The Salomon Aero Volt is touted as a lightweight daily trainer featuring Energy Foam cushioning, breathable comfort, and a premium fit. 1 out of 3 ain’t bad, but even that’s a bit of a stretch in our testing experience.
But while we didn’t love it, we’ll do our best to explain who will likely enjoy the Salomon Aero Volt.
Salomon Aero Volt
Release Date: July 2023
Price: $150
Weight: Men’s 7.5 oz., Women’s 6.6 oz.
Drop: 8mm
Sizing: True to size
- Rundown: The Salomon Aero Volt is a firm lightweight daily trainer.
Midsole
Drew: Salomon’s Energy Foam is a very typical EVA formulation. It’s lightweight but ultimately firm. It’s sort of a throwback midsole to the days of less squishy foams. Larger runners or those with heavy footstrikes will want to avoid this shoe. It’s similar to the Brooks Launch 10 in that it offers a peppy, firm daily trainer or speed day shoe for lighter, smaller runners.
Upper and Fit
Tyler: From my initial try-on of the Salomon Aero Volt, the narrow forefoot caused some aches and pains, especially in the ball of my feet. The pain only increased during runs.
Drew: The fit is true to size. The upper is highly breathable and the underlays provide plenty of support so you won’t be slipping off the footbed on tight turns. The tongue…is very slippy and won’t stay in place.
The forefoot is narrow, like all current Salomon road shoes, and while it didn’t cause pain as it did for Tyler, it was occasionally an annoyance.
Outsole
Drew: The Contagrip rubber is showing some wear but overall it’s holding up well. I didn’t find myself slipping at all. I was impressed by Contagrip’s tackiness in dicey situations.
Is the Salomon Aero Volt wide foot friendly?
No. Due to the narrow forefoot, the Salomon Aero Volt is not a good shoe for wide footers.
Is the Salomon Aero Volt worth $150?
No. $150 is too much for a lightweight, daily trainer using basic EVA (Energy Foam). Similar performing shoes retail at $110-$120. The $150 price point is way too high for what you get. This is the biggest negative for this shoe.
Salomon Aero Volt Summary
Tyler: The non-gusseted tongue, extremely long laces, and general lack of cushion make the Salomon Aero Volt a hard pass for me.
While the shoe is a no-frills, straightforward trainer, I think most runners can easily find a neutral daily trainer that is easier on the feet and wallet (Nike Pegasus, Atreyu Daily Trainer).
Drew: The Salomon Aero Volt will be a solid option for some but mediocre for most runners. And at $150, you can get much better value elsewhere. I’d recommend taking a look at our list of best Budget Running Shoes to find similar, yet more value-packed shoes for less.
