When Courtney Dauwalter won the 2023 Western States, Hardrock, and UTMB in the Salomon S/Lab Genesis, it was the single best display of shoe versatility ever, proving the shoe’s ability to handle everything from fast, runnable fire roads to steep, technical mountain terrain. The S/Lab Genesis became one of the most sought-after trail shoes on the market and quickly sold out.

This summer, Salomon has updated the S/Lab Genesis 2 with a new, higher-rebound midsole, more durable Matryx upper, and a lower, less-ramped platform than the original. I’ve been testing it to find out whether all that actually made it better.