Those who spent winters on the snowy slopes should be familiar with Salomon. The French company has made high-performance skis and racing snowboards for decades, in addition to some of the best boots and bindings in the world. On of its action sports pedigree, the brand additionally boasts a sterling reputation as one of the foremost purveyors of hiking shoes, crafting supremely durable footwear for harsh mountain climates. It’s understandable, then, that many viewed Salomon’s pivot towards fashion in 2015 with befuddled amusement. What was a brand so tightly tied to skiing and mountaineering doing in directional boutiques like The Broken Arm?

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