Salomon Index 03 Review: Green Doesn’t Always Mean Go

What You Need To Know

Introduction to the Salomon Index 03

LINDSAY: The idea of Salomon’s Index line is fantastic. Gold star for effort. My review could start and end there, but what’s the fun in that?

Like most major athletic apparel companies out there, Salomon wanted to do its best to help reduce its carbon footprint. The company did this by creating a shoe that is 100% recyclable and didn’t just stop there. It created a program that makes it easy for the buyer to send the shoe back, free of charge so that Salomon can make sure the shoe is recycled. Even better, Salomon does it all themselves by repurposing the material into their ski boots. A true circle of life moment.

Some of the manufacturing tidbits that help to reduce, reuse, and recycle include a polyester upper (yes, polyester is recyclable, who knew) and a colorway that is only available in white to save on dye consumption. There’s also this unique stitch line between the upper and midsole that includes a “Splitting Area” at the medial heel for easier disassembly.

The Index 03 is quite different from other road running shoes, but is it better in any way other than its sustainability? My personal outlook isn’t so good for the shoe, but keep reading and you can decide for yourself.

What we like about the Salomon Index 03

LINDSAY: My initial impression right out of the box was, “This is super light and sleek looking.” Who doesn’t love an all-white shoe? The upper is smooth with fairly standard, albeit long lacing, and good lock down. With some fully recycled shoes, you can sort of tell the upper is made of recycled material, but I didn’t get that feeling with this shoe. The upper is durable and well-made.

The midsole has a great rocker to it when standing or walking. Salomon’s InfiniFoam is lightweight and delightfully plush with each step… while walking. (Emphasis on the walking and not running… more on that later). The outsole is completely transparent, with these circular lugs scattered across it for grip. They’re surprisingly effective given the unusual shape, and I felt they worked well on most road conditions.

What we don’t like about the Salomon Index 03

LINDSAY: I was actually quite open-minded and excited to try this shoe, but it has a few problems. Up first, it runs quite long. Yes, it’s a unisex shoe, but I would have had to go down half a size or maybe a whole size to get a comfortable fit. With that in mind, take the rest of these bad qualities with a grain of salt, as there’s a chance they come down to an improper fit.

Although the midsole has a great rocker while standing or walking, it seems to disappear completely when I start running. It felt like the medial aspect of my foot was sort of drooping over the outsole, too. Almost like the outsole itself wasn’t wide enough, if that makes sense. It’s a strange sensation because, like I said before, the toe box is quite wide.

Salomon’s ankle support is also very high, to the point where I felt it with each step. So, even though it’s rather soft and flexible ankle support, it rubbed me in all the wrong places. The laces were also ridiculously long for my average width foot. Runners with narrow feet are also going to wish a pair of scissors came in the box in order to trim the laces back.

Final thoughts on the Salomon Index 03

LINDSAY: I think it’s very commendable that Salomon is reaching for new heights in terms of sustainability. By the looks of it, they’ve come a long way from the Index 01 and are listening to the reviews, trying to improve this shoe to make it more competitive.

I’ve reviewed quite a few recyclable shoes, though, and this is another one that misses the mark for me. I wouldn’t recommend this as a daily trainer, but that’s the price point it’s competing in. Unless you’re big into making sure every product you buy is recyclable, then your $160 would be better spent elsewhere. Especially considering that, per Salomon’s website, this isn’t meant to be worn daily. The “run frequency” is listed as one run or less per week. I’ll take the “less” option, sorry Salomon.

You can pick up the Salomon Index 03 for $160 from Salomon using the button below.