The Salomon Speedcross 3 CS is an incredible shoe. I can honestly see why these shoes are getting very popular among hunters. They are very light, but maintain a rigid and strong sole which sets them apart from many of the lightweight “running” type shoes I’ve tried in the past. The speedcross also provides good traction, strong construction, and breathability. The CS (ClimaShield) boasts a “waterproof insulation” that is specific to the Speedcross CS line and was surprisingly quite waterproof.

My Experience: My family tradition hunting mid to late season hunts in Wyoming’s high country was to wear a pair of Danner Elk Hunters on every hunt. Don’t get me wrong, these were great boots that provided great stability and protection from the elements and moisture. As I started hunting more early season hunts, I found boots to be overkill and started wearing mid and low height hiking shoes to hunt, but could barely get a season out of them. Typically the toe or sidewall of the show on the outside front edge would come apart from the stress of hiking steep slopes.

I purchased these shoes over a year ago, having seen a couple of positive reviews on social media. I’d been looking or a lightweight shoe that could hold up for more than a single hunting season. I’ve wore the Speedcross 3 CS almost exclusively throughout last summer, my early fall hunts (even in shallow snow conditions), for spring shed hunting, and summer scouting this season. They might not look like your traditional hunting shoe — that’s because they aren’t. This shoe has held together better than any shoe I’ve ever worn. The soles show minimal amounts of wear, the seams are holding tight, and the still seem quite waterproof. Even through stream crossings and a pushing through knee deep snow drifts while shed hunting this spring, I’ve found that they dry extremely well and perform well when wet. The quick lace system stays snug all day through any terrain I’ve hiked. I like these shoes so much I wear them when I should probably be wearing a boot, but find the lightweight less fatiguing on very long hikes. I would recommend the Speedcross 3 CS to anyone looking for an early season, lightweight shoe. Now if it only came in camo…

The only downside to the SpeedCross 3 CS is there is no ankle support, which is not expected from a trail running shoe. I’ve been so impressed with this shoe that I’d recommend looking hard at other offerings from Salomon if you’re wanting a lightweight shoe in the mid to high heights that will be lightweight and not need much break-in.

Where to buy the Salomon Speedcross 3 CS (check pricing as it changes often):

Salomon Men’s Speedcross 3 CS Trail Running Shoe @ Amazon.com

Other models I’d recommend looking into for more ankle support:

• Salomon Men’s Conquest GTX Backpacking Boot
• Salomon Men’s XA Pro 3D Mid LTR GTX Hiking Shoe
• Salomon Men’s Quest 4D GTX Backpacking Boot
• Salomon Men’s XA Pro 3D Ultra 2 GTX Trail Running Shoe

I’ve long been looking for a