For a shoe to really function as a trail running shoe, it must truly have an amazing outsole as a part of it’s design; the Salomon sense ride has just that. The sole unit of the shoe has Saloman’s signature Contra grip technology which, as the name of the material suggests, provides the wearer with an amazing level of traction. The material is also extremely abrasive which also adds to the traction-gaining abilities of the material in the shoe. No trail shoe is a trail shoe without lugs in its design to allow the shoe to really stand out on those trails; the lugs on this shoe allow the wearer to really achieve a decent level of grip simply due to the multi-directional placement of them on the sole unit. There re also flex grooves placed throughout the design of the outsole that also enables the shoe to achieve that level of movement that it provides to the foot of the wearer.

The midsole of the Salomon sense ride is designed so that the wearer of the shoe experiences the level of stability that the shoe provides in full. In addition to this, the midsole of the shoe provides the wearer with a decent level of comfort while in use that translates into less fatigue for the muscles in the wearer’s foot. Primarily, the sole unit in the shoe is designed from an EVA foam; EVA foam is a bit denser than the traditional material and can handle a decent level of pressure being placed on it; the pressure that generally comes from constant the constant weight of the wearer’s foot is easily handled by the shoe’s use of the EVA foam. The shoe also utilizes Energy Cell + material that allows the shoe to really provide the wearer with a bit of bounce while the shoe is in use; to supplement this material, the shoe features Opal cushioning that allows the shoe to provide the wearer with a bouncy feel while the shoe is in use.

The upper of the shoe is designed from Saloman’s Endo-fit technology that allows the shoe to prevent the formation of blisters on the foot while the shoe is in use. The toe box area in the shoe also allows for a level of comfort to be provided to the wearer’s foot in that it allows the wearer’s foot to have a bit of room to move around while the shoe is in use. The shoe also features an internal sleeve that allows the shoe to ensure that the shoe provides the wearer with a snug fit while the shoe is on foot. To aid the shoe in providing a snug fit, the shoe features an elastic lacing system; this design allows the wearer of the shoe to really tighten the shoe to a level that allows them to move without worrying about the shoe coming off their foot. While running on trails, this is somewhat necessary, especially when the terrains vary a bit.

To give the shoe what it needs in terms of functionality for the wearer of the shoe, Saloman made the shoe a bit lighter than that is usually achieved by a trail shoe. The upper and sole units of this shoe are designed from extremely durable materials but, despite this fact, is still able to provide the wearer with what they need in terms of being lightweight. Also to this effect, the lightweight design of the shoe allows it to provide the wearer with an increasingly higher level of bounce than if it weren’t as light.

The upper of this shoe is designed from a material of Saloman’s own design; this may not imply that the shoe is inherently more breathable than the average but, it is. For all intents and purposes, let’s say that the upper on this shoe is designed from a mesh material (it’s not, but it’s a variation of it), mesh is a bit on the porous side and so is able to achieve an extremely high level of airflow while in use; much like this material, the shoe achieves an extremely high level of airflow. Also, much like mesh, the shoe dries fast since the cut of the upper is relatively thin and can circulate the air rather quickly.

Okay, well if a shoe has a breathable upper, is lightweight, and is thoroughly cushioned it should just be considered comfortable; the Salomon sense ride has these features. The midsole of the shoe functions relatively well to cushion the ride while the shoe is in use; the cushioning provided by the shoe allows it to conform to the shape of the wearer’s foot which results in a feel above that provided by various other shoes. The comfort provided by the shoe is also in part due to the upper of the shoe and a few of the features that are in place throughout that portion of the shoe; the upper has a roomy toe box as well as a snug fit. One of the amazing features of the midsole is the Opal cushioning that is in place throughout its design; the shoe has Opal cushioning injected into the midsole that allows it to really respond to the curves of the wearer’s foot and allows for a decent level of comfort.

This is a trail running shoe through and through. The shoe is designed in various colorways as is the norm for most shoes; this is a feature of the shoe that simply ensures that the wearer doesn’t get bored with the shoe and has a bit of choice in their selection of outfits. To be honest, when one looks at the shoe initially, it doesn’t have a design that really resembles a trail running shoe; the features of the shoe itself are the thing that make the shoe really look like a trail running shoe. The cut of the shoe is on the slim side, at least the upper while the sole unit of the shoe is a bit thicker than is normal; the sole unit is a bit thicker to provide the wearer with what they need in terms of traction.

The shoe must be rather durable for it to provide the wearer with what they need for the trail surfaces that they are designed for use on. The sole unit utilizes a Contra grip material that allows it to last when in use on the trail terrains; for comparison, look at the Contra grip as a hardened rubber material and consider the level of durability that hardened rubber holds. The cushioning in the sole unit of this shoe is above average and lasts for a reasonable time; the material is responsive but doesn’t lose that level of responsiveness for a long time. The upper on the shoe is also rather water resistant and won’t work to scare the wearer in terms of damaging the shoe’s integrity.

First, the upper of the shoe water resistant which is a form of protection for the wearer’s foot in and of itself. The design of the sole unit and the use of the Contra Grip rubber throughout allows the shoe to be thick enough to give the wearer what they need in terms of protection for the bottom of their feet; a trail shoe must have a sole unit that is thick enough to withstand the materials that are present on the trails. The upper of the shoe isn’t very thick and doesn’t have very many overlays which signals that it won’t give the wearer very much in the way of protection while the shoe is being used to run.

The chassis system in the midsole of the shoe is one of the main reasons why the shoe can provide the wearer with any sense of responsiveness while in use. The shoe also has a fair level of EVA in the design of the midsole which works to allow the shoe to provide the wearer with a fair level of bounce due to its ability to conform to the shape of the wearers’ foot. The addition of Opal Cushioning is also one of the contributing factors in the shoe’s design that allows for a decent level of responsiveness to be provided to the wearer of the shoe. The bounce/energy return provided by this shoe results in decent overall transitions and improves the feel of this shoe while on foot.

The shoe also provides the wearer with a decent level of support while in use due to the EVA foam and its ability to respond to all the curves in the wearer’s foot. The shoe also features a heel cup that cushions the heel portion of the foot which, as a result, allows the shoe to provide a fair level of heel support. In addition to this, the shoe provides a fair level of support to the arches of the wearer’s foot. The upper of the shoe secures the sides of the wearer’s foot and allows the shoe to provide the wearer with a decent level of support for the sides of their feet.

One of the good things about the design of this shoe is that it provides the wearer with functionality on several terrain types. As a trail running shoe, it is designed to be worn on trails primarily but, the addition of the lugs in it’s design allows it to really dig into the terrains that it is being used on and allows the shoe to move with relative ease. The lugs on the sole of the shoe somewhat take away from it’s ability to really be of use on roads simply because the shoe will degrade after extended periods of being used in this way.

These shoes can be found for a reasonable price and, considering its versatility is priced reasonably well. The shoe provides the wearer with an insane level of functionality; it has a very high level of grip and has an upper that is both flexible and breathable. With that, the features of the shoe provide the wearer with an insanely high level of value.

The Contra grip outsole on the shoe sticks to the ground with a ferocity unseen by many other shoes. The use of lugs in the sole unit also allows the shoe to really dig into the surface that it is used on; this feature of a shoe is extremely important mainly because the shoe must be able to provide the wearer with a fair level of grip for it to really function in the capacity of a trail shoe. The level of grip provided by the shoe also allows it to function on various other surfaces and weather conditions while causing the wearer very little worry; no one likes to slip around and, thanks to the sole unit on the shoe no longer must worry about that possibly occurring.

Most trail shoes have a level of flexibility on par with that provided by other models of shoe; runners really need to be able to feel the ground that they are running on it’s entirety. While this shoe may not be of the barefoot variety and give the wearer extreme levels of comfort and flex, it does have flex grooves in the sole unit that allows it to move to the will of the wearer’s foot and enable the wearer to do what they need to do regarding their ability to move while the shoe is in use. The flex achieved by this shoe enables the wearer of the shoe to do what they need so that they can really get a grip on the terrains that they are running.

Trail shoes must also be able to achieve a decent level of stability for the wearer; no one likes to feel as if they are wobbling around in a pair of shoes while running. The upper of the shoe and the lacing, as well as the snugness provided by the mesh material, ensures that the wearer of the shoe enjoys a high level of security while in the shoe. This is only accentuated by the sole unit and the counter that it has against the possible rollover that can occur while the shoe is in use.

The drop on this shoe is about 8 mm which is honestly amazing. The drop on this shoe allows it to provide the perfect balance between both stability and support. The level enjoyed by this shoe is honestly amazing.

• Contra grip outsole
• Endo fit technology
• EVA midsole
• Energy cell + material

Overall the shoe is honestly amazing. The shoe has all the features in its design that enable it to provide for the wearer and allows for an insane level of functionality to be present in the shoe’s design. The price of the shoe is moderate and allows the wearer to do what they need to achieve a level of functionality above that generally provided by a shoe.