Quite the mouthful to say, the Salomon XT Wings II tech shirt offers lightweight construction with a 3/4-length zipper for added ventilation. How does this running jersey stack up against some of my favorites? Overall, it does quite well, so lets get into it.
Salomon XT Wings II Tech Shirt Features
- Seamless technology with Smart Skin
- 3/4 zip with stay down zipper
- Reflective accents front and back
- Mixture of various Actilite fabrics (Polymockeylet II, Light Jersey and X-Static Mesh)
- Weight: 4.3 oz
- Colors: Red (tested), Blue, Black
- MSRP: $65
Salomon XT Wings II 3/4 Zip Shirt Review
The XT Wings II shirt is made for trail running, but is quite at home on the road and on the mountain bike. I’ve now used the XT Wings shirt in a variety of conditions — from 90-degree Florida humidity to 95-degree Utah high desert dry heat.
What I notice most about this shirt is that the front and back panels are very different. The front is more of a mesh fabric to allow for improved airflow, which is aided by the 3/4-length zipper for a boost when needed. The back panel is ultralight silk-like material (non-mesh). I’m not certain the reasoning for not featuring mesh on the back as well, but the fabric does do a good job of dispersing moisture across the entire back. This is great in the Utah dry heat as it dissipates rather quickly, but in the Florida humidity, it just feels like a wet sponge on your back and ends up completely stuck to your entire backside.
The entire package is very light and comfortable to wear. Again, the zipper is awesome for an extra dose of ventilation on-the-fly. Another notable feature is the fit of this shirt. I elected for the size Large (5’11” – 170 lbs) and it fits perfectly. It’s not snug, but slim enough to be just about perfect. The extra length is welcome in this shirt as opposed to most other similar shirts that are a bit shorter. Too long is bad, but this one has just the right length. Welded seams add to the comfort.
While reading and running is a noble endeavor, I don’t think the huge book of tags attached to the lower-left side of the shirt is really what reading junkies would like (see above). The sheer amount of tags on this shirt is ridiculous! There are 8 tags with instructions in every language imaginable and a huge tag stating “Primarily Intended for Ages 13+”. I found that one particularly comical. Cutting them out will require a pick to remove the stitching as they don’t simply tear out.
I ended up wearing this shirt on the 2010 Park City Mid Mountain Marathon and felt it to be the perfect choice for a long-distance run. The zippered front allowed me to ventilate while the front of the shirt sits perfectly as to prevent nipple chaffing (yeah, I just said that). Long runs tend to rip those sensitive areas and this shirt left me without one bit of chaffing whatsoever. After 4+ hours of running, that’s outstanding.
Good XT Wings Tech Shirt
- Mixture of fabrics aids in moisture management in most conditions
- Fabric and zippered front eliminates nipple chaffage for me
- Welded seams make for a comfortable feel
- 3/4 zip is great for a boost of wind
- Lightweight feel
- Reflective touches are nice
- The perfect length and good overall fit
Bad XT Wings Tech Shirt
- No less than 8 tags are attached to this shirt
- Back panel feels like a wet sponge in high humidity
Bottom Line: Salomon XT Wings II 3/4 Zip Tech Shirt
A great technical shirt for running and biking, the Salomon XT Wings II tech shirt is lightweight and comfortable to wear. Aside from the included novel, there’s little to complain about.
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