It was overdue. Finally French Trail Running Giants Salomon released a shoe solely dedicated to SwimRun. The S-LAB XA Amphib caters all the needs, on land and in the water. 
Something that sticks out is the outer material. Salomon uses a fast drying mesh material to get the water out of the shoe quickly. Besides this the unique web-style creates a safe and steady feeling for the feet while running. 
A stylish and trully unique peace off footwear – S-LAB XA Amphib. Fast drying and breathable single layer mesh combined with nylon layer allows extrem breathability. A key feature as the shoe certainly will get wet. 
What is this S-Lab? Well, the people at Salomon describe it as follows: “There’s no secret to the S/LAB. Just two words. Play and progress. Engineers, athletes and designers gather around the table to design the future. Never satisfied, always dreaming, delivering exceptional performance gear.That’s the S/LAB.”
Salomon gathered an expert team to develop this shoe. Besides the 2016 Ötillö Champions, swedish duo Daniel Hansson and Lelle Moberg, several other experienced Swimrunners helped to develop this shoe. 
It is  hard to mix two different worlds. Swimming with a shoe is not that common. Although the Amphib does not help the swim performance, the light and water absorbent material does not slow athletes down. Once entering land, water leaves the shoe fast and efficient.  
The Amphib comes in with a pleasant weight of 215g.
I particularly became a fan of the outsole. The gnarly design paired with the soft rubber creates great grip and a secure feeling on technical trails during all weather conditions. 
Finally! A sweet drop of 4mm is what i like.
Salomon established the Quicklace system several years ago. Also the Amphib features this reliable and minimalistic one-pull tightening system. The Lace pocket storage system makes sure the laces are stored away securely.
A internal sock system makes sure the feet stays in place. Salomon called this Endofit. It certainly does the job during demanding trails.
This was worth the wait. While the former Sense models were a great partner for Swimrun races, the all new S-LAB XA Amphib takes the advantages of Salomons trail running flagship and pairs it perfectly with the singular needs of Swimrun. 

Tune of the day: Madchild – Badchild