A review of the Salming Viper Squash Shoes

As I have mentioned here many times in the past I love receiving new squash gear. So as you can imagine I was very excited when the new Salming shoes arrived this month. There are a couple of new colour options of the Race R1 2.0, there is the Race R2 2.0 which we did not carry previously and also the Race R9 Mid. Also in the order was the completely new Salming Viper. 
The Viper is a really great addition to the Salming line-up and I am very happy to be carrying them. They look terrific, they are quite light and some of the performance characteristics they are supposed to deliver look really promising. One of the players I co-sponsor with Salming, Chris Wichers was looking for a new model this year and chose the Viper. I asked Chris to give me some feedback on the shoes once he had a chance to play with them. A little after a week I got a text message stating "the shoes are awesome, very grippy, barely any break in time required, light weight and stable. Will let you know about the durability." I of course was very happy to read his report as I was hoping he was going to really like the shoes. Since Chris picked up his pair I have picked up a pair for myself and have played a few matches in them. I have really liked playing in them as well.

Like Chris I have found the shoes to have excellent grip. The XR110 gum rubber is what makes the shoes grip as well as they do. The stability comes from a few factors. Primarily it is achieved through the LMS (Lateral Movement Stabilizer) unit in the middle of the medial side of the shoes and the LMS+ on the lateral  side of the shoe that features an 11° positive angle.  The LMS unit on the medial side is designed to stabilize the foot during the dynamic movements that squash players make. The LMS+ on the lateral side is designed to provide additional stability and help prevent an outward role of the shoe. This protects against rolling your ankle. The T.G.S. 62/75 allows the shoes to provide the stability it needs in the rear 62% of the shoes while providing the flexibility in the front portion of the shoe that allows for the foot to move naturally. The RollBar technology found on the medial side of the outer sole near the big toe helps the player with pushing off to move quickly to the ball. These technologies really do seem to work as the shoes provide excellent stability.

From a comfort perspective Salming has done a really great job with these shoes. They are light, feel well built and are comfortable to wear. The ErgoHeelCup helps keep the heel in place in the shoe which is really important. They also provide good cushioning in both the forefoot and rearfoot. I really noticed the cushioning when I first tried them on and was doing some lunging and landing on my heel on my front foot.

Overall I am really pleased with the Salming Viper Squash Shoes and they are what I am currently playing with. If you want to read more about them click on the "View in store" button.