A 2000s Salomon Trail Shoe Is Reborn as 2025’s Main Event
Apologies to Salomon’s XT-4, but there's a new crossover trail sneaker in town. The XT-Whisper is poised to be Salomon's next big shoe — figuratively, of course, because Salomon's XT-Whisper is noticeably slimmer than the French sportswear brand's other heavy-hitters, like the relatively girthy XT-4.
First released in 2000, the XT-Whisper was initially designed with women in mind, offering some femme-friendly energy in the largely masculine world of trail sneakers.
Now, over 20 years later, XT-Whisper is still tapping into that feminine energy, though its size range is effectively genderless. Just take a look at Sandy Liang's newly pinked-out XT-Whisper, the epitome of girlcore, momcore and any other feminine “cores” imaginable. And, obvious proof that Salomon has big plans for the XT-Whisper.
Even though the XT-Whisper's revival is only just getting underway, things are already looking quite promising: Sandy Liang's XT-Whisper immediately sold out on Sandy Liang’s website. The girlies did not sleep!
And now, the XT-Whisper’s first general release colorways, which are much less pink but just as pretty, include dazzlingly delicate light lavender and ultra-crisp all-white, both offsetting their refined tones with Salomon’s rugged design language.
Beyond wearing a sleeker profile, the XT-Whisper's upper is accented with squiggly panels of mesh and reflective material, creating a softer feel than the rigid zig-zags that line the sidewalls of popular Salomon shoes like the XT-4 and XT-6, giving the rebirthed sneaker a designer feel.
For all of its subtle differences, though, there are certain pillars of its XT lineage that the XT-Whisper can't shake, like its sporty silhouette and high-traction Contragrip outsole, a staple within Salomon’s XT family. And unlike the function-first ethos embodied by some of Salomon’s other trail sneakers, the reborn XT-Whisper is meant for the streets, occupying the sneaker zeitgeist’s lifestyle space.
So, the XT-Whisper isn't king (queen?) of the trails. But that’s OK: Its sleek build and elevated aesthetic make it better suited for street style stepping.
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