Salomon RX Mocs

A month ago a large parcel arrived. Receiving a parcel is always good and exciting, but it’s even better when it contains two pairs of shoes that have been sent to you for review.

A week or so earlier the nice chaps at FitnessFootwear had offered us a pair of shoes each in return for our thoughts on them, and this was the awaited parcel. No time was wasted in ripping through the outer packaging and we swiftly sorted out which box was for who. I had requested some good and sensible walking shoes (more about those soon), whereas I volunteered Mick for the rather ‘striking’ Salomon RX Mocs.

Odd looking things, aren’t they? This is what the product description says:

“The RX Moc is a lightweight and comfortable shoe which has an elastic mesh upper which is mated to a cushioned mid and outsole this makes the shoe easy to slip on and off. Very light shoe with a breathable mesh fabric, these are intended to be worn as an after sports shoe, but are also great for relaxing and walking in”

He’s been wearing them for a month now (attracting quite a range of comments, both solicited and unsolicited), and here are his thoughts on them:

As I have been in training for a marathon, it seemed an ideal time to use and review these shoes against the claims made by Salomon that they will assist in recovery after exercise. So the question to be answered was: will they work? And the answer: I think they did. The shock-absorbing, wedge-shaped heel appears to reduce stress on the legs post exercise. They do feel like a comfortable pair of spongy slippers but I doubt that these are the reasons that they will be attractive to any prospective purchasers.

Perhaps a review should be a bit more objective: the shoes are called Salomon RX Mocs, are aimed at the sports market and designed to improve recovery after exercise. They are very light at just over 460g per pair (for a size 8.5 in Salomon sizing), have a wedge-shaped, shock-absorbent heel and come in only one colour – fluorescent yellow. And as a lightweight pair of shoes designed for a limited purpose they are not cheap at almost £50 a pair.

Of course, at this weight they would make a very comfortable pair of camp shoes for backpacking purposes, which would help your feet recover after a day of pounding, and for that purpose the colour and design wouldn’t be such an issue - but I’m not sure that the ‘help your feet recover’ claims could really compete with the cost and weight of the Croc-like shoes that are usually chosen for this purpose.

Would I go for the same shoes again once I’ve worn these out? Well, they’re very comfortable, they fit nicely and they do look, well, interesting. But, I can’t quite get past the obstacle of the colour! They are the same colour as a yellow highlighter pen or the hi-vis jackets that the police wear, which makes ones feet stand out somewhat whenever they are pulled on: they look like you are wearing Day-Glo scuba diving shoes. I have, therefore, in the main, only used them around the house; however, on the occasions when I have ventured outside wearing them I noticed the stares of others at my feet. Maybe it was me just being overly sensitive, but I think not.

I’m sorry, Mr Salomon, I love your shoes and boots. I have many pairs of Salomon shoes for running, hiking and backpacking and used them over thousand of miles. I have put up with some of Salomon’s whacky designs in materials and colours but these are just one step too far for me.