The Salomon Speed Assault is new to Salomon’s “Forces Line” which was created in 2016 and geared toward Military and Law Enforcement personnel but still available to the public.  Footwear in this line retains Salomon’s outdoor performance benefits while adding some durability features as well as removing all reflective material, making it appealing to those looking for less flashy footwear as well.

The Speed Assault is a lightweight mid-cut boot made out of superlight fast drying materials.  This boot is made to be light, fast and flexible for any warm weather and wet operation.  It weighs in at just 11.2 ounces but with molded EVA and a shaped foot bed it provides excellent cushion for such a light weight package.

The speed assault also sports and anti-debris mesh and a gusseted tongue to keep debris out and high traction Contragrip which provides traction on any surface but truly outshines any other shoe/boot I have ever worn on soft and steep terrain.

A Quicklace system gets these bad boys on and off your feet quickly and a lace pocket built onto the tongue stores extras lace to keep you from snagging your laces as well as maintaining a sleek look.

As a fan of lightweight footwear I was super excited to get these on my feet.  Out of the box my only concern was the width which appeared to be super narrow.  I was pleasantly surprised when I got them on my feet however as they fit quite well.  They were slightly snug on my forefoot initially (I have a wide forefoot) but after adjusting the laces a little I didn’t even notice any snugness and after 4 hours of scrambling through rocky and wet VA trails while carrying two kids for my first usage the width proved not to be an issue for me.

In every other area this boot was outstanding.  It is low-cut for a boot (or high for a shoe depending what you may consider this masterpiece of footwear) but a stretch heel collar keeps the fit around your ankle super secure and I found it surprisingly supportive around the ankle.

As an aggressively lugged shoe I anticipated it to shine on soft surfaces (It did) but was surprised at how well it handled rock, concrete, and hard surfaces.  Often shoes with aggressive lugs fail here as they lose surface area, and while a duty boot designed specifically for hard surfaces will give you a little more traction I was super happy with how these performed.

On soft surfaces the speed assaults are unbeatable.  I used them to approach one of my out of the way rock climbing locations by the Shenandoah River.  It is a steep, loose, off trail descent to the crag that often requires three or four points of contact.

I made the descent confidently while carrying all my equipment on my back, which brings me to another area where these outperform boots/shoes in this class.  They handle heavy loads surprisingly well.  Again this boot is designed to be lightweight and fast and a super sturdy (heavy) duty boot is probably going to handle the heavy carrying a little better.  However with its superior cushion for a shoe of this weight and surprising ankle support I found that I could comfortably carry heavy loads and experienced no discomfort from lack of cushion or support.

Here’s my summation for you.

The boot midsole and heel height is 12mm/ 6mm.  The boots have a mid-cut profile for additional ankle support and protection. The color is a dark, rich brown color and they look great. The images shown here show the actual color of their brown boots. They come in black too.

They use what they call their Sensifit and it cradles the foot from the midsole to the lacing system, providing a secure, snug, and virtually customized fit all around the foot. Check out the texture of the anti-debris material used for the toe box. The toe cap provides adequate protection against debris. The material gives it excellent breathability and quick drying as stated on their website. It works well.

Salomon uses molded EVA which provides excellent next to foot cushioning and anatomical support. They also use a heel mustache to provide strength to the heel of the boot, protection and it also acts as anti-inversion to counter twisting. The boot is a good looking low profile boot. Salomon uses non-reflective materials for tactical usage

A lace pocket provides easy storage for the Quick Fit lacing system. The Quick Lace is minimalistic and strong lacing for one-pull tightening. Easy-on, easy-off. I like the addition of the fabric loop on the tongue to label the brand but to also pull it up.

The collar is very soft and when the boot is laced up it fits snugly around your ankle.

There is a material bridge connecting the tongue to the upper eliminating debris from entering the boot. The OrthoLite® sockliner combines a specific Ortholite® foam and an EVA heel cup. Ortholite® foam is very popular and used in many good boot brands.

Good use of multi-directional lugs. Rocks won’t get caught between the lugs. Firm yet flexible and useful for climbing. This is one boot that does it all and this is definitely my new favorite piece of footwear.  I covered all types of terrain both urban and wild, carried heavy loads, wore them hiking with the family and even did a 10 mile run in them just for the hell of it and they handled everything I threw at them without showing any signs of wear and tear in the couple moths that I have tried to trash them.  I could confidently wear these in any situation, which makes them perfect for a day in the mountains or a day in the line of duty where you never know what is going to get thrown at you!

Functionality: 5/5 Excellent. I believe they need to offer wider sizes.

Weight: 5/5 Very highly recommended

Durability: 4/5 Could be rated higher, but will need more time to test.

Cost: 5/5     $159.00  Well priced for a high performing boot.

Comfort: 4/5

Total 24/25

WEIGHT: 320g

Material Disclosure

I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.

*The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Spotter Up Magazine, the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

Below, Mike inserted the original video. You can see how pliable the boot material is.