Salomon Sense Ride 5: first impressions
The latest update of the Sense Ride the Salomon Sense Ride 5 is very impressive. It’s bang on the average weight for a mixed-terrain trail running shoe at 18.4oz / 523g with an 8mm drop heel to toe. The shoe feels robust and built to last, while still keeping some mesh over the upper for ventilation in warmer weather.
• List price: $160 (US) / £130 (UK)
• Weight (pair UK 6.5): 18.4oz / 523g
• Colors: Women’s Tea Rose, Fiery Red & Vanilla Ice / Rainy Day, Hot Sauce & Freesia / Granada Sky, Serenity & Clematis Blue and more Men’s Black, Fiery Red & Black / Lily Pad, Rainy Day & Bleached Aqua / Rainy Day, Hot Sauce & Freesia and more
• Drop: 8mm
• Compatibility: Mixed trails, some roads, long distance
The Energy Foam padding in the midsole provides a firm ride rather than a super bouncy one (like the Hokas we’ve run in) and plenty of cushioning for longer distances over a wide variety of surfaces underfoot, from rocks and tree roots to grass and gritty tracks.
The 4mm-deep lugs on the Contagrip All Terrain sole are not super aggressive for deep, gloopy mud but again, like the cushioning, this works well over a wide variety of ground apart from oozing bog. The Quicklace system provides a very quick and easy way to get a secure fit and the toe box feels roomy for a regular-fit Salomon shoe, which a lot of runners will appreciate, especially on ultra distances where feet can swell.
Overall the Sense Ride 5 is a fantastic all-rounder for those tackling all distances on many different types of trail, tracks and roads.
Salomon Sense Ride 5: on the trails
In the past we’ve found Salomon shoes to be a little narrow in the toe box, so it was wonderful to discover that the new Sense Ride 5 is nice and roomy in this area, particularly as the shoe is designed to cover ultra distances as well as any other shorter runs.
They feel a little stiff when you first pop them on but to run in they’re comfy straight from the box. It’s odd to explain but it feels like the Sense Ride 5 is a confident shoe that knows what it’s doing – the cushioning is firm and propulsive but not overly bouncy, the Quicklace system efficiently locks the foot comfortably in place and you can just get on with the job of running without worrying about anything foot related.
Thanks to the good level of cushioning, an 8mm drop, the breathability of the uppers and the versatility of the grip, we’ve been wearing the Salomon Sense Ride 5s for absolutely everything lately: short runs with the club over the Lincolnshire fields, 50k training in the Peak District, lugging a toddler around in a kid backpack and even mowing the lawn.
We never used to get on with the Salomon Quicklace system, preferring the precision of traditional laces, but with that wider-feeling toe box and foot-hugging SensiFit cradle we’ve honestly never found a Salomon shoe comfier.
