Saloman Speedcross still the go to?

[RJ]

At this weekend's match here in damp, rainy Florida, many of the stages were on a mix of mud and grass, with some gravel thrown in. On Stage 1, hustling to the location where I planned to draw, my footing gave way as I slowed to a stop, and I ended up on my butt. I had not drawn my gun and the G34 remained securely in my Blade Tech holster. I wiped my hands as best I could and finished the stage.

I have a wide foot (8.5 EEE) and don't really like narrow toe boxes. I have been using an older pair of Merrill Moab Vents, but tried some knock-off tan mid-rise boots yesterday. They were good for dry traction and I liked the ankle support, but clearly were not up to the conditions at the match. They also got wet and the glue started coming undone on the sole. So much for cheap knock-offs.

So I see a lot of the G/M/A shooters with Salomons. I checked into options and these seem to be "Saloman Speedcross", most commonly.

Are these still the go to shoe for USPSA?

I was thinking another option would be plastic cleated baseball or soccer shoes; especially in wet muddy conditions they'd be good. Maybe not so much on hard surfaces like plywood or such on a stage, though.

Any other suggestions for a good all-around shoe to deal with typical FL conditions, with a wide size option, that doesn't cost an arm and a leg?

[Crashpad]

At this weekend's match here in damp, rainy Florida, many of the stages were on a mix of mud and grass, with some gravel thrown in. On Stage 1, hustling to the location where I planned to draw, my footing gave way as I slowed to a stop, and I ended up on my butt. I had not drawn my gun and the G34 remained securely in my Blade Tech holster. I wiped my hands as best I could and finished the stage.

I have a wide foot (8.5 EEE) and don't really like narrow toe boxes. I have been using an older pair of Merrill Moab Vents, but tried some knock-off tan mid-rise boots yesterday. They were good for dry traction and I liked the ankle support, but clearly were not up to the conditions at the match. They also got wet and the glue started coming undone on the sole. So much for cheap knock-offs.

So I see a lot of the G/M/A shooters with Salomons. I checked into options and these seem to be "Saloman Speedcross", most commonly.

Are these still the go to shoe for USPSA?

I was thinking another option would be plastic cleated baseball or soccer shoes; especially in wet muddy conditions they'd be good. Maybe not so much on hard surfaces like plywood or such on a stage, though.

Any other suggestions for a good all-around shoe to deal with typical FL conditions, with a wide size option, that doesn't cost an arm and a leg?

Look at Topo's offerings. Topo and Altra are all I wear because of their wide tow boxes. Altra only offers zero drop, which not everyone likes, but Topo offers zero drop, low drop (3-5mm) and higher drop.

[GJM]

Inov8

[ASH556]

I wanted to be like all the cool kids in Salomons, but they are incredibly narrow shoes. I have a pair of Keen Targhee III's that work well for me and some others I've seen. Much better for wider feet.

[Cory]

I wear a air of Salomon's as my everyday walk around shoes. I think they're XA Pro 3Ds or something like that. They're not the super duper fancy ones. I liked the idea of the speed laces, wanted to try the brand, and were on the cheaper end of the spectrum. I don't find them to be narrow at all, but my foot might not be as wide as yours. I think they're pretty comfortable, and I like the speed laces. They grip pretty well, and I don't think I've fallen in them doing anything.

At work I wear Keen. They are definitely roomier in the toe. They took longer to break in and fit me well. I goofed up by buying waterproof, and here in FL that's just too damn hot for my feet. They're ASTM rated for safety and I haven't slipped with them at all. They're heavier, but that's what you get with a safety shoe. The construction is definitely stout though.

[P30]

I wanted to be like all the cool kids in Salomons, but they are incredibly narrow shoes. I have a pair of Keen Targhee III's that work well for me and some others I've seen. Much better for wider feet.

I don't have Salomons (nor wide feet) but found this:

salomon.com/de-de/shop-emea/product/speedcross-5-wide.html

Don't know if this "wide" variant is also narrow.

PS:
Cool song

[rca90gsx]

The Speedcross shoes are great, but the normal version is a very narrow shoe, the wide shoe version posted above maybe worth looking into, but I will second GJM'S post above and say that the Innov8 shoes are really nice as well.

[Guerrero]

I'm a big fan of the Merrill MOAB GTX shoes, both the low and the mid's. I wear the lows all summer, then switch to the mids in fall and winter. The GTX ones are better than the waterproof ones for keeping your feet dry, and I use them in all sorts of sloppy, slushy stuff until the snow gets to my ankles.

[JCS]

Shoes can help but you may find that footwork is the answer. We have a lot of gravel at my range and there’s just no good solutions. Deceleration at speed is a skill. Getting going is easy. It’s the stopping on loose surfaces that requires skill. Do you walk on grass the same as you walk on an icy sidewalk? Obviously not. Approach differing terrains different and practice going full speed in walkthrough to test the surface.

For shoes boombas are a good cheap option popular in USPSA.

[vcdgrips]

Based on my time w Scouts, the default recommendations for Dad with wide feet were New Balance and Keen given NBs availability of 2E/4E shoes and Keens wider toe box across the line.

I have hiked in a pair of Inov8s and Merrell Moab Ventilators when I was preparing for Philmont. Merrell claims to have wide widths in that shoe as well.

It is true that Salomon now advertised they have wides. Proceed with caution as their normal shoe was definitely on the narrow side such that their wides, I suspect, will come in on the narrow side relatively speaking.

The brand itself is extremely popular in LEO circles as well as both a lifestyle/daily driver and tactical shoe displacing Merrell as the shoe I see the most on agents these days.

Finally, if it matters, Salomon is owned by a mainland China conglomerate.