If you get the quiet feeling that sneakerdom’s old guard isn’t quite as cool as it once was, you’d be right on the money. Lately, household names like Nike and Adidas are losing some of their shine, as more exciting, innovative, left-field brands are beginning to enjoy their hard-earned time in the sun. Salomon is one such trailblazer: leading the charge with its collection of everyday sneakers, delivering an urban aesthetic and outdoor technical performance.
Originally founded in 1947 by Georges Salomon in the heart of the French Alps, Salomon began its life catering exclusively to the needs of alpine sportsmen, with the first pair of Salomon ski boots coming to market in 1979. It wasn’t until 1992 that the French-founded outfit turned its attention to hiking boots, which grew into a whole family of function-focused hiking and trail running shoes that Salomon is synonymous with today.
There are numerous factors that have played a part in the success of Salomon in recent years, but many contend it all started in 2015 – when the brand inked a distribution agreement with The Broken Arm, a Parisian retailer and café renowned as a forerunner of fashion’s booming techwear trend. Since then, Salomon has accrued substantial industry clout, with the brand now appearing in other high-end retailers such as Dover Street Market London, Idol in Brooklyn, and the online giant Ssense.
The Broken Arm’s founders were also keen trail runners, helping Salomon to traverse the space between functional activity and fashion, and in so doing, introducing the brand to a whole new audience of customers. Today, across Sydney and Melbourne, you’re likely to spot the brand footed on various style-conscious creative types, cementing their position as one of the hottest footwear brands in the game.
While Salomon has been the choice of tastemakers for years now, a factor that has seen it achieve broader appeal is the impressive quality and versatility of its shoes. As willfully ugly sneakers (pushed by every brand from the high street to the runway) become ever more cliché, lovers of anti-fashion, who still want to put dynamic, comfortable designs on their feet, are looking to the brand for a considered alternative.
Walking the tightrope between form and function, designed to handle anything a remote running trail might throw at you, all of Salomon’s shoes excel by extension in the concrete jungle – designed for daily wear, yet versatile enough to take you from the great outdoors to your favourite cocktail bar.
To show this off, we linked up with the good folks at Incu, Australia’s pre-eminent retailer of cutting edge global fashion and a noted Salomon stockist, to highlight exactly how universal the appeal of these French sneakers are. Styled alongside garments from COMME des GARÇONS HOMME, Stone Island, Casablanca, Porter Yoshida & Co, Norse Projects, Lemaire, Undercover, Kenzo and more, they’re certainly in good company.
#1 Cargo Pants
This warm-toned, almost autumnal fit – consisting of olive green cargoes by Kenzo and a knitted polo from cult Japanese retailer Beams Plus – gets the foundation it deserves with the Salomon XT-6 Expanse 75th Anniversary Sneakers.
A reissue of the very first hiking shoes Salomon launched back in 1992, they feature a bold orange upper (produced using mesh and textile highlights) contrasted against a green heel section – great for taking on the mean streets of Sydney, against the backdrop of warm spring weather.
#2 Shorts
Next up: a slightly more dynamic look, pulled together by training shorts and Stone Island’s signature ‘Crinkle Reps’ overshirt (in an impossible-to-miss red colourway). In this fit, we’re spotlighting the Salomon XT- 4 Sneakers – an all-conditions model emblazoned with some very punchy details including the QuickPull lacing system and Salomon’s wildly specific ‘Bitter Chocolar Mocha Mousse’ colourway.
The mesh upper, coated in TPU, fades from purple to burgundy. Against the red highlights in the silhouette’s EVA midsole, these are creps that will inject some speed (of the visually metaphorical variety) into any footwear rotation.
#3 Tapered Trousers
A look that would feel right at home in a creative industries office or particularly pourover-obsessed café, this outfit ties together Gramicci’s stretchy climber-inspired pants and a relaxed, knit ‘Stratum’ blouson (by progressive Japanese label CFCL).
The cool, minimally saturated hue of these pieces are great for keeping the spotlight on Salomon’s XT-Quest 75th Anniversary sneakers: an urbane take on the brand’s long-distance runner that elevates a seemingly safe work-week ensemble.
#4 Baggy Pants
To finish on a cosy note, your man above is pictured sporting the Comme Des Garçons Homme Tussah Pants, a multi-pocket vest by Undercover, and Lemaire’s effortless, slouchy High Collar Sweatshirt.
Finished with a pair of Salomon’s Speedverse PRG Sneakers this is a textbook play in the arena of monochrome dressing: the absence of colour lends itself to a bigger emphasis on each element’s texture and details – the kind of outfit that, overall, becomes more impressive the closer you look.
This article is sponsored by Salomon. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Boss Hunting.
