“Like jet packs for your feet.” That’s just one of the many eye-opening comments from our team of pro athletes and product testers after running in shoes made with Energy Blade, our latest technology that takes fast and fun to a whole new level. But what exactly is Energy Blade? How does it work? What are the benefits? And who is it for? Salomon’s Energy Blade brings speed to the masses and this article gives you the complete down low on this remarkable technology.
Energy Blade is a new technology from Salomon that injects power and propulsion into your stride. Lightweight, responsive plates in the sole of the shoe actually improve running efficiency by creating a springboard effect that accelerates the stance and eases propulsion. At official races, we spoke to runners who were psyched to have broken their PB when running with plated footwear!
Mike Ambrose, Product Line Manager for Trail Running at Salomon explains the idea: “We wanted to bring heightened responsiveness and a feeling of ‘pop’ into the run. With Energy Blade, the Salomon team has created our fastest running shoes ever. Everyone from our designers to pro athletes have been so thrilled about it that we decided to add it to trail running and fast hiking shoes as well. We wanted to bring the same level of fun and excitement into trail running that our team has introduced into road running.”
How does Energy Blade work?
To heighten your running and outdoor experience, Salomon has developed a lightweight, responsive plate that acts like a springboard to add power and propulsion to your stride. And just as Salomon provides many different models of footwear designed precisely for a variety of athletes’ specific needs, our experts have created several sport-specific Energy Blade technologies featuring varying stiffnesses, geometries and materials to enhance the design of each footwear model and deliver a range of products that exceeds the expectations of our communities.
Road running
Several shoes in our road running lineup feature a composite fiber plate that uses a unique manufacturing process, which allows each model to vary in stiffness in specific areas under the foot to promote faster forward propulsion from landing to toe-off, and to help to save waste and improve running efficiency.
Trail running
Partly inspired by the hooves of astonishingly fast and fleet mountain goats, Salomon’s pioneering trail shoe development team designed a lightweight, TPU-injected composite plate built into the shoe’s springy midsole to still provide the springboard/rocking chair effect while remaining flexible enough to be comfortable and stable. The Energy Blade itself doesn’t work alone, however. It’s the unique synergy between the blade, the new bouncy midsole foam technology and rocker geometry that activates forward propulsion and ensures smooth, stable transitions in all conditions.
Hiking
Energy Blade for hiking features a lightweight TPU plate that works in cohesion with the soft and springy midsole. Placed in the forefoot area, it filters terrain ‘noise’ and delivers a smooth, dynamic stride.
What are the advantages and benefits of Energy Blade?
Energy Blade technology in Salomon footwear is faster and smoother so you can run and hike further, faster, and more comfortably.
Road running
Two words: powered propulsion. Energy Blade provides easy propulsion for snappy toe-off and an easier, more fluid stride. The faster pace of road running demands a stiffer Energy Blade that provides runners with unique energy return, a snappy toe-off, balanced transition from heel to toe and strong propulsion that results in faster, more comfortable runs. This new technology provides the tools needed to help runners get faster every time they go out.
Trail running
In our trail running shoes, Energy Blade creates an energy transfer that springs you forward and provides smooth and stable transitions throughout your stride without a compromise in stability. This means your time on the trail will not only be faster it will also be more comfortable which will enable you to increase your distance with less effort.
Hiking
Happy feet, happy hiker. In our outdoor footwear, Energy Blade filters rough terrain, delivers a smooth, dynamic stride and provides premium energy return that results in a fun, over-achieving and fully charged hiking shoe to propel you forward and with less fatigue on your outdoor adventures.
How is Energy Blade used in Salomon products?
Road running
At Salomon, we’re convinced that every runner is an athlete and because of this we’re committed to delivering a technical solution that’s fine tuned to the specific needs and practices of a wide variety of runners. So whether you’re racing at an elite level or lacing up your very first pair of running shoes, our product designers are working overtime to provide the best shoe possible for you.
For instance, we performed biomechanical studies on about a hundred athletes of different skill levels which showed they did not all benefit from the same configuration. In other words, runners of different abilities benefitted more with different Energy Blade configurations. (Studies were based on “improved running efficiency” = less oxygen consumption needed to cover a given distance).
Based on these findings, we designed the S/LAB Phantasm CF with very stiff blades to specifically target runners moving at speeds above 15 km/h. For runners averaging between 10 to 15 km/h, we designed the Phantam. And the Spectur targets runners moving at speeds below 10 km/h with our least stiff Energy Blade.
Trail running
The Pulsar Trail Pro brings TPU composite plates to trail running in a shoe that is both responsive and stable. The TPU composite Energy Blade is a stiff plate that gives more power to the runner by limiting the energy lost on every stride. Thanks to its decoupled construction, the Pulsar Trail Pro is flexible enough to still ensure great stability and comfort.
The responsive, stable, and comfortable Pulsar Trail is packed with the same technology as the Pulsar Trail Pro, but with an Energy Blade TPU composite plate that is slightly softer and more flexible.
An even softer Energy Blade is used in more accessible models for less experienced trail runners including the bouncy Hypulse and the multi-tasking Impulse. This means you don’t have to be a world-class athlete to enjoy the comfort and increased speed of a plate-assisted shoe.
Hiking
Outpulse GTX and Outpulse Mid GTX are built around Energy Blade Outdoor featuring a lightweight TPU plate that works in cohesion with the soft and springy midsole. Placed in the forefoot area, it filters terrain noise and delivers a smooth, dynamic stride during your hike.
Who is Energy Blade for?
Road runners…
…looking for that extra edge needed to run faster and break through to all-new PRs. However, feeling fast is not only for elite runners chasing records! Whether you’ve been running for decades or just starting out, if you’re interested in running shoe technology that provides every advantage possible so you can maximize your potential then Energy Blade is definitely for you.
Trail runners…
…who dream of a groundbreaking new shoe technology that will enable them to go further, faster and without sacrificing stability. Energy Blade is like a jet pack for your feet that’s ready to blast off as soon as you lace them up.
Outdoors men and women…
…who want to go further and have more fun. Energy Blade delivers powered propulsion for all outdoor enthusiasts who will benefit from the exceptional comfort and increased efficiency of footwear that provides outstanding energy return.
And while Energy Blade can provide remarkable results for all kinds of athletic endeavors, the benefits of this amazing technology will be appreciated by anyone who appreciates exceptionally comfortable, well-designed footwear that’s purpose built to make your feet as happy as possible whether it’s on an ultra-trail mountain race or a leisurely stroll to your neighborhood café.
Check out our Road Running Stories and Guides page for How To’s, gear advice and more.
Check out our Trail Running Stories and Guides page for How To’s, gear advice and more.
Check out our Hiking Stories and Guides page for How To’s, gear advice, and more.
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