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Created page with "{{DISPLAYTITLE:Salming Race Review}} The Salming Race is a firm, but light weight shoe. If you're looking for a light weight shoe that got a comfortable upper and is reasonabl..."
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Salming Race Review}}
The Salming Race is a firm, but light weight shoe. If you're looking for a light weight shoe that got a comfortable upper and is reasonably hard wearing, but without too much cushioning then this is well worth considering. Ironically given its name, I would recommend using the Race for everyday training and not racing, as it's got similar levels of cushioning to the [[New Balance RC5000]], [[Asics Piranha SP]], or [[Saucony Endorphin]] which are all much lighter. The Race has a surprisingly comfortable upper, though the shape is not designed to fit a human foot, a problem that all too common with modern shoes. Overall, I consider the Race as "Worth Considering." {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Salming Race-top.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Salming Race top]]
|[[File:Salming Race-outside.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Salming Race outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Salming Race-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Salming Race bottom]]
|[[File:Salming Race-inside.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Salming Race inside]]
|}
=Characteristics=
* {{H:cushioning}}. The Race best described as a firm shoe to say the least. It's probably not firm enough to attract a minimalist/barefoot runner, but it's not a cushy shoe by any means.
* {{H:drop}}. The Race has only 3mm of drop, which is low enough for me not to really notice or complain.
* {{H:structure}}. The Race has a single density of foam, so there is no medial post to mess with your biomechanics. There's also only the slightest rise under your arch so it shouldn't cause too much irritation of the plantar fascia. There is what looks like a carbon fiber plate under the midfoot, but it's hard to see how far that extends. That might be part of the reason for the firmness.
* {{H:flexibility}}. The Race is reasonably flexible, though perhaps a little less flexible than you might expect in a shoe this light. Like many shoe makers, Salming claim to have a "Torsion Guide System." The approach Salming takes claims to make the shoe flex under the heads of the metatarsals (the ball of the foot and the similar joints for the other toes.) I can't say I noticed this even when I was trying to detect it.
* {{H:outsole}}. The Race has durable rubber outsole on the vast majority of the contact patches, leaving only part of the midfoot is exposed foam.
* {{H:shape}}. The shoe is designed to look like a running shoe, not to fit the human foot, so the [[Shoe Modifications| toe box needs to be cut open]]. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}} <br/>[[File:Shoes For Humans.png|none|thumb|200px| The Race is more likely to fit someone with the mutant foot that has the big toe in the middle than a the typical human foot.]]
* {{H:upper}}. The front of the upper is seamless, with the rear of the shoe having a transition to where there's some extra padding. There is an array of overlays, but the upper is inflexible enough that they shouldn't cause any issues. Given the position of the overlays, they are probably placed to look good rather than be functional. There's more padding around the rear of the shoe and the ankle opening than you'd expect in such a light shoe. Overall I was pleased with the comfort of the upper.
* {{H:tongue}}. The Race has a traditional tongue with a tab for the laces which stayed in place without a problem. The tongue is nicely padded and soft.
* {{H:lacing}}. The laces are thin and round, but to my surprise they stayed tied without any problem.
* {{H:heelcounter}}. The [[Heel Counter]] is quite firm, but it's external and quite low, so it's unlikely to have any impact.
{{FastBlr|Salming /Race-iv-1331|1331|Salming Race}}
{{ShoeGraphs}}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}
The Salming Race is a firm, but light weight shoe. If you're looking for a light weight shoe that got a comfortable upper and is reasonably hard wearing, but without too much cushioning then this is well worth considering. Ironically given its name, I would recommend using the Race for everyday training and not racing, as it's got similar levels of cushioning to the [[New Balance RC5000]], [[Asics Piranha SP]], or [[Saucony Endorphin]] which are all much lighter. The Race has a surprisingly comfortable upper, though the shape is not designed to fit a human foot, a problem that all too common with modern shoes. Overall, I consider the Race as "Worth Considering." {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Salming Race-top.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Salming Race top]]
|[[File:Salming Race-outside.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Salming Race outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Salming Race-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Salming Race bottom]]
|[[File:Salming Race-inside.JPG|none|thumb|300px|Salming Race inside]]
|}
=Characteristics=
* {{H:cushioning}}. The Race best described as a firm shoe to say the least. It's probably not firm enough to attract a minimalist/barefoot runner, but it's not a cushy shoe by any means.
* {{H:drop}}. The Race has only 3mm of drop, which is low enough for me not to really notice or complain.
* {{H:structure}}. The Race has a single density of foam, so there is no medial post to mess with your biomechanics. There's also only the slightest rise under your arch so it shouldn't cause too much irritation of the plantar fascia. There is what looks like a carbon fiber plate under the midfoot, but it's hard to see how far that extends. That might be part of the reason for the firmness.
* {{H:flexibility}}. The Race is reasonably flexible, though perhaps a little less flexible than you might expect in a shoe this light. Like many shoe makers, Salming claim to have a "Torsion Guide System." The approach Salming takes claims to make the shoe flex under the heads of the metatarsals (the ball of the foot and the similar joints for the other toes.) I can't say I noticed this even when I was trying to detect it.
* {{H:outsole}}. The Race has durable rubber outsole on the vast majority of the contact patches, leaving only part of the midfoot is exposed foam.
* {{H:shape}}. The shoe is designed to look like a running shoe, not to fit the human foot, so the [[Shoe Modifications| toe box needs to be cut open]]. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}} <br/>[[File:Shoes For Humans.png|none|thumb|200px| The Race is more likely to fit someone with the mutant foot that has the big toe in the middle than a the typical human foot.]]
* {{H:upper}}. The front of the upper is seamless, with the rear of the shoe having a transition to where there's some extra padding. There is an array of overlays, but the upper is inflexible enough that they shouldn't cause any issues. Given the position of the overlays, they are probably placed to look good rather than be functional. There's more padding around the rear of the shoe and the ankle opening than you'd expect in such a light shoe. Overall I was pleased with the comfort of the upper.
* {{H:tongue}}. The Race has a traditional tongue with a tab for the laces which stayed in place without a problem. The tongue is nicely padded and soft.
* {{H:lacing}}. The laces are thin and round, but to my surprise they stayed tied without any problem.
* {{H:heelcounter}}. The [[Heel Counter]] is quite firm, but it's external and quite low, so it's unlikely to have any impact.
{{FastBlr|Salming /Race-iv-1331|1331|Salming Race}}
{{ShoeGraphs}}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}