What happens when off-road running begins to play a role in fast-growing disciplines such as swimrunning?
Salming, a Swedish brand specialising in performance running, teamed up with technical soles authority Michelin to create a shoe that is incredibly light, with a tread that ensures exceptional self-cleaning and impeccable grip on slippery wet surfaces.

Swimrun is a multiple-stage competition which involves participants running and swimming with no transition areas: this means that athletes have to run with their wetsuits on and swim with their shoes on. While in 2016 there were only 70 known races in the world, today there are more than 500.
The Salming OT Comp (Off Trail Competition) is ideal for disciplines such as swimrunning and orienteering, where the sudden change of terrains and conditions requires a shoe with excellent traction and adaptability. Michelin’s dynamic sole and Salming’s upper shoe are the perfect combination to offer the wearer the support he or she needs. Athletes are well aware that adaptability is key during swimrun and orienteering competitions: from now on, with Salming OT Comp, everything will be easier.

The Salming OT Comp is super light, weighing only 265 grams (size 7.5) and is equipped with the innovative fiber lite solution in the sole, developed by Michelin. Fibres and rubber compound are integrated into the sole, reducing the weight and thickness of the tread, and thus making the entire shoe lighter, while maintaining a high level of flexibility, stability, performance and adaptability to different types of terrain.

The new sole is inspired by two Michelin tyres. The Wild Mud mountain-bike tyre has lugs that feature Michelin’s “twisted” design, which untwist when the tire contacts the ground, helping to evacuate mud and optimize adherence. The Starcross 5 motorbike tyre is suitable for all types of terrain and has star-shaped lugs, which provide excellent traction and progressiveness in bends. The same properties are applicable to the sole of this shoe. Underneath the arch support, the tread design ensures stability, control and traction on obstacles.

The Salming OT Comp upper has a lightweight mesh body, which allows for excellent water drainage and breathability – qualities that make it perfect for swimrun and orienteering. RocShield™ reinforcements, which protect the foot and shoe, have been added to the side areas which are more exposed to the wear and tear of rugged terrain.
The Salming Running DNA is represented by the Torsion Guidance System 62/75° and the RunLite compound, features that accommodates for the foot to be able to flex in all the right places and a midsole so thin that the runner can feel the terrain underneath but still with enough cushioning properties to make the run comfortable. The drop is 4mm.

For Salming fellow ambassadors are a pivotal part in the OT Comp project. Both at the start-up phase in terms of what Salming and Michelin were aiming for, but also the pivotal test process. In the latter, orienteering World Champions Daniel Hubman of Switzerland and Fredrik Bakkman of Sweden participated. On the Swimrun side Sweden’s Jonas Colting, who has been a part of the shape and growth of the Swimrun sport and has won a number of ITU World Championships medals over long distances such as Ultraman World Championships, participated.

SALMING will be partner with OT COMP shoe for The Swimrun Cheers

“From a product developers perspective the task of creating an off trail running shoe that caters to the needs of the most discriminating athletes in orienteering and swimrun (otilloswimrun.com), is a major under taking and it requires determination, skills and a network of partners being able to push the envelope and deliver actual customer benefit in terms of a performance off trail running shoe. A pivotal part of the development process is of course the outsole – its compound and characteristics – being able to dig down in mud and gravel in the woods and at the same time providing excellent grip on wet and slippery rocks when coming out of, or going into, the water in Swimrun. The co-operation with Michelin has made this equation possible” – Thomas Nord, Head of Design & Creative Director, Salming.

“The strength of the Michelin technical soles project lies in the acceptance of difficult challenges and in the creation of innovative solutions working very closely with the client in order to meet the client’s needs, and Salming is the ideal partner to pursue this path with. The OT Comp project allowed us to introduce a fiber lite technology, an innovation we developed to reduce the weight of the tread. Our product specialist team built the sole with the same technique that Michelin uses to make tyres lighter: the fusion of fibres and rubber. The personalised tread design and the well-finished compound put the finishing touches to a sole crafted to offer swimrun athletes comfort, agility and excellent self-cleaning qualities” Andrea de Pascale, Head of Marketing & Partnership Development at JVI for Michelin Technical Soles.

More information: michelin-lifestyle.com