Salomon Speedcross 6 GORE-TEX Women's Review: The Mud Specialist

When the ground turns to soup, the Speedcross is the shoe I keep coming back to, and the women's Speedcross 6 GORE-TEX is the same soft-ground specialist cut on a women's-specific last. Under the Dusky Orchid upper sits the tooling that built the Speedcross name: a waterproof GORE-TEX membrane, deep bi-directional Mud Contagrip chevron lugs and a snug, locked-down fit tuned for a narrower heel and lower-volume foot. At £160 it is the pick for women who spend the wet half of the year on greasy, muddy, technical ground.

This is a specialist, and it is worth saying so up front. If you want the wider field, our best women's waterproof trainers roundup sets the context, but the short version is that the Speedcross wins when grip in mud matters more than anything else.

Who she is for

The Speedcross has always been a soft-ground specialist, and the women's version is no different. If you spend autumn and winter on Dorset chalk that greases up after rain, on churned New Forest bridleways, or on the peat and bog of the Brecon Beacons, this is the shoe that keeps you upright where a shallower outsole slides out from under you.

It is less at home on hard-packed trail, rock slabs and long stretches of road. The tall 5mm lugs that bite into mud feel vague and knobbly on firm ground, and the tread wears faster if you spend most of your miles on grit and tarmac. For everyday and mixed-terrain use I would point you at a more versatile GORE-TEX trainer instead, and the waterproof trainers category has the full range.

Buy this if your problem is grip in the wet and the muck. That is what it solves, and it solves it better than almost anything at the price.

Waterproofing: the GORE-TEX membrane

The women's Speedcross 6 GTX runs a full GORE-TEX membrane, the same waterproof and breathable bootie construction as the men's version. On the trail that means splashing through shallow running water, wet grass at dawn and saturated ground all stay on the outside of the shoe. Through a British autumn that is the difference between dry feet and cold, macerated ones.

The limit is height. This is a low-cut trail shoe, so the membrane only protects you up to the ankle collar. Step into a bog deeper than the cuff, or take a wave over the top on the Jurassic Coast, and water comes in over the top of the GORE-TEX rather than through it. No low-cut waterproof shoe escapes that. For deep, sustained water crossings you want a mid boot; for showers, mud, puddles and wet vegetation, the membrane earns its place.

Paired with a good pair of merino socks, this platform keeps feet dry through hours of wet downland.

Grip: the Mud Contagrip outsole

This is the whole point of the shoe. The Speedcross 6 uses deep 5mm bi-directional chevron lugs in Salomon's Mud Contagrip compound, a rubber tuned for adhesion on soft, loose and wet surfaces. The forward and rearward-facing chevrons dig in on both climbs and descents, and the deep, well-spaced pattern sheds mud instead of packing solid the way a road tread would.

On wet chalk, on greasy roots, on the slick clay you get in the New Forest after a week of rain, the Speedcross grips when you expect to slide. Descending a muddy downland scarp, the rearward lugs bite and give you the confidence to keep moving rather than picking your way down inch by inch.

The trade-off is firm ground. On dry rock and hard trail those tall lugs have less rubber in contact and can feel skittish, and you feel every chevron on tarmac. This is a shoe that gets better the worse the ground gets.

Fit and sizing

The women's Speedcross 6 is built on a women's-specific last, not a downsized men's shoe. That means a narrower heel, a lower-volume midfoot and a slightly reduced overall proportion, which is exactly what most women's feet need to lock in on side-slopes and technical descents. The SensiFit cradle wraps the midfoot and the Quicklace system cinches it down in one pull, so the shoe holds the foot still where a looser fit would let it slide around inside.

Underfoot it uses Salomon's EnergyCell+ midsole with a 10mm heel-to-toe drop and stack heights of roughly 32mm at the heel and 22mm at the forefoot. It is a protective, stable ride rather than a plush max-cushion one, which suits uneven ground where you want to feel what is under you. Each shoe sits at around 279g in a UK women's mid-size, normal for a waterproof trail shoe of this type.

On sizing, I would take your usual Salomon size. The Speedcross runs true but snug through the midfoot, so the fit is precise rather than roomy. If you have a wider forefoot or a high-volume foot, this narrow last will feel tight, so try before you commit or size with care. If you like a locked-down, secure feel, it fits beautifully out of the box.

Colours

The women's Speedcross 6 GORE-TEX comes in four colourways. Dusky Orchid is the lead, but the fit, membrane and outsole are identical across all four, so pick on looks alone.

Dusky Orchid

The lead colourway, and my pick of the four. The muted orchid tone reads well on the trail and hides mud better than you would think.

Ballad Blue

A softer, cooler blue for anyone who wants something calmer than the orchid without going all-black.

Black

The understated option that doubles as an everyday shoe. If you want the grip without the trail-shoe look, this is the one.

Nine Iron

A dark grey-green that sits between the black and the colours. Practical, muted and good at hiding a season of trail mud.

Specs at a glance

Pros and cons

• Outstanding grip on wet, muddy and soft ground from the deep 5mm Mud Contagrip chevron lugs
• Waterproof GORE-TEX membrane keeps out splashes, wet grass and mud
• Women's-specific last with a narrower heel that locks in on technical descents
• Snug SensiFit and Quicklace fit that holds the foot still on side-slopes

• Aggressive lugs feel vague and skittish on hard-packed trail, rock and tarmac
• Low-cut membrane only protects up to the ankle collar
• Narrow, low-volume last does not suit wide or high-volume feet

Verdict

The Salomon Speedcross 6 GORE-TEX (Women's) earns 4.7 out of 5. The formula still works: deep Mud Contagrip lugs, a waterproof GORE-TEX membrane and a precise women's-specific fit make this the shoe to beat when the ground is wet, soft and steep. It is a specialist, not an all-rounder, and that is worth knowing before you buy. If most of your miles are on hard trail or road, look elsewhere. If your problem is staying upright and dry on greasy British downland and bog through the wet months, few shoes do it better.

At £160 it is available in all four colourways via the Salomon link below. For the full field of alternatives, see our best women's waterproof trainers roundup or browse the waterproof trainers category.

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