Since its beginning in the High Alps in 1947, Salomon has become one of the largest running shoe brands, particularly in the trail market.
Salomon’s shoes tend to run on the narrower end of the spectrum and offer more minimal cushioning, though they’ve diversified their line in recent years.
Salomon’s “high cushion” shoes are still much more minimal compared to the “high cushion” shoes from brands like Hoka and Altra. Salomon’s shoes generally provide a firmer ride and plenty of ground feel. While many individuals with wider feet struggle to find Salomon shoes that feel roomy enough in the midfoot, Salomon does have a few models that come in a “wide” version. Their shoes tend to have a higher heel-to-toe drop (typically in the 6-10 mm range) compared to many of their competitors’ shoes, so if you prefer a lower-drop shoe and / or tend to strike with your forefoot, this is important to keep in mind.
Salomon’s “S/Lab” shoes are designed for racing. They are the lightest shoes Salomon makes and tend to wear far faster than their other models. The S/Lab models also tend to have a lower drop than many of the other shoes Salomon makes. The S/Lab models often mirror another shoe in Salomon’s lineup, which we’ll mention in the brief summary of each shoe.
Most of Salomon’s trail shoes have a “quick lacing” system, designed with a “buckle” that slides down the laces to your desired tightness, rather than having to tie traditional laces. The buckle and excess lace then tuck into a pocket on the top of the tongue in each quick-lace shoe. All of Salomon’s current road shoes use a regular lacing system, while the vast majority of their trail shoes use quick laces.
Salomon also makes waterproof versions of many of their popular models, whether that’s with a Gore-Tex insert or Salomon’s proprietary ClimaSalomon waterproof insert. The waterproof versions will feel extremely similar to the non-waterproof versions in terms of support, cushioning, and midsole feel, but obviously provide better weather protection and they also tend to be significantly less breathable.
Finally, Salomon uses their own “Contagrip” rubber compound for their shoes’ outsoles, and offer it in three main variations. Contagrip TA is the stickiest and least durable, Contagrip MD is the least sticky and most durable, and Contagrip MA falls in the middle.
Great line up review.
(too many shoes to choose from)
Thank you for this, this is great.
I love the Sense 4 Pro!
But, what is a similar shoe that can also stay dry during the winter?
Hey Andrew-
I’d check out the Arc’Teryx Norvan SL GTX, La Sportiva Kaptiva GTX, or Salomon Sense Ride 3 GTX — none of them are exactly the same as the Sense 4 /Pro, but those are the shoes that will probably feel most similar to the Sense 4 /Pro while offering some additional weather protection. Hope that helps!
Many thanks. I am a bit of a gear junky, but it’s still hard to keep track of what’s out there! Thx again.
i want to add that every salomon shoe dries and drains extremely quickly. ive had to run through knee high creeks, pooring rain, snow….ive never had a problem with them feeling wet for long. It’s pretty impressive.
I agree with Marilyn, In NZ there is less need for GTX protection on most trails even in winter so whilst you expect to get wet and muddy they drain very well and you feet dont overheat.