Olivier Segalen, one of the developers behind the Salomon XT-Whisper, shares the story of a model that, in its first colorway, arrives at FOOTDISTRICT as an exclusive for Spain.
The XT-Whisper is Salomon’s latest surprise, a sneaker that FOOTDISTRICT brings exclusively to Spain in a stunning first colorway, and one we needed to learn more about. That’s why we spoke with Olivier Segalen, Global Product Line Manager FTW Sportstyle at Salomon, one of the key figures in bringing back this silhouette, which revolutionized functionality. Olivier transitioned from performance to Sportstyle, a path similar to that of the XT-Whisper.
The Salomon XT-Whisper was born in 2009 as the first trail-running shoe designed exclusively for women. A descendant of the XT series and its companion, the XT-Hawk, the XT-Whisper introduced an inclusive approach to the mountains, with new forms tailored to female morphology. The ACS chassis and the Sensifit system, which wraps the foot, were redesigned to meet these new needs.
Salomon’s archive contains a vast collection of models adapted to different contexts and needs. Bringing back the XT-Whisper reflects the brand’s growth in Sportstyle. Typically, when we speak of “unisex” models, they refer to men’s silhouettes expanded to other sizes. However, Salomon Sportstyle takes a different approach, with no distinction between colors or models by gender. The XT-Whisper emerged in a performance-driven context where it was necessary to adapt its structure to women’s needs. The XT initials, seen in many Salomon designs, refer to X-Trail, ultra-distance mountain races. Now, the XT-Whisper returns in a new Sportstyle context, ready to be enjoyed by everyone: a sneaker born as a women’s model, now reimagined as a unisex design.
The style of the XT-Whisper maintains a connection to the original through its shapes and textures, although different materials are now used to enhance the final product’s sustainability. True to its era, the shoe is built with multiple layers of materials, combining mesh, synthetic reinforcements, and reflective elements—features originally designed for functionality, now transformed into contemporary design lines. ACS chassis, Sensifit, and the Quicklace system, once created with utilitarian goals in 2009, have now become aesthetic highlights as well.
The first edition of the XT-Whisper, exclusive to FOOTDISTRICT in Spain, preserves the essence of the original with striking color contrasts, a mix of matte and glossy materials, and a stable structure that provides cushioning and support with every step.