Rugged new Salomon shoes remain lightweight

SALOMON’s new X Alp range of mountaineering shoes addresses the need for comfortable lightweight equipment that enables agility, quickness, and safety, a key trend in outdoor sports.

 

 

The X Alp GTX, X Alp MTN GTX, and X Alp PRO GTX shoes feature an innovative Edging Chassis patented by Salomon. Built based on DSM’s high performance bio-based EcoPaXX® polyamide, this special plate in the sole of the shoes ensures light weight while simultaneous delivering flexibility and rigidity. It has a low moisture uptake and retains its properties at very low temperatures typical of mountain environments.  

 

The EcoPaXX meets the requirements of the Edging Chassis, which necessitates a material with excellent flow characteristics for the design that requires the use of a mold with multiple gating to create multiple weld lines with high strength. The DSM EcoPaXX also has outstanding mechanical properties and processes very well. It is also very suitable for injection molding and is certified as carbon neutral from cradle to gate.  

 

According to Aude Derrier, project manager in Materials Footwear Department of Global Footwear at Amer Sports, the X Alp shoe reflects the cutting edge of light mountaineering.

 

“It is the result of over two years of intensive development and field tests with professional guides, rescue teams, and athletes, and is a pure expression of Salomon’s approach to product innovation and its mountain heritage. Models with the patented EcoPaXX Edging Chassis can be used from lower flanks of the mountain as well as for approach. 

 

Salomon, the mother company Amer Sports Group, and DSM have a long partnership history, and have worked together on other challenging EcoPaXX projects like high-end snowboard bindings. We were confident that DSM could help us to create our new generation of mountaineering shoes, and our confidence has been justified,” Ms Derrier said.