Salomon Sneakers
Salomon was founded by François Salomon in 1947, in Annecy, France, initially as a metal workshop producing saw blades with help from his wife and son.
It was in 1957 where the company’s characteristic innovativeness really began however, when they created a machine that automated the production of steel edges for skis, and at the same time replaced the previous leather bindings on ski boots with cable bindings.
Salomon bindings made their first appearance at the 1966 World alpine championships in Chile. Six years later, they had become the world’s leading manufacturer of ski boots due to their innovative binding technology, including their Atlas safety binding and the first binding with a self-release heelpiece.
In 1979 the company started producing its own ski boots, most notably the influential 1984 SX91, and a decade later their own skis.
In 1992, Salomon ventured into producing hiking boots, still focusing on providing products for the active consumer. Now their shoes are an ever-present feature of competitive hiking, boosted by Custom Fit Technology and the Speedcross model worn by record-breaker Kilian Jornet in the 2008 UTMB.
Although Solomon shoes have always been designed more for function than fashion, recently they’ve been hyped on the streetwear scene. Salomon had a showroom at Paris Men’s Fashion Week in 2018 and have been worn by celebrities such as Kanye West and Rihanna, while collaborating with brands including Palace Skateboards, Tokyo’s And Wander, and Comme des Garçons.
Generally, Salomon sneakers do fit true to size, but the silhouette is narrow, and you may find you need to size up half a size if you have wide feet.