Salomon Thundercross review

We recommend the Salomon Thundercross for:

• Adventurers seeking a versatile trail running shoe that does a great job even on challenging terrain.
• Salomon enthusiasts looking for a single, do-it-all shoe for every trail experience.
• Trail runners who favor midfoot or forefoot striking technique and are in search of a low-drop shoe but are not fans of Altra.

While the Thundercross caters to a broad spectrum of trail runners, in our view it falls short in certain aspects. Its notably low heel-to-toe drop may not suit heel strikers, who might find a better fit with shoes offering a higher offset, like the Nike Pegasus Trail 4 or the Merrell Nova 3.

Additionally, we think it's not the ideal choice for ultra distances due to its limited cushioning. For the long stuff, we suggest considering the Brooks Cascadia 17 or the Hoka Mafate Speed 4 as more suitable alternatives.

One of the first things we love to do in the lab right after unboxing a shoe is to touch the upper and try to gauge the breathability. In this case, it was pretty clear from the start that airflow would be extremely limited. But, we needed to see how it would perform in the smoke test!

Our observation confirmed that airflow is minimal, with only a bit of smoke escaping through the upper part of the tongue. That's a 1/5 rating, and if we could go lower, we would. It's on par with most Gore-Tex shoes.

Looking for more evidence of the limited airflow, we went to examine the cut-in-half shoe under our light. As expected, no light passed through the upper, confirming the virtually nonexistent ventilation.

Next, we turned to the microscope.

There, we observed a thick, dense engineered mesh with absolutely no ventilation holes—not even in the threads. This is clearly a deliberate design choice by Salomon, likely aiming for durability and suitability for cold climates.

Finally, the upper isn't elastic at all, so it won't stretch over time, meaning ventilation isn’t likely to improve.

Uppers with limited ventilation often excel in our toebox durability test, so we were quite excited to put the Salomon Thundercross to the test.

After our rigorous evaluation, we awarded it a 4/5 score, a truly impressive result. The upper boasts a substantial protective layer, making durability a standout strength of this shoe.

The heel padding doesn't match the fantastic durability of the upper, but with a 3/5 score in our Dremel test, it passes for us.

In fact, this can sometimes be the best outcome. Shoes with top scores in this test can often be uncomfortable due to having less padding or harsher fabric in this area.

We measured the outsole hardness with our Shore C durometer, and it registered 83.5 HC.

This is near the average, which is what most brands aim for to strike a balance between durability and grip.

As we expected, the average hardness resulted in average durability.

The 0.9 mm indentation we found in the lug after our last Dremel test is pretty much in line with a typical trail running shoe.

Using our precision tools, we pinpointed a 2.5-mm thick outsole, which is more than sufficient for this shoe.

It might slightly mute the ride, but without a rock plate, we appreciate that Salomon included at least an average thickness here to protect our feet from potentially sharp rocks.

This is one of those shoes that looks bulkier than it actually is. Salomon did an excellent job keeping it below the 10-oz benchmark, with a weight of only 9.6 oz or 271g.

However, the main explanation of the weight lies in the low stack height.

At just 27.6 mm, there's significantly less foam in the heel than usual, making the shoe less appealing for rearfoot strikers.

In the forefoot, we measured a standard stack height of 24.6 mm.

This is the ideal approach for an all-rounder shoe, so it's clear that Salomon wants the Thundercross to be versatile—suitable for a bit of everything in terms of both paces and distances!

However, it's not the best option for everyone. With an extremely low drop of 3.0 mm, it's mainly designed for forefoot strikers and possibly midfoot strikers.

Heel strikers need to be comfortable with low-drop shoes like those from Altra; otherwise, we don't think they're a great choice for them.

The insole follows the same pattern as the outsole—it sticks with the average. At 4.3 mm, it fits perfectly for an all-rounder trail running shoe.

Now, let's go with the midsole. The Thundercross is equipped with EnergyFOAM, an EVA+OBC mix.

Blending OBC (Olefin) with EVA brings several advantages, like enhanced resilience and energy return. We clocked its softness at 19.4 HA.

We can confidently confirm that the shoe doesn’t feel like a typical, hard EVA midsole. In fact, it offers a truly enjoyable and fun ride!

This shoe, with its upper designed for low temperatures, is expected to perform well in winter. To test this, we placed the shoe in the freezer for 20 minutes and then re-tested it. We found that the softness changed to 25.9 HA.

That's a 27.1% increase, which is acceptable. It ensures there won’t be incredibly big differences in how the shoe feels in winter, which is what we expected from a base of EVA—typically underperforming in cold weather—mixed with OBC, which helps to boost its performance.

Though the Thundercross isn't a stability shoe by design, on certain terrains it performs as admirably as one.

The combination of its relatively low stack, a well-balanced midsole, and a low drop, all contribute to an undeniably stable ride. And we loved it.

The lower stack height plays a key role in the stable ride we talked about earlier. However, a major factor in this stability is the shoe's high torsional rigidity that we rated at 4/5.

The heel counter actually takes the opposite approach. With a rating of only 2/5, it's soft, clearly aiming to be comfortable for all-day wear and to avoid an intrusive ride.

At the same time, given its low drop, there's no need to add much guidance in the rearfoot, as the shoe is already tailored towards midfoot and forefoot strikers.

The forefoot of the shoe, at its widest point, measures 113.0 mm. This adds to the array of features in this shoe that hover around average, aiming to create the ultimate jack-of-all-trades.

In the heel, we measured a midsole width of 88.6 mm, which is a safe approach.

It's not as wide as what you'd typically find in a stability shoe, but at the same time, it's wider than the narrowest, more aggressive shoes on the market.

The shoe is rigid torsionally, but it's much more flexible lengthwise, which aligns with Salomon's intention for it to be suitable for walking or hiking as well. In our 90-degree bend test, we only had to apply 29.2N of force to bend the shoe to the desired point.

We repeated the 20-minute freezer test to understand the shoe's stiffness in harsh winter conditions. After that, we needed to exert 36.3N of force to bend the shoe.

That's just a 24.2% difference, a great result that outperforms almost every other trail running shoe. Why does this happen?

As we explained earlier, mixing EVA foam with OBC results in much better performance for the midsole and ensures consistency across a range of temperatures.

We're now focusing again on the outsole, specifically one of the most crucial aspects of any trail running shoe—the lugs of the Contagrip outsole.

Salomon has chosen 4.0-mm lugs, which are slightly longer than what most all-around trail shoes typically have (3.0 to 3.5 mm).

We think this is a smart move from Salomon, as it positions the shoe better for technical terrain or muddy areas, rather than just being suitable for easy trails like fire roads.

Additionally, the lug pattern significantly differs from road-to-trail shoes or the most versatile ones. We observed aggressive, chevron-shaped lugs, designed to excel on downhills and uphills, while sacrificing a bit of traction on completely flat trails.

Let's say that it sits in the middle of the Sense Ride 5 (easy trails) and the Speedcross 6 (challenging terrain).

Salomon is highly known in the trail running world for its snug, narrow uppers, but the Thundercross actually defies this trend.

Measuring at 102.7 mm, it's one of the widest Salomon shoes we have ever tested in the lab.

The toe cap, measuring a generous 79.5 mm, is wider than average, making it an ideal fit for those with wide feet, particularly in the toe region.

The Thundercross doesn't have a gusset in the tongue, but its boot-like design will prevent most debris from entering the shoe. However, we would have appreciated at least a semi-gusseted tongue.

With a 7.3 mm thickness, the tongue offers ample padding for comfort, even on long runs.

Plus, over-tightening the laces won't be an issue thanks to Salomon's patented Quicklace system. This feature often sparks a love/hate relationship among many runners due to its unique design.

Despite having the lace pocket tab in the tongue area, we didn't find a heel tab on the shoe. However, from a functional standpoint, it doesn't really need one.

Like many Salomon shoes, the insole in this model comes from a partnership with Ortholite. However, it's not as flared as in other models. And you can easily remove it and replace it with a third-party insole without any issues.

The Thundercross lacks any reflective elements, which is quite disappointing for a trail shoe designed for all-day, off-road adventures.