This week, we flipped our big central display table over and filled it with a couple of kilos of crushed gravel and threw in some trainers. It's a far cry from the usual sharp stainless steel edges that sits proud in the middle of The Shoe Room.
Why would we even do such a thing? The display is a shining example of the shoe nestled comfortably in said gravel, a testament to constant change and versatility. The Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL is the flagship shoe from Salomon's 'Gravel' – or GRVL – line up, an exciting new concept from the French brand as they continue to push beyond Trail running.
As Salomon themselves say, "Gravel running is about letting go, exploring, and sharing way more than just running". At its core, GRVL is designed to give you the best of a road shoe with the versatility of a trail shoe, to roam between the offroad and the streets as you please, away from the distractions of pace, of intervals and of races.
In London, think a run up 'round Regents Park before splitting off up over Hampstead Heath. It's the River Lea and round Hackney Marshes; it's a bit of Richmond Park and the Thames Path.
For the team, we've been really impressed by the Aero Glide 3, Salomon's first real contender in the road-running space, which released in March. Molly has admitted it may be one of her favourite shoes of-late, putting them through their paces with easy runs, steady efforts and intervals with ease. But the GRVL version stays true to the DNA of its road-running cousin, just beefing up the Contragrip outsole and locking down the fit even further.
What this results in is a truly versatile shoe to take where you want, however you want. Fast, slow, with friends, alone. Salomon have really leaned into this hybrid-running approach, focusing on ideas of freedom, shared experiences and of the most important part: fun. What's the point of doing all of this if we're not having fun?
On Friday morning, both Jonty and Liam (I, the ed.) took the AG3GRVL out for a test-run, albeit Jonty hitting the Epping Forest trails and myself going over the Hertfordshire countryside. Feeling tired and a little lacklustre (thankfully not due to the shoe), I reminded myself that I could just wander around and enjoy the scenery. The welcome pop from the GRVLs and a refreshed mindset soon found me hitting some 15-second strides in the midst of the chilly morning and feeling all the better for it. That's what Gravel is about: taking the pressure off, roaming amongst the variety of life, and running for the fun of running.
Jonty took it to the ultimate level of fun, just check out the shirt in his first-impressions video!
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To celebrate the launch and to give you lot the lowdown on the shoe, we'll be heading to Epping Forest next Sunday (25th May) for a point-to-point adventure, weaving together the green spaces of London back to The Shoe Room. Along the way, aid stations, adventures, and a heap of exploring. There will be limited amounts of Aero Glide 3 GRVL to test on the run too.
As part of the Salomon store-takeover, you can join in the GRVL action by grabbing a Gravel Run Loyalty Card from us in-store. Grab a card, run our special Gravel loop and win gifts from Salomon, Food from x and a coffee from us here at The Shoe Room!
