Salomon Spectur 2 Review
By David Salas
Salomon Spectur 2Price: $169.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 8.7 oz, 246g (men's size 9), 8.0 oz, 226g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 38mm heel // 30mm forefoot
Drop: 8mm drop
Shoe Purpose: Lightweight training shoe, performance trainer, racing shoe
Pros: Decently responsive option for those that are sensitive to softer options and want something firmer
Cons: Narrow fit throughout that will not agree with everyone.
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Salomon Spectur 2 is a lightweight trainer that is designed to be a training companion to a racing model. The shoe has some gentle stability elements and a plastic plate as a stiffening agent. The shoe features an Energy Foam midsole with a fiberglass Energy Blade plate as well. The Spectur is a firmer riding shoe for workouts and long runs. Those who like a higher drop feel will also like the feel of this model.
SIMILAR SHOES: ASICS Magic Speed 4; Saucony Endorphin Speed 4
PAST MODEL: Salomon Spectur
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
David: The Salomon Spectur 2 fits true to size in my men's 9.5, though a bit narrow and a tad long. The upper mesh material is comfortable for a lightweight trainer. It is surprisingly soft for how well it is reinforced and how breathable it is. The tongue is not gusseted, but I did not have any slippage issues. The tongue is moderately padded and did a good job of preventing biting from the laces. There is a flexible heel counter with some mild padding around it. I had no irritation from it and felt it did a good job of securing that region. Those that are sensitive to harder counters may like the softer approach to this heel. The midfoot has decent width to it from the upper materials, but the platform underfoot is very narrow. It feels a little inconsistent, but for what its worth there is some room medially and laterally to the midfoot. The forefoot is slightly narrow. Those that need a decent amount of space in the toebox will not find that here. The volume throughout the upper is pretty good and I did not feel like I was getting any excessive pressure vertically into the dorsum of my foot. I did feel there was enough room for some swelling accommodation as well. Due to the platform configuration, I do think this will cater to a specific group. Those that like a more narrow fit and have neutral mechanics will like the fit of the Spectur 2.
David's Typical Size: Men's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit David well: Nike Vomero 17, Saucony Ride 16, Puma Velocity Nitro 3
Shoes that have fit snug: HOKA Arahi 7
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon Aero Glide
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: No
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: No
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Somewhat
How Flexible is the Shoe: Mild to moderate (plated)
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Decent
Recommended for Haglunds: Potentially
Recommended for Sockless: Potentially
Durability Expectation: Average
PERFORMANCE
David: The Salomon Spectur 2 is a lightweight training shoe for doing workouts and mileage. The shoe uses an OBC midsole (olefin block copolymer) and runs on the firmer side. The midsole does have some bounce to it and responds pretty well to most paces. The shoe uses a plastic plate that they call Energy Blade to provide both some rigidity and some stability. The plate widens out through the rearfoot and midfoot and spoons downwards as you transition into the forefoot. Due to the firmness of the foam and sharper geometry of the plate, the 8mm drop actually feels closer to a 10mm.
The geometry is consistent with most shoes in this category and does follow a rocker profile. In the Salomon Spectur 2, the rocker probably does lean more in the forefoot than in the heel. The plate spoons out with a decent toe spring and forefoot rocker. There is a decent heel bevel, though there is a much wider extended heel platform. The aim of the heel geometry is for a more stable rearfoot, but it can come off a tad clunky since the heel does not have additional rounding laterally to accomodate for that. The midfoot is incredibly narrow through the platform. The plate does widen out and gives a little extra surface area to stand on, but there is not much midsole/outsole coverage at all through the midfoot. The forefoot has a more traditional build and a normal width platform. The traction underfoot is decent and should serve you well in most road and track conditions.
I found the ride to be a bit clunky through the heel and midfoot, but I do like the feeling of the forefoot. The firmer ride and moderately stiff plate do give you a fun toe off experience. Whoever is running in this shoe will have to have neutral mechanics. Despite the plate design, I found the midfoot to be a bit unstable, and even the heel to be a tad clunky and too built up for the current bevel design. The heel felt similar to a lateral wedge that almost mimicked a speed bump. That would cause you to pitch yourself medially on an already very narrow midfoot. This made for a strange rearfoot and midfoot experience, but a surprisingly nice forefoot experience.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
David: The Salomon Spectur 2 is certainly a neutral shoe. They did do some things to help create some stability, but missed the mark with integration in some areas. The rearfoot is widened into two noticeable flares. I don't have a problem with this and actually like the design theoretically, but the heel bevel does not blend in with the flare laterally. This creates a premature initial contact and a clunky feeling to it. The midfoot does not feel the most consistent with the aims of the shoe either. The plate widens out and does help give some stability, but there is minimal midsole or outsole coverage through the midfoot. For what is there, it is incredibly narrow. The clunky heel makes you pitch forward medially into a very narrow midfoot. The forefoot is not bad and actually has a decently stable and smooth toe off. So despite some of the stability elements, the shoe still comes off very neutral. Those who are a little more forward with their mechanics may enjoy the transitions, but those who land further back on their heels may struggle with this design if they don't have good medial control upon landing and loading response.
Thoughts as a DPT: Looking at the Whole Picture
By David Salas, PT, DPT, CSCS
As a physical therapist doing an initial examination for a patient, it is important to look at the whole picture. We have a 2 joint rule in physical therapy. This rule implies that at the bare minimum you should look at the joint above and below the joint or region in pain or question. This is because we understand the body works as a system, and that hardly anything works in isolation.
This type of approach should also be done when looking at shoes. If you only look at a heel, you are doing a disservice to the rest of the platform and ultimately the experience of the runner. The same would go for isolating the midfoot or forefoot. Many people tend to look at shoes segmentally as if they are all different parts, but like our bodies, they work quite closely together.
In regards to the Salomon Spectur 2, I see some honest efforts towards improving stability throughout the gait cycle. The shoe however feels very segmental and not congruent with its other parts. The wider heel platform is a nice idea, but makes for a really harsh transition onto a narrow midfoot if there is lack of bevel integration on the lateral side. The lateral wedge pushing you hard into a medial midfoot does not do much good for fluidity with our foot, ankle, and hip mechanics when running. The forefoot feels good and does transition well, but again feels inconsistent with the rest of the platform. When looking at anything with a critical eye, it is important to zoom out and look at how each part affects its other counterparts.
RECOMMENDATIONS
David: The Salomon Spectur 2 is lightweight training shoe for someone that
likes a narrow fit and a firmer ride. The nature of the midsole, plate,
and drop ratio does make it feel higher than the listed 8mm, which would
also cater to those that like higher drop shoes. This shoe will work
much better for those with neutral mechanics and who like narrow
platforms. The Spectur 2 has decent responsivenss and can be a fun speed
day shoe for the right person.
I think the Salomon Spectur 2 could be a very fun shoe, but it does have some things it can work on. I think the two biggest things lie in the geometry and upper fit. I wrote about this in the stability and performance section, but I think the heel geometry and midfoot geometry could be reworked. If the heel had more rounding to it, especially in the lateral heel, that would make for a smoother initial contact given the widening of the platform. The other platform switch would be widening the coverage area through the midfoot via midsole and outsole coverage so the heel has something to transition onto. The other thing would be to make the forefoot wider in the upper, but that is a smaller fix.
GRADES
David
Fit: B (Decently comfortable upper with nice heel lockdown and midfoot width (though inconsistent with platform), narrow forefoot.)
Performance: C (The forefoot gives a nice firm bounce when the pace picks up, but the heel can come off as clunky and the midfoot unstable. At higher paces that diminishes, but for daily paces this can feel a bit uncomfortable.)
Stability: C (They made some efforts for stability but missed the mark with heel and midfoot transitions and integration. Wider heel is nice, but not rounded well. Midfoot coverage is very narrow, but plate does help some. Upper security decent.)
Value: C ($170 is steep for what it competes against. For the right owner the shoe could be worth it though, and the shoe should last a normal lifespan.)
Personal: C (I think this could be a B+ or even A with some tweaks, but the heel and midfoot integration made it hard for me to love this shoe in its current state.)
Overall Design: C
SHOP | SUPPORT DORSalomon Spectur 2Price: $169.95 at Running Warehouse
Shop Men | Shop Women
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