choice for hikers who want more float than feel and prefer a well-cushioned trail shoe to a firmer, more traditional ride.
Men's Salomon Thundercross GORE-TEX
Salomon Thundercross: Waterproofing
AVAILABLE IN GORE-TEX
Hikers can choose between the regular (non-waterproof) and GORE-TEX (waterproof) version of the Thundercross. Many hikers who choose trail running shoes opt for non-waterproof shoes because they may wear cooler on your feet and dry faster when they do get wet.
If you do want a waterproof trail shoe, GORE-TEX remains the industry standard for reliable and breathable waterproofing. My pair has been effectively puddle-proof so far, keeping my feet dry throughout a rainy day hike on a muddy trail through the Rhododendrons along a Pennsylvania mountain stream. Just keep in mind that it only offers 3 inches of weatherproof clearance (i.e. H2O membranes never extend to the top of a boot/shoe). Since this shoe's traction excels in mud and snow (see below), the GORE-TEX version makes a lot of sense for hikers. I've liked this shoe for soggy fall hikes, and I expect it will be my trail runner-of-choice for winter hiking.
Salomon Thundercross: Traction
AGGRESSIVE
The Salomon Thundercross features deep (5mm), widely spaced lugs with aggressive, V-shaped edges. The lugs are made to dig into trails, and the wide spacing limits mud and snow from caking up the bottom of the shoe. That's a big plus on soft and steep trails and woodland hikes. At the same time, that aggressive tread can be a liabilty on rocks and hard surfaces where those lugs can't dig into anything.
It's important to consider where you do most of your hiking to determine if this tread is a good or bad match for the terrain you hike. I'd be totally confident in the Thundercross on muddy trails, desert crust, singletrack, and steep trails with dirt, mud, sand, scree, and pebbles. I've passed hikers half my age on steep descents in this shoe, thanks to its aggressive tread. However, I've also slipped around and taken a couple hard falls on wet rocks and roots on a rainy test hike through Pennsylvania's Moshannon State Forest. The Speedgoat is better on rocks—the Thundercross is better in the woods, snow, and mud.
Salomon Thundercross: Value
GOOD
The price of trail running shoes has skyrocketed with growing demand, which is largely driven by more hikers picking trail running shoes over true hiking shoes. The Salomon Thundercross lists for $140 ($20 more for GORE-TEX). That's now at or below the going rate for the best trail running shoes for hiking. For example, it's $15 less than the Hoka Speedgoat, which is a good comp (as another max cushion trail running shoe). Salomons also have solid durability, as long as you keep them off pavement as much as possible. You actually can buy many of the best hiking shoes at this price. However, it's a fair price—even a good price—for a premium trail running shoe in today's market.
Salomon Thundercross: Pros vs. Cons
The Salomon Thundercross profiles as a good trail running shoe for hiking. Here's a quick summary of this shoe's pros and cons, based on my Salomon Thundercross review:
Overall Recommendations:
The Salomon Thundercross trail running shoe may be a solid hiking shoe for men and women who prefer lightweight footwear with a lot of cushion and aggressive traction. It's not a good match for really rocky terrain. Otherwise, this shoe should should work with several different hiking styles, given its Salomonesque ability to provide better support for the weight than other trail runners and hiking shoes. It's a pretty versatile trail running shoe with plenty of plusses.
best fit
standard to moderately wide feet
best match
muddy trails and woods, max cushion fans, fast hikers with light packs, moderate to difficult day hikes
Salomon's best trail runner for hikers?
The Salomon Thundercross has many of the features that today's hikers want out of a trail running shoe. It's lightweight with plenty of cushioning, low heel-to-toe drop, and more room in the forefoot and toe box for swollen or wide feet. It's a nice alternative to the Hoka Speedgoat. Within the Salomon line up, the Thundercross offers more aggressive tread than Salomon's other max cushion shoe, the Ultra Glide 2. It's not as protective or as burly as the XA Pro, but it's still supportive, significantly lighter, and much more cushioned than Salomon's traditional trail runner for hikers. All three of those trail runners work for me, but I predict that the Salomon Thundercross ultimately will end up the brand's best-seller for hikers.
Are you feeling the new Salomon Thundercross? If so, please consider purchasing your next pair through the affiliate links above. That's free and easy for you—and may send a few dollars my way. Those small commisions cover my costs, let me buy boots and shoes to review, and give me a little bit back for all the unpaid hours I've spend creating free and independent content for people looking to buy the best hiking footwear. If my Salomon Thundercross review hooked you up, please consider hooking me up, too.
Thanks—and happy hiking!
