The Salomon S/Lab Spectur is a super-shoe designed to be more stable and suitable for amateur runners finishing marathons in around four hours. It certainly is pretty stable, but does it deliver the super-shoe magic you expect from a plated shoe, especially one with a big price tag? Tom and Nick give their verdict here.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:13 – Design & Key Stats
02:05 – How’s The Fit
03:09 – The Run Test
09:08 – Verdict & Alternatives
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Hello and welcome to run testers my name Is Nick and this is our full review of The Salamon slab [Music] Spectre so the slab Spectre is a new Carbon plate shoe from Salamon that is Designed to be a super shoe for the Masses so for people aiming for things Like 4-Hour marathons rather than sub 2-hour marathons it is not to be Confused with the normal Salamon Spectre Which is a training shoe a cheaper shoe The slab indicates it's a you know a bit More of a soup top shoe with a much Bigger price tag it sits in the range Along with the slab fantasm 2 which is Their full carbon plate racing shoe Maybe for people who are aing for sub 2 Marathons it's expensive it's £210 in The UK or $220 in the US weighs in at 254 G or 9 oz in my UK size 9 it's got a 38 mm stack heite at the heel and 30 at The 4T for an 8 mm drop so you've got a Dual density midsole here with a top Layer of salamon's peber based foam best Foam which is the energy foam plus and Then the bottom layer is energy foam Which is a blend of Eva and or lein Materials it's a bit firmer bit more Stable and you got that bouncier lighter Top layer you've got salamon's AR camber Rocker on the shoe that starts a bit Further back in the shoe to Aid those Who land a bit further back and rolling
Onto their forefoot you got an energy Blade carbon plate running through the Midsole it's winged at the back to Create a bit more stability it's also Got quite a wide base at the back of the Shoe here it's really quite wide at the Heel and you've got sidewalls of foam There all to create still ability at the Back of the shoe where Salamon presumes Those slower Runners are landing they're Getting a stable landing and then Getting rocked through onto their foref Foot upper is quite a padded one four a Super shoe especially with lots of Support and padding around the Achilles And the tongue the color goes quite high At the back of the shoe there which I'm A huge fan of but you haven't actually Got much of an internal heel counter on The shoe with the wide base and the Sidewalls of foam adding the stability At the heel instead you've got a contour Grip rubber out soole with pretty good Coverage and all the stuff that's going To come into contact with the ground You've OB got a cutout there a narrow Pinch point in the middle of the shoe There where they got cutouts almost on Either side side of the foam but two Strips of rubber at the back lots of Coverage on the 4 foot so it should be Okay for durability and [Music] Grip so the fit for me in the slab
Spectre I'm a size eight in the UK this Is a size eight I found it to be a very Comfortable shoe there's plenty of space In the forefoot around the side of the Foot um it there's definitely a lot of Wiggle room in it which you sometimes Don't find when you're buying um carbon Plate raoes uh so for me it felt very Comfortable I definitely stated my size In the shoe I also didn't have a problem With this extended heel section either I Found found it was nicely padded and I Would stick to my size in the shoe comes The fit of the shoe it was all good for Me in my normal running shoe size this Is a uk9 which is a us99.5 that tends to Be the uk9 I prefer cuz Brands either Convert to a US 10 or us 9.5 9.5 is good Cuz I'm a small uk9 yeah really good fit Throughout the shoe nice hold around the Heel and midfoot don't love this tab at The heel though I did irritate my killes A little bit on longer runs it's Something if I bought the shoe and I was Going to use it constantly I might be Tempted just to cut off to avoid that EES irritation I don't really know what The point of that is there but otherwise All good on the fit no problems at all In my normal [Music] Size so I've done about 60k in this shoe And that has varied between a couple of Easy runs a couple of interval sessions
And a longer session which I did up to 20K um and what I found about the shoe Is that it ticks a lot of boxes um but It doesn't really excel in any area what I' what I've um experienced from Those Runs I've done in it on the interval Sessions I would be running intervals uh Up to 3 minutes and that would be at my Target 5K pace which is about 3 minute 45 per kilometer uh and I found that it Was fine at that it could do those Paces Comfortably it has a nice rolling motion It's definitely not counterproductive to Running at those faster Paces but it Also didn't feel like it was really Helping me when I was trying to get to Those faster Paces either it didn't feel Like there wasn't especially any bounce In the shoe or any really smooth Transition for for running faster it Just felt like a completely solid uh Comfortable shoe that could pick up the Pace if you wanted it too um on the Slower runs I didn't really enjoy it as Much it just feels a little bit firm for Me just feels a little bit like it's not Really offering me anything in terms of That Comfort or the softness that I like To get from my midsoles um so I Definitely wouldn't say it's a shoe That's designed for those slower Paces Which for me would be about 5 minute 20 Uh kilm um the longer run that I did it Which is that 20K run uh if absolutely
Fine I was running at marathon pace for Most of that and it felt like I could Keep up the pace nicely I didn't have Any issues with it but as I say it just Doesn't feel like it's really doing a Lot to help you out either and when You're paying this much for a shoe you Probably do want it to feel like it's Doing something and giving you a little Bit more energy return or or or Transition or something that really Justifies the price tag um but I didn't Have any problems with it I just didn't Really find anything that where it Excelled and I thought this shoe is Really doing a good job at this apart From stability now we've talked about This few times on the channel where Super Shoes uh or car plate race shoes Are often don't have stability options So uh if you are a runner that really Wants stability it's quite hard to find A shoe in the uh Super Shoe World that Offers a good level of stability I think This shoe does actually have a nice Level stability in it compared to a lot Of shoes like the vapor fly the alpha Fly things like that it's a definitely a Lot sturdier definitely feels like your Foot's firmly in place um and I think That's probably where this shoe excels a Bit and when it's the marketing is Talking about it being a super shoe Design for those people looking for a
4-Hour marathon time I think the main Focus of that is really that stability Element So you you're getting stability In the shoe and you're getting a lot of The technology that you would associate With those uh Super Shoes but um I I've Definitely found that when it comes to Stability it feels very nice in the shoe And not to the detriment of being able To run a bit faster so it's probably a Nice option for that but other than that Um I really just found it to be a very Um Comfortable sort of daily faster running Shoe that I would put in with the Realms Of things like the um SOC and ding speed Series um not as good as that for daily Training miles and versatility but it's The same sort of shoe for me and it Delivers that same sorts of benefits so I've run 30 miles in the Salam SLB Spectre and I've been using it at a Range of speeds it's a little bit of a Tricky one to test me so I am not the Target running for this group I'm a Little bit quicker than that my Marathon PB is 228 but I have run lots of Different PAC in the shoe to see how it Feels at those different Paces to see if It feels best at a certain Pace or what I've really found is it feels better When you're running faster no matter What your pace is it's you know it is Still a shoe that is designed for Speed
It's just not quite as aggressive and Wobbly and all out as full Super Shoes Should say right up the top here I don't Really believe that people run in Different ways at different speeds if You think if you look at any group of Runners in any race you'll see you know Quite a wide range of running Styles but There is something to be said Potentially for a more stable Super Shoe Because obviously most of the ones on The market are quite wobbly lightweight And not really built for stability and This is certainly built for stability It's got a slightly firmer ride than I Expected it's not harsh by any means but You don't really have a feeling of Sinking into that top layer of peeper Foam you actually just get quite a firm Feeling throughout which is obviously Created by the fir layer of foam Underneath and then the carbon plate in The shoe like it's not harsh feeling It's not like it's going to be Uncomfortable but you're not getting That sink in and squish and then bouncy Response that you get from you know full Peber midols it's a little bit more Muted than that especially landing at The hill like I do you get that stable Feeling certainly of Landing on a big Wedge of foam at the back there but you Don't really getting that super shoe Feeling I'd say so like I said it is
Very built up at the hill and it almost Feels too safe for me it's a big firm Landing Zone you know that is good in Terms of stability but it you know it's Not what you expect from a super Sho Almost feels much more like a training Shoot to me as a result of that like you Do get a decent rocker onto your toes It's quite fluid but it's not very Aggressive and actually when you do roll Through onto your toes it's not like You're then hitting a very big wedge of Soft and springy foam there either you Move through you get rolled off but You're not at any point really getting That propulsive bouncy feeling that you Do get from the best Super Shoes so like I said I've used it as a range of Paces You going down to around a marathon pace Of 330 per kilometer and I think it Feels better when you are running at Faster speed so I think this is true of Runners in general which is why I always Say in reviews like it feels good at Easy Paces or fast Paces don't really Mean my easy Paces or my fast Paces I Mean in general Runners when they're Moving at speed do change their gate a Little bit they get a bit more Purposeful they run with a bit more Intent and I think that's when the shoe Starts to feel a bit better when I was Mooching around at easy Paces you know It still felt fine I do think this is a
Versatile shoe that will do those kind Of runs all right cuz you get rock Through quite well and it is very stable But it doesn't really feel great like I Prefer a less stiff kind of more Cushioned shoe more flexible shoe for Those kind of easy runs but it is quite Versatile on that front but yeah I think It does feel better when you start Running at PACE whatever that pace is For you it rolls for a bit more smoothly And it feels better under foot it just Doesn't feel as good as a super shoe or Indeed even the best super Trainers for Me like I think it's just a bit bulky And heavy and just doesn't really feel Very light and Nimble and aggressive on The foot it doesn't feel like a shoe That when you pull it on and to go and Run fast it feels like a solid training Shoe rather than a super shoe for any Kind of Runner I'd [Music] Say verdict on the slab Spectre I'd say At the top here I don't really agree With the premise of the shoe I don't Think that people running at a certain Speed need a different shoe necessarily To those running at a fast speed I think It really comes down to individuals Running gate how stable they like their Shoes and what they really look for in a Shoe like I run very differently to Loads of Runners around me at my Pace
I'm sure people at the 4our Mark will Notice very different running Stars was There and the idea that there's a one Siiz fits all shoe for them I think Doesn't really work I do think there is Something in the idea of a more stable Super Shoe though and you know that can Be a good option for people who just Don't get on with things like the Vaporfly alphafly very soft springy Shoes that you know they find too Unstable and don't really work for them In races in general when we've talked About stabilities and Super Shoes I Think there's always been a scale almost Like the more stable the shoe the less Super it is and this is an indication of That because it's pretty stable works Almost as a verstyle daily trainer it Just doesn't feel like a super shoe to Me it hasn't got that Ive feeling Doesn't really give you that efficiency Benefit that makes you feel like you're Running faster while expending less Energy which is what you get from the Best Super Shoes that's a problem Because it is priced like a super shoe Like it's not as expensive as salamon's Fantasm 2 or some of the other Super Shoes on the market but it's pretty Close it's over 200 quid and that's just Too much I think for what you're getting Here from this shoe I do think actually If you're looking on the stability super
Spectrum you can find better options That are a bit more stable things like The Endorphin speed for endorphin Pro For even actually they're both Reasonably stable shoes with plates that Feel faster to me if I going to go out And do a race or a hard session than the Slab Spectre it's even the Brooks UPI Elite 4 which it does suffer from the Stability uh super Spectrum thing I've Been talking about in that it's not as Super as other Super Shoes but it's got A firmer foam Under Foot and as a result I think it is a bit more stable than Many Super Shoes out there or being Lighter and a fair bit faster than the Slab Spectre for me so it's a it's a Slightly tricky one to give a definitive Verdict on because like I said I'm not Necessarily the target Runner maybe it Will really work amazingly well but I Think trying to convince people of that Is a very hard job for Salamon and what You have here is a SHO when you put it On it doesn't really feel like you're Getting a top class racing shoe so You've got to really trust that the way It's been set up actually is going to be Better for you over the course of Marathon and I don't believe it will be For me or lots of other Runners actually I think it's a stable shoe it feels fine It might be a solid daily trainer if you Like a plated shoe with a decent rocker
On it but it is not a top class racing Shoe and you're paying a top class Racing shoe price it reminded me a Little bit of the saki Kara Pro which a Lot of what I've just said also holds True for I think it's an expensive shoe With a plate that I just don't think Really works like a super shoe but if You really liked the canara pro and Found it like a really fun shoe and a Good shoe to do a lot of training in and A stable shoe with a bit of plated Action going on and actually the uh Spectre might be a really nice shoe to Pair with it as an actual racing shoe Because it is a fair bit lighter than The gvar pro but has a similar stable Feeling with a little bit of punch and a Little bit of a rocker but that's the Only really buy case I can see here I Just don't think this is a shoe I'd Recommend a lots of people to buy I Think if you're a slower marathon runner Or no it's not even a slow marathon time Really obviously a 4our marathon if You're Marathon around that time I'd Pro And you're well worried about stability I'd probably suggest looking at Something like the Endorphin Pro 4 ahead Of this or and if that doesn't work for You I'd probably just look at more General running shoes because this is a Bit more stable but you're just not Getting that level of propulsion you
Expect from a carbon plate shoe and it's You know it's really expensive so yeah a Tough one to recommend so my verdict on The slab Spectre I've I've very much been happy Running in this shoe in testing um I've Not been out running it thinking I wish I wasn't wearing the shoe uh but what I Have found is that I've never really Picked up the shoe and thought this is Going to be a great run um ultimately it Is a shoe that is sitting in that weird World of daily shoes that have plates in That um are designed to be working Alongside um a super shoe um but also Give you a little bit more benefits when It comes to running a bit slower uh and Doing a lot more mileage in those shoes So it sort of sits in there for me which Makes it a bit of a confusing shoe Because obviously it's as expensive as a Super shoe it is designed for people uh Who are aiming for a marathon time Around 4 hours Um I I like Nick don't uh necessarily Agree that you'd need that unless Stability is a focal point for what you Are doing so if you really want uh a lot Of the um technical features that you Get in some shoes like the plate um then But you want to have stability in it as Well then that's this shoe does deliver Something along those lines you're Getting a bit more stability than what
You're going to get a lot of Super Shoes Um but if you don't need that stability I don't think there's any benefits to Wearing this shoe um for a 4-Hour Marathon time over a lot of other shoes Whether that is a car plate Super Shoe Like the alphafly or the vapa fly or Whether you're going to go for something Like the soc dophins B3 which it ideally Does deliver the same sort of thing as This shoe it can do daily miles but you Can also run fast and race in it as well So I think if you were looking for that Benefit uh you just want an all around Shoe that can do lots of stuff and you Can race in it I think the so do speed 3 Is probably a better option and there's Loads of other shoes out there that Could do that as well things like the Haw ma X is a good example of a shoe That is very similar to this in fact Probably even more similar to this than The S dfin speed3 it's also a little bit More stable than what you're going to Get in some super shoes so for me I Think if I was going to pick up this Shoe I'd be looking at those daily shoe Options um as cheaper possibly better Alternatives to this shoe um but if you Want if you want a bit more stability You're probably going to get it in this Shoe That's our review of the Salamon slab Spectre let us know what you think in
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