Mountain shoes
Product 2021
Woman, Man
Would Salomon slowly convert to the virtues of cushioning? The new Ultra Glide that we were able to test for a long time may give this impression but it’s not so clear cut.
With the Salomon Ultra Glide, you have a shoe that resembles a “Hoka One One”: oversized sole (mainly in height but also in width, yet Salomon has shown us a much narrower heel design, a rocker shape to give a natural stride, and a “chunky” look that contrasts with the rest of their usual ranges especially the S/Lab line).
Is the Salomon Ultra Glide a step away from the Annecy-based brand? On this model the answer to that question is yes, for several reasons; the first concerns the immense comfort: the foam padding is thick and abundant at the tongue and the rear of the shoe. They feel like cosy slippers. You do lose a little precision above the foot’s arch and the forefoot. This is even more obvious compared with the S/Lab products.
The very comfortable foam padding that is a gift for long distance running does take on water: from weighing 260g dry they become 350g when wet.
The tongue’s thickness lets you really take advantage of the Quicklace system, you pull it as tight as you like without crushing your instep, which is unusual for Salomon shoes (there’s always the tendency to tighten the Quicklace too much).
The Salomon Ultra Glide sizes big (is it due to the foam padding?), at least half a size bigger.
So, what about its dynamic qualities? It may look clumsy, but it isn’t at all when running. We really liked its dynamism. It doesn’t get stuck in its stride. The cushioning is noticeable at the rear of the shoe, but you reach the hard point fairly quickly, it isn’t stiff or spongy.
The foot strike doesn’t deteriorate, and there’s very little roll (despite the height of the shoe), and you have great spring. The cushioning is much less present at the forefoot (practically none), which enables good spring. We loved this cushioning, which we felt was “edgy”. It has personality without being too much. You maintain contact with the terrain without suffering from it.
In the downhill the sole protects you from sharp stones underfoot, but it’s a lot less under the arch and forefoot.
The Contagrip sole, kitted out with strong-formed lugs give grip in almost all situations. Really grippy on slippery terrain and wet rock slabs.
The Salomon Ultra Glide are well made, reinforced, and giving the impression of durability, which you’d need to verify over a long period of time.
The Salomon Ultra Glide are very comfortable shoes, designed for long-distant running, and everyday training sessions. The cushioning is well balanced because you have a combination of good filtration and yet they retain reactiveness without the foot strike deteriorating.
32.2 mm6 mm 
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
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