I am a proud Tomboy. Always have been. Skirts, dresses and anything ‘girly’ were never, ever on my radar until just two years ago when I acquired a bright blue Salomon S-Lab Sense Skort. At this point, something inside me clicked! A switch was flicked and suddenly I was a proud chick, running playfully around the trails in a skirt. I loved the sensation of freedom from the skirt, with the super light fabrics bouncing and breezing as I bounded, darted, squelched and ducked along the trail.

 

When I heard that Salomon skorts were going to be hard to come by in Australia I was really, really concerned. My beloved Salomon S-Lab Sense Skort now has mud stains and has faded to a duck-egg blue. What was I going to do? So, it was with slight intrepidation that I decided to give the new Salomon S-Lab modular clothing system a go.

 

Salomon S-Lab Evolution

In 2017 Salomon made an interesting decision to overhaul their S-Lab shorts, skirts and skorts range. The new styling is actually a 3-piece modular construction, requiring the user to purchase an inner brief (boxer length or longer), and integrated belt (for hydration, fuel and stowage), and another short or skirt (in three lengths). Ideally, you choose what will work best of you in whatever combination you like.

 

What I look for in a Skort or Short

When I choose a short or skort, what I am really choosing is comfort, especially over the longer distances. I look for lightweight, decreased chances of chaffing and quick drying. That is really why I loved my old Salomon S-Lab Sense Skort. The comfort of this was really in its liner. I just loved the super stretchy, incredibly light-weight, great wicking fabric of this inner short. It was the ultimate in comfort.

 

Compression Garments?

I have never been much of a fan of compression garments as when I am running I feel that my muscles are crying out for blood flow and with it, oxygen and nutrients. Restricting this just doesn’t feel right for my body and makes my legs ache. The only time I use compression is on aircraft or recovery after a long, challenging day on my feet.

 

Trialing the new Salomon S-Lab 3-piece Modular Construction

 

Inner Short

In Australia, we are only able to access the compressive Salomon S-Lab Exo Half Tight or the the Salomon S-Lab Support Half Tight. As mentioned above, I try to avoid compression garments and so chose to trial the Support Half Tight option. This inner garment is made from a very lightweight, stretchy fabric that doesn’t shift or move and provides excellent next-to-skin comfort. They also have two stash pockets for gels and other small accessories, such as car keys. I have to admit this is a very comfy option.

 

Outer Short or Skirt

The new Salomon S-Lab modular range was created to have three outer variations for the girls – a 3-inch short, a 6-inch short and a 4-inch skirt. The idea is that any of these garments can be worn over the inner half tights. Sadly, in Australia we have only been able to access the 3-inch short and the skirt which is of a similar length. That is, they are very short! However, I absolutely loved the fabric of these outer garments. Super stretchy, incredibly quick to dry and it literally felt like you were wearing nothing. My only hesitation is that they are REALLY short. One day I tried to wear the 3-inch short without the inner half-tight and I realized that this was a massive mistake. I just felt too exposed. I am sure that if we could access the 6-inch length short this would be much better for wearing in isolation, especially in hot climates.

 

So yep, both the short and skirt are very, very comfortable but definitely need to be worn over the Salomon S-Lab Support or Exo Half Tight.

 

Integrated Belt

Okay, so this is where I started to have struggles with this Salomon S-Lab Modular Constructions. The belt felt a little cumbersome for me. See, the integrated belt is designed to snap onto your chosen inner short or brief, and then nestle snuggly to your waist. The belt has four pockets distributed around the entire circumference, with two longer pockets across the front and back, and two smaller pockets on the hips. This allows you to carry plenty on you without a pack. This is seemingly a good idea except that I do not always want to be carrying things with me. What I loved about my old skort was the sense of freedom it provided. Pull it on, lightweight, simple, and out the door I could go. I do not really want to wear the belt unless I am going longer distances.

Therefore, I have begun to trial wearing the inner and outer shorts without the belt. This appears to work really well although judging by the narrow waistband on my outer shorts, I am not sure that they were designed to work in this fashion. Anyhow, I am getting away without the belt and it feels like the most comfortable daily-use option for me.

 

Advantages

• FLEXIBILITY: This modular system allows a lot more flexibility for us to create our optimal short or skirt. And I truly believe that you can, especially if you are keen to pursue longer trail running distances.
• FABRICS: The fabrics are absolutely the best out there. WOW! Super lightweight, amazing wicking capabilities, dries in a flash and absolutely no risk of chaffing. If you are planning to run ultra or longer distances, then this is absolutely for you.
• RACING: I truly believe that this modular package from Salomon is an amazing option for racing. It is definitely designed for it. The shorts/skirt combination allows you to carry everything close to your body, no risk of chaffing and if coupled with a vest pack you are totally set. I have been able to carry a 250ml flask of water, around 5 gels and a headband in the belt without altering the comfort or creating too much bounce.
• CONSTRUCTION: There is just so much attention to detail in these products. For example, every seam on these garments have been created without a traditionally sown hem. Instead, there is a thin, slightly sticky polymer layer on the inside of the seams. This layer prevents the fabric unravelling, and also helps to hold the fabrics in place without chaffing. Really neat!

 

Disadvantages

• LENGTH: The skirt and shorts are just super short. They definitely feel very youthful unless you definitely wear one of the half tight options underneath. I would love to try the 6-inch variation as I think this would be great for women of all ages and body types.
• LACK OF FLEXIBILITY: You really need to get each of the elements to make this short combination truly work for you.
• PRICE: Yes, this S-Lab Clothing combination comes with a hefty price point.
  • Inner
    • Salomon S-Lab Support Half Tights - $129.95
      • OR
    • Salomon S-Lab EXO Half Tights - $199.95
  • Outer
    • Salomon S-Lab Light Short 3 – $99.95
    • Salomon S-Lab Light Skirt 4 - $99.95
  • Belt
    • Salomon S-Lab Modular Belt - $89.95

= Minimum $319.85 for the entire package

 

SUMMARY

In summary, irrespective of the price, I would recommend the new Salomon S-Lab clothing range. I definitely think it is an awesome option for ultra-distance, trail running races and there is a lot of value in the price point. I think it is a great start from Salomon but I would like to see where it continues to evolve too.

 

Admittedly, I still run amok in my old blue skort, I am just really hoping that they can bring back a S-Lab Sense Short into the mix, and to also provide a longer short or skirt option to us trail chicks here in Australia.