The convergence of outdoor utility and high-fashion aesthetics has reached a new high-water mark with Salomon’s latest release, the SOLUS capsule collection. Created in collaboration with guest designer Jeremy Karl—a creative whose lineage includes key work with Virgil Abloh’s legendary DONDA design agency—SOLUS reimagines technical trail gear through an avant-garde lens. Rather than relying on the traditional, hyper-synthetic neon palettes and rigid skin-tight cuts that have long defined endurance sports, this collection shifts the narrative toward muted earth tones, fluid silhouettes, and a deeply considered structural aesthetic.
At the heart of the collection lies the core concept of REFORM, an ambitious attempt to rethink the foundational architecture of trail running apparel from three distinct dimensions: structural geometry, functional interaction, and aesthetic philosophy. Karl approaches outdoor apparel not simply as performance gear, but as a dynamic canvas where systematic design thinking meets street-level elegance.
Traditional wilderness sportswear often prioritizes raw technical specs at the expense of natural human movement and aesthetic harmony. SOLUS upends this dynamic by stripping away unnecessary bulk and reinventing the interface between the runner and their environment. Every seam, panel, and cinch in the collection serves a dual purpose—maximizing mobility across rugged terrain while maintaining an effortlessly sculpted silhouette when static.
The technical brilliance of SOLUS is realized through a series of subtle yet transformative functional innovations designed to eliminate friction points on the trail. Heavy plastic toggles and rigid metal adjustment hardware—long-standing staples of outdoor apparel that bounce and dig into the body during high-intensity strides—have been completely eliminated. In their place is an intuitive, self-locking cordage system utilizing sliding knots, allowing runners to make fine-tuned waist and cinch adjustments on the fly with a single, effortless pull.
The collection also solves one of the most persistent dilemmas faced by modern trail runners: jacket layering over hydration gear. Outerwear pieces feature flexible, expandable back paneling engineered specifically to drape cleanly over a fully loaded running vest. This prevents the chest constriction and restricted arm swing typical of standard shells worn over hydration packs, all without forcing the runner to size up into a baggy, wind-flapping jacket. Additional integrated features—such as dual-form sleeve cuffs that seamlessly convert into hand warmers, ergonomic low-profile hoods that lock to the head without obstructing peripheral vision, and self-stowable compression pockets—allow the wearer to adapt dynamically to changing weather conditions without ever slowing their pace.
By balancing the rigorous functional demands of harsh outdoor environments with the understated, low-saturation earth tones of contemporary streetwear, the SOLUS collection offers a fresh design dialect for modern activewear. It proves that hyper-functional gear does not need to look purely utilitarian or compromise on visual sophistication.
Through this partnership with Jeremy Karl, Salomon has delivered more than just another seasonal apparel drop. SOLUS stands as a bold statement on where technical outerwear is heading—a space where high-performance engineering, thoughtful human-centered design, and street-level culture exist in complete harmony.
The Salomon SOLUS collection is now exclusively available at HBX. Shop now.