Salomon's New Sneaker Looks Like a Cherry Cake You Can Wear

I have decided that hiking shoes are much more fun when they look like dessert.

POSTED 05.10.26 05:15 BY ZOE TYLER

Salomon and Ray BEAMS are back together with the XT-Whisper “Cherry Cake Party,” and this might be the sweetest thing to happen to a technical sneaker in a while.

The collaboration takes Salomon's trail-ready silhouette and completely gives it a birthday-cake makeover, covering the shoe in pink mesh, cherry-red overlays and just enough black to stop the whole thing from becoming aggressively sugary.

It Looks Like Frosting With a Sole

The base starts with breathable light-pink mesh, which basically becomes the cake itself.

Then come the layers: cherry-pink and deep-crimson synthetic panels sweep across the upper like someone got extremely serious about decorating the frosting. Glossy details add even more dimension, while the black heel, ankle collar and sole keep everything from floating completely into dessert territory.

It's hyper-feminine, slightly ridiculous and somehow still unmistakably Salomon.

Gorpcore Just Got a Sugar Rush

The fun part is the collision of two aesthetics that shouldn't work this well together.

Salomon's technical language is all about performance, trails and outdoor gear. Ray BEAMS has taken that foundation and covered it in the visual equivalent of whipped cream and cherries.

Instead of hiding the technical construction, the “Cherry Cake Party” makes it part of the look. The chunky black tooling underneath all that pink actually makes the colors feel even louder.

It's giving hiking shoe for someone who would also bring a tiny handbag to the trail.

And It Can Actually Go Outside

Obviously, this is still a Salomon.

The XT-Whisper uses the brand's SensiFit upper to wrap around the foot for a secure fit, while the Agile Chassis System is designed to provide stability and impact absorption across different terrain.

So while the sneaker looks like it belongs behind the glass at a very expensive patisserie, it still has the technical construction to handle an urban hike, a weekend walk or an actual outdoor adventure.

Which is probably the ideal excuse to buy them.

Pink and Red Is Doing Something Here

The color combination is what makes the whole thing work.

Soft pink gives the shoe that frosted, almost edible base, while the darker cherry tones stop it from looking too sweet. Then the black details cut straight through the middle and remind you that you're still looking at a piece of outdoor equipment.

It's basically the sneaker equivalent of ordering a giant slice of cake and adding black coffee so you can pretend you're being sensible.