If you’ve been following the page for a while, you’ll have noticed a high proportion of shoes in the review section. It’s the product I get sent the most and the headline grabber, along with packs and watches. But what piece of gear do I use the most across all terrains, in the gym and when stretching/soft tissue work? Clothes.
In this case a t. Whether I’m going on a road or trail run, off to the gym or working on my range of motion/muscle maintenance, the t-shirt can be the one constant. Trainers are terrain specific. Clothing is only weather specific. But, from a review write up point, trainers are easier to capture, you can isolate the product without needing someone near by to shoot it.
A good t-shirt is essential. If I over heat, the session or race can be ruined, if I’m chaffing, well, the experience just got grim and at the end of the day, it’s going to get a lot more wear from washing and day to day use. 
Now I have a thing for zips. I run hot, heck, I swear I must have some Scandinavian blood (half of family’s from north of Inverness) as even in the depths of winter, you’ll find me in shorts and t, or at the very most, tights and t. When I’ve added an ultra light baselayer, I roast! Having the option to increase ventilation when I want really appeals to me and I do make use of the feature more than you may think. So imagine, the height of summer, when there’s a heat wave and I’m racing at Trail Marathon Wales in 24°C+ sunshine. I’m doing everything my body hates. I run in the cooler mornings before breakfast or last light normally to keep cooler, as I also sweat like a sieve under a running tap. Personally I like my t’s light, thin, durable and wicking, quite a big ask.
So Salomon’s Fast Wing HZ (Half Zip) SS T.
Available also without the zip for a little less of you hard earned monies, the Zip T is a light, breathable t, with a few handy features for longer runs. I took a size Medium, as I’ve found Small Salomon t’s can be a little tight, but at 5ft 7” and 73kg(ish), there is plenty of space for someone both taller and broader.
First things first, comfort. There is no point having a super techy t, with a load of bells and whistles, if you find yourself itching, your nipples bleeding and the fit restrictive. I have to say, the Fast Wing HZ is mighty comfy. It sits around your body, rather than draping itself over you and this in part is due to the cut and fabrics. The cut is athletic, the it sits close to Salomon’s S-LAB range and feels race inspired. The fabric is Salomon’s Aero fabric, which is really breathable, but also has a soft touch to the skin.
On the shoulders, there is a 4-Way stretch woven fabric to put up with use with vest, packs and hauling kit when fast packing. After 100 or so miles using a S-Lab Ultra 8 vest, there are no signs of wear. Under the arms and along the entire length of the back panel, are highly breathable mesh areas which allow you to get some air in and out where required. Remember, your pits are like ovens when on the move and one of your internal thermometers is at the top of your spine. Keep them cool and your day will be easier, that and you are less likely to reek at the end of a hard session on the trails.
Breathability is good, but only if you can wick away moisture. Salomon use their AdvancedSkin Active Dry tech to help keep moisture moving away and your core temperature stable. I must say, I’ve completely saturated the entire top on a number of occasions, I said I was an expert at sweating and wasn’t lying, however, before this point, I didn’t find myself roasting and my sweat pouring down me, instead of being transferred.
The half zip is easy to use on the move and doesn’t ride up or down without manual intervention. There is a small rear zip garage to avoid irritation and despite my best efforts to render the zip useless with gallons of salt concentrated sweat excreted from my pours, it is still working as well as the day I received it. Below, you can see my on the finish straight of Trail Marathon Wales, my eyes desperately seeking water.
To the rear, two small pockets can take up gels/bars/used wrappers or anything small you want to take on the trail. These are really useful for runs where you don’t want to carry a pack or waist bag, and would like to keep things fast and light. They carry a road cycling influence and work well at retaining your chosen fillings – are we talking about pasties?
So, to summarise, I have ran more than 200 miles in Salomon’s Fast Wing HZ SS Tee, from Trail Marathon Wales, to the summit of Ben Nevis, local trails and roads daily. It has become my go to piece when I’m not wearing a vest and it does have one trick up it’s sleeve over a vest. Greater UV protection. Whereas my arms are a deep tan, by upper arms and shoulders are white, and this essential for long runs in the sun or those scorching hot days, where sun cream and exercise aren’t going to cut it.
I like the styling, there are 3 more colours to choose from and the detailing on the shoulders is a premium feature. It’s nice to see small detail work on men’s apparel….. women have way more fun kit to chose from! The fit is great and on the trail, it performs as it should.
You may have noticed a strange pattern under the shoulder section of my top. This was due to using a size medium S-LAB Ultra Vest instead a small on two runs, which in the end was what I needed. These were the two lower sections where the bottles are and the rubbing was pretty aggressive. Does this bring durability into question? Yes and no. Clearly, the face fabric has broken down, however, look at the rest of the tee and I have been using the size down vest since with no more abrasions to the Fast Wing (included in the race).
Bad Luck? Perhaps?
A trade off for a light top? Maybe
Anything to worry about? No – not if your vest/pack fits properly.
At £50, it is on the higher end of the tee market, but it’s one I am looking at purchasing for myself. I’ve used it that much, the only way to continue is to purchase another to avoid constantly having a tee that hums or is in the wash. And that really says it all for me. A product that I am looking to purchase for myself. It’s not just impressed me, it’s won me over.
The Fast Wing Half Zip SS Tee is still going strong 200 miles down the trail. I wanted something light, thin, breathable, wicking and durable, and that’s what the Fast Wing delivered.
James Mackeddie 