REVIEW: Salomon Ultra Glide

With the new Salomon Ultra Glide, Salomon has listened to the masses and expanded its lineup to include a softer option as well. This is mainly because of the wonderfully light and responsive Energy Surge foam that they have pulled out of the box. A brilliant little surprise for us Salomon fans!

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Review Salomon Ultra Glide

Surging towards the clouds

Let’s start off with the midsole and its components. Even though the Energy Surge Foam is a softer and more responsive foam than Salomon’s other compounds, it still isn’t too soft.
They feel vastly different from the Salomon shoes I have tried previously, and I must say it really hits the spot for me.
I am always looking for shoes that I can bring home to Norway during my summer vacations, and the last couple of years comfortable terrain shoes have been my first choice. This one takes the cake and will definitely be joining me in the clouds back home in Norway.

It is a specialized shoe and isn’t meant to be fast, but is rather made for longer runs where comfort should be at a premium. This also means it’s nice as a shoe that can transport you out to the trails and back again with plenty of cushion. In fact, the midsole reminds me a bit of a firmer road running daily trainer (not the overly bouncy stuff you see nowadays). The softness is at a great spot if you ask me. It gives a nice and comfortable ride towards the trails, but it really shines when you leave the asphalt, just like a trail shoe should!

Even though it isn’t a superfast shoe it is still made so that it can be somewhat technical and fast. I mean, Salomon can’t just abandon their DNA overnight. The rocker, or reverse camber, wasn’t noticeable until I ran at a higher pace on flatter terrain. But again, at faster paces and with such a high stack height, the need for a rocker is very essential for it not to feel clumsy, and it makes this shoe far more versatile.

They have also implemented the ProFeel film into the midsole to filter out rocks, sharp surfaces and give an extra bit of stability. Together with a thick midsole, you shouldn’t notice too many rocks when you run.

Wide and tight at the same time

The upper is a Salomon 3D mesh upper that feels extremely nice on, very breathable on the top, and with plenty of rubber reinforcements and overlays to get a durable fit that will last the distance. Nice, as I said, but I felt it needed a couple of runs to break in for a perfect fit.

Salomon has made the shoe a tiny bit wider than normal, especially around the toes, just to give them the chance to splay and contribute to a more stable running experience. If you normally love the narrower fit from Salomon though, you shouldn’t worry. It isn’t overly wide (more like a regular road running shoe) and the SensiFit Wings up towards the top of the eyelid chain gives a nice and tight hug around the ankle.

As expected, the shoe is equipped with the Salomon Quicklace system, which works really well and gets out of the way with the implemented pocket on top of the tongue. Once I figured out that I need to tighten the laces a bit further down and not only trust the magic of the Quicklace, the fit really stuck. The only issue I have had is in very steep and fast declines where I would like to have a tiny bit less width.

Extra rubber for the distance

With such a nice new and light midsole material, Salomon has been able to give the shoe a little bit more Contragrip rubber to ensure that you stay on your feet the entire distance. The lugs are only up to 4mm, and that means this shoe isn’t meant for soft and muddy terrain. It’s more an all-around shoe, but so far, I haven’t had any issues with grip, even in the wet.

Who is it for?

The Ultra Glide is for everyone, if you are a new runner that just wants to try out trail running, or if you want a shoe that either is comfortable or for those longer trail runs. It is a do it all trail shoe that will, for most people, be a fantastic option.

It isn’t fast, but it still performs exceptionally well when you hit the trails. It is my new “bring home to the mountains” shoe and I will for sure run many altitude meters wearing these shoes this fall.
On a wet day though I would probably decide to use the Speedcross 5 instead, and on the faster runs nothing beats the S/lab Sense 8. But for every other day, no question about it! Salmon Ultra Glide all the way!