Since it hit our radar again in 2019, Salomon has penetrated pop culture with a host of celebrity endorsements, high-profile collaborations, and a range of top-tier general release colourways and models that you can find on the shelves of your local sneaker boutique. And now, it’s gearing up for an even bigger 2023.
How Did Salomon Get Here?
Originally founded in 1942 by François Salomon, Salomon has a history that’s etched in technical design for the outdoors. It saw early success as bringing the first releasable ‘Skade’ binding to market in the 1950s, and by 1972 it would go on to sell more than 1 million of them per year.
Predicting the advancements in golf (especially the metal driver), Salomon would purchase Gary Adams’ TaylorMade brand in the 1990s before being acquired by adidas in 1997. And by the time Salomon was sold to Chinese sportswear company Amer Sports in 2005, its Speedcross shoe (worn by trail-running champion Kilian Jornet Burgada) was selling in excess of 1 million pairs in Europe each year.
It remains under the Amer Sports umbrella today with Atomic, Arc’teryx, Armada, Enve Composites, Peak Performance, Salomon, and Wilson Sporting Goods amongst others, however, its influence clearly goes beyond the Greater China region. Let’s check out some of the celebrity endorsements, high-profile collaborations, and a range of top-tier general release colourways below.
Celebrity Endorsements
While the list of celebrity endorsements for the brand includes everyone from Pete Davidson to Kylie Jenner, no moment was bigger than when Rihanna took the stage in Glendale, Arizona at Super Bowl LVII in a pair of Maison Margiela MM6 x Salomon Cross Lows. The red, orange and pink tones of the shoe perfectly matched her outfit and promptly sent the internet into a frenzy, increasing ‘Salomon’ searches by 800% and selling out the shoe in a matter of minutes.
That same weekend, UFC fighter Tai Tuivasa was spotted in the crowd at UFC284 grabbing a pair of Salomon XT-4s in the ‘Fenugreek, Tobacco, and Rainy Day’ colourway off a friend’s foot before performing his signature ‘shoey’ in front of the Aussie crowd.
Later that week, Kylie Jenner made a Valentine’s Day Instagram post where she donned a pair of Salomon XT-6 Recut sneakers under baggy jeans next to influencer friend Anastasia Karanikolaou. Did we mention her sister Kim Kardashian’s ex-boyfriend Pete Davidson has an attraction to the Salomon ACS Pro Advanced? He recently stepped out in a pair, although we’d avoid the bright sock combo.
High Profile Collaborations
Next to celebrity endorsement comes high-profile collaborations, because not everyone turns to Pete Davidson for style advice.
Salomon Sportstyle’s marketing lead Bryan Diaz knows which buttons to push on this front, leading the brand towards a tasteful list of collaborators that extends to the aforementioned high-fashion label in Maison Margiela MM6 to workwear brands like Carhartt and sub-culture heroes such as HIDDEN.NY, L’Art de L’Automobile, Palace, and And Wander.
The band isn’t taking its foot off the gas anytime soon either. Only recently was the Sandy Liang x Salomon XT-6 and Snow-Moc unveiled on the runway at the brand’s New York Fashion Week show, styled here by Nordstom’s Jian DeLeon. With shades of blush pink, written detailing on the tongue, and green hits, we’re expecting to see these on a few year-end lists.
Top-Tier General Releases
Of course, while a brand’s high-profile collaborations contribute to its legacy, true success only comes when a brand succeeds in its own right, without the hype.
New Balance has shown its ability to bring a plethora of quality general-release models to the market, alongside a range of brand-new silhouettes. And now, Salomon is doing the same.
Try the highly sought-after Salomon ACS Pro Advanced that we covered at their release, a shoe that’s been updated from the mid-2000s with a stride-stabilising Agile Chassis System (ACS) alongside a modern aesthetic. It’s no mistake either, Bryan Diaz knew the shoe was going to be a hit from the moment he saw it on his first day working at the brand.
“The very first box I opened had the ACS Pro Advanced in it. I looked over at our director of Sportstyle and said “this shoe is going to do amazing.” I always knew it would be a hit. It just has all the aspects of a great sneaker,” he told Hypebeast in an interview.
Most recently, we detailed the release of the Salomon XT-6 RECUT collection that dives back into the archives to bring history back to life. If this is a sign of things to come for Salomon, expect an even bigger 2023.
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