When it has been cold and wet, these shoes protected my feet well. I did feel them getting a bit damp, but that was later on in a wet cross country race, so it’s hardly surprising. The midsole is injected EVA foam and relatively thin compared to some more cushioned runners. It is ready for muddy stuff Lacing up and first run, the shoes were excellent. They felt reasonably light, not much heavier than a road shoe. After speaking with other users, I learned that the bungee pull could be frustrating with cold hands and slippy conditions—fairly typical after a trail run. I have to say, it makes sense, and I do like the lacing option of the Vario 2. It also includes my favorite part of the upper from the Pro, the tongue cover. Although a simple thing, and a small detail, it is something like this that gives you confidence in a company.

This shoe has traction to spare on most trails, although on the most technical ones I tried to take it slipped from time to time after going through wet areas. However, this was just a little concern. The sole unit of this shoe uses Salomon’s Molded Eva, Lightweight Muscle and Injected Eva cushioning to make sure your feet are padded throughout the run. The sole itself uses Salomon’s Constagrip technology. They were up for the challenge of an 8-mile mountain trek, and also a 12-mile crushed gravel/dirt run, while keeping my feet mostly pain free. However, the firmness of the cushioning made the longer runs a bit painful on the foot. Salomon SpeedCross Vario General InfoHowever, if you are in a forested or mountainous area and hit the trails often, the Pros will offer that extra grip, easier lacing, water shedding and a slightly softer ride that holds up to higher mileage. When on cement, it will not be the jarring ride that the Pro gives, while still giving you the grip desired for most surfaces.

Unboxing the Speedcross Vario 2’s, I found them sturdy but not too heavy. They feel rigid but not overly unwieldy and not noticeably heavier than a well-cushioned pair of road shoes. Also, the tongue position could be a little uncomfortable if it rolled around the right side. In reality, these are minimal intrusions, and once I was running, they settled fine and didn’t bother me. These have made my rotation, even while in the city, as I can transition in them from cement to gravel/crushed limestone and feel great grip and stability the entire way.

Price

This is where the Vario 2 derives its character. A lighter, smoother’ more friction-based sole’ is what connects you to the ground in these. In terms of sizing, these shoes are pretty true to size. I take a size 10 and have slightly wider feet. I find them a little snug width and lengthwise in the toe box compared to some of my road shoes, but not to an uncomfortable level. Comfortable fit I’d bought them for a cross country race that day, so I had no time to break them in. I’ve since competed in several other events and run in them socially, and they sit well with me.

This ability to deliver performance on harder surfaces was a key performance aim of the Vario 2. And while you wouldn’t go too far because of the firm insole, they will carry you well on hard, firm surfaces as well as on trails. The first run I did in them was on a cement/gravel trail, going 5 miles and feeling good the whole time. Salomon SpeedCross Vario Sole InfoA trail shoe is a different proposition to a regular road shoe. You want to be reassured in its sturdiness and durability, but you don’t want to feel like you’re running around in clogs—tough gig! The cushioning in the sole has a very conditional 11mm (20mm-9mm) heel-toe drop. This makes for a familiar and comfortable ride for most runners. The most important thing to know about this sole unit is that the cushioning is quite firm. Most most runs, I personally enjoy that, and when I took the shoe on an 8-mile mountainous route, and felt great the whole time. Interestingly, these Vario 2 versions of the popular Speedcross come with laces while the standard versions have a bungee pull. The big thing with trails shoes is the extent of the compromise to comfort and speed resulting from the adaptation to perform on slippery terrain. The Vario 2’s have minimal cushioning, so these feel quite hard, particularly on firm ground.