At this point, we all know that Palace and Salomon are more than just friends. In 2018, the UK skate label helped put the French brand's techy, outdoorsy kicks on the cool-kid radar by including them in its spring lookbook; a year later, the duo officially linked up on a footwear collaboration, and released a further two in the years that followed. Now, they've unveiled their fourth red-hot sneaker: the Palace x Salomon XT-Wings 2, a low-key spin on a shoe built for high-altitudes.
Revealed in two colorways—a clean white and a sleek black—both sneakers feature Salomon's lightweight, breathable 3D Mesh base. The uppers are covered in TPU film for added structure; on a regular pair of XT-Wings 2 that layer is left matte, but Palace took the liberty of turning the gloss levels up a notch.
Underfoot, you'll find a chunky EVA foam midsole that's lined with Contagrip (a sturdy, rubbery outsole that hardcore trail runners swear by). To finish things off, there's a co-branded label emblazoned across the tongue, adding a primary-colored pop to the otherwise monochromatic aesthetic.
Palace has been on a bit of partnership spree over the past month or so, releasing buzzy new projects with everyone from Crocs to McDonald's. But this latest Salomon drop, in our humble opinion, is by far the London streetwear giant's raddest and most wearable collab in recent memory.
If you're hoping to add the Palace x Salomon XT-Wings 2 to your rotation, the shoes are set to drop on September 1 at Palace, Salomon, and select retailers worldwide for $160. As with most things Palace puts into the world, expect these to sell out fast.
This story originally ran on British GQ with the title “The Palace x Salomon XT-Wings 2 was made for sk8r bois and gorp-nerds”