Check out one of the world’s most expensive trail shoes
The SL:PDX performance trail shoes from Speedland cost more than the entry fee for the New York Marathon
A new company is jumping head first into the trail running market, producing a first-of-its-kind hyper-performance trail shoe. Cutting-edge technology is bound to come at a cost, as the SL:PDX model from Speedland retails for $480 CDN. (Most trail running shoes today range from $150 to $250.)
Speedland, which is based in Portland, Ore., is a new company that draws from two decades of experience with some of the world’s largest footwear brands. Co-founders Dave Dombrow and Kevin Fallon spent years working and leading design teams at Nike, Puma, and Under Armour.
You might be wondering what these high-priced shoes do for you, but unfortunately, they don’t instantly turn you into Jim Walmsley or Courtney Dauwalter. The trail performance racer features a Michelin wrap outsole with thick, 6 mm lugs; a dual BOA lacing system that is reinforced with Dyneema (a fibre stronger than steel) and a carbitex (carbon-fibre) plate. If you find that the 6 mm lugs are too high, the shoes come with a pair of cutters to trim down the lugs to 3 mm.
The idea behind the shoe was to lead the charge in trail performance running and to give runners the ultimate trail running experience.
The materials used to make the shoe are completely recyclable, so when you’re done running hundreds of kilometres, SL:PDX owners can return their shoe to Speedland, where they will disassemble and distribute each layer to its respective recycling facility.
Study says trail running doesn’t decrease your risk for injuries
You can check out all the specs of the SL:PDX on the Speedland website.
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