Pas Normal Studios has kicked off the start of a long-term collaboration project with Salomon, debuting with a curious high-tech combination of all-weather boots and a lightweight hydration vest. The PNS x Salomon XA-ALPINE 2 are trail running-inspired winter boots, repurposed as a pair of premium flat pedal city riding shoes. And the PNS x Salomon Active Skin 8 is a lightweight running hydration vest, repurposed for adventure cyclists…
Danish cycling clothing brand Pas Normal Studios has partnered with French ski & active outdoor brand Salomon for a line-up of gear blurring the lines between disciplines. Describing the collaboration as “fusing aesthetics and performance” it appears the first two ‘cycling’ products are mostly relabeled trail running gear. While that seems like a limited start, it does suggest that with a few tweaks, Pas Normal may be able to adapt some of Salomon’s huge product catalog to better serve cyclists.
PNS x Salomon XA-Alpine 2 boots
Described as a blend of “cycling-specific” & “urban-dwelling wearability”, the 270€ pair of boots look to be a direct copy of Salomon‘s own XA-Alpine 2 Advanced hi-top sport shoes. Only the Pas Normal version gets a brown upper & natural-colored gum rubber sole (357g claimed per shoe).
Combining a lightweight (bright yellow) sneaker with quick speed-lacing inside and a water-repellent outer shoe cover, they should be an easy-on shoe for around town or a bit of trail hiking.
Of course, their carbon-reinforced outsole does not include cleat attachment and their lugged tread isn’t specifically shaped for grip on platform pedal pins, so it’s likely these would be reserved for low-impact flat pedal city riding. To be honest though, a pair with platform pin-optimized tread or an SPD cleat attachment, and these would probably make a pretty solid foul-weather cycling shoe.
PNS x Salomon Active Skin 8 hydration vest
Looking at the hydration vest, there does appear to be at least one minor tweak for cyclists. The 180€ PNS x Salomon Active Skin 8 hydration vest includes one 490ml soft flask in its chest pocket with a water filter and an extended straw to make it possible to drink hands-free while pedaling. It then also includes another standard 0.5l soft flask in the other chest pocket with a regular high-flow bite valve.
The Active Skin 8 bag is a lightweight (claimed 210g) mesh hydration vest available in 5 sizes (XS-XL) with 8 liters of storage space in the main back pocket, plus several adaptable pockets on the mesh chest/shoulder straps. There’s also an internal hydration bladder pocket & hose routing for 1.5l of more water. A quick-release criss-cross of bungees acts as adaptable sternum straps, and mesh side panels work together to keep the bag stable. Pas Normal’s own product spec lists it as best suited for both Running and Casual Riding, so it should be a solid piece of cross-training kit.
Availability & What’s next?
Curiously, it looks like the PNS x Salomon gear might be a bit cheaper (depending on your market) if you buy it straight from Salomon. They also seem to have more sizes in stock. Plus, Salomon also offers their original analogs – not in coffee brown colors, though – sometimes for quite a bit less. In any case, it’s interesting to see Pas Normal venturing out a bit from their standard clothing-only line-up, and curious to see where this PNS x Salomon collaboration will lead next.
PasNormalStudios.com x Salomon.com
