Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide Performance Review

For a long time, Salomon has been one of the biggest and most important brands in trail running footwear, albeit with a narrower, European fit and plenty of groundfeel. That’s changed slightly in recent years with models like the Thundercross that add more stack height to the mix. But with the Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide, we get a shoe built with maximal cushioning that’s meant to go long distances in comfort. Can Salomon deliver a true max-cushion experience? Let’s find out.

What is the Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide?

The Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide is Salomon’s latest and greatest super shoe offering, adding a new element to the S/Lab lineup (S/Lab is intended for high performance use) with a high-stack, all-day shoe. The S/Lab Ultra Glide offers a premium ride, with an enhanced midsole that aims to provide a nice balance of comfort and speed. The intention was to create a race-day shoe for ultra distances. And as such, Salomon first debuted the S/Lab Ultra Glide at the 100-mile pinnacle event of trail running, UTMB Mont-Blanc.

Cushion

Sam: The Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide features a unique, blended midsole from Salomon. energyFOAM – an EVA performance blend makes up the outer layer and sidewalls, while energyFOAM+, a super foam composition made of PEBA makes up the inner layer. To my knowledge, this is a new and unique blend from Salomon, which intends to create all-day comfort and support with EVA while adding some pop and propulsion with the PEBA inner compound. 

So how does this all come together? I’m always somewhat skeptical of blended midsoles, and I think the shoe industry right now can tend to “over science” shoes and create something that feels clunky. For my first couple of days in the Ultra Glide, it felt rigid and a little uncomfortable. The midsole wasn’t giving, which, coupled with the unique outsole shape, made for an awkward ride. I was hopeful that this was just a break-in period, which was pleasantly confirmed after putting in 30 or so miles. After the outer foam softened up, the core PEBA layer really started to come through on cruiser miles.

This is ideal for those looking for some added energy on long days out on the trail, where the right balance between plush and pop is a key ingredient to comfort and performance. This midsole performs best on moderate trails – think rolling hills, slight inclines, and cruiser-y downhills. The EVA chassis should keep you relatively controlled while the PEBA inner layer boosts you forward.

Notably, Salomon opted for no plate in the Ultra Glide. You can reference their latest study online about the energy benefit of plated shoes in trail running. 2025 has been the year of the plate wars, with 3 ‘super’ shoes releasing without plates: the Ultra Glide, the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro, and the Norda 005 (review coming soon).

Drew: While Sam, and his mountain goat genes, isn’t always convinced of dual-layer midsole setups, my 6’6”, 200-pound frame appreciates them. My break-in period was much shorter than Sam’s, and I immediately felt a good bounce on my first test day. And that was despite tired legs from a hellish workout the day before.

But while I love shoes with bounce, a trail shoe must keep me (and my weak-ass ankles) contained so I don’t hurt myself while stupidly bombing rocky downhills. The EVA sidewalls do a great job in that respect. By extending slightly past the midfoot, the Ultra Glide keeps me on the footbed and locked down effectively. It was a similar feeling to many basketball shoes. Foam sidewalls that aren’t too tight or restrictive can make a huge difference in side-to-side stability. I literally think I could use the Ultra Glide to play basketball. The side support is that good. [Editor’s Note: Damn. That is good.]

Despite the midsole and sidewalls softening up over time, the shoe maintains its security even as the bounce becomes more evident. I’d feel confident wearing the Ultra Glide for a long trail race, which for me is the 13 to 20-mile range. [Editor’s Note: WEAK! The Ultra Glide is built for 100+ miles.] My body isn’t built for much more than that. [Editor’s Note: I mean, real talk, neither is mine, buddy…] But the combo of underfoot comfort, all-around protection, bounce, and support would easily allow me to push my limits on the trail.

Upper

Sam: The upper was not entirely groundbreaking, but definitely comfortable. You’ve got an engineered mesh weave supplemented with what felt like an almost neoprene layer that’s soft and shape-conforming. A gusseted tongue and Salomon’s quick-lace system make for one of the more comfortable Salomon uppers I’ve tried. If you’ve had a bad experience with lace bite on Salomon shoes before, I think this shoe is a step in the right direction. I was able to get a pretty good lockdown and secure my foot in place.

I did feel like the sidewalls of the upper gave a bit too much on technical trails. I’ve experienced some instability on off-plane angles where my foot slides off the footbed. It’s also a thick upper, and overall, pretty hefty. I imagine this upper will run on the hotter side in warmer months.

Drew: I agree that the upper on the Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide is on the thicker side and may run hot in the doldrums of summer. But I love the neoprene-like tongue and three-quarter bootie. I wouldn’t trade it for more breathability. This construction does a solid job of keeping detritus out of the shoes despite a lack of sock-like gaiter at the collar.

The stretchiness of the upper (only in certain places) is helpful and makes the upper more accommodating than most Salomon shoes. The inside of the heel is minimal yet comfortable and conforms nicely to the Achilles area.

There are two drawbacks of the upper. First, the red of the internal heel transfers to socks easily. I’d recommend using black or other dark colored socks for the first few runs to avoid your white socks turning pinkish at the heel. Second, the area where the bottom of the tongue connects to the upper folds together slightly creating a double layer of tongue material just below the bottom lace loops. This collection of material didn’t cause me any hotspots or bug me on the run, but it looks ugly and, depending on your foot shape, may be a trouble area.

Traction

Sam: The outsole on the Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide is the most visually stunning and technically intriguing part of the shoe. From the jump, the rolling, wave-like outsole stands out to the eye and draws a lot of curiosity. Salomon dubs this unique, wavy outsole design relieveSPHERE, which was developed by testing for hot spots and pressure points along the foot and trying to concave the outsole around those. The intention of the outsole design is to spread pressure out and reduce as much impact as possible to the foot. The actual tread compound is classic Salomon Contagrip, which is typically reliable.

I love the idea of the relieveSPHERE design but through my testing found the implications to be a bit inconsistent. At times, the shoe does offer relief and spreads the point of impact throughout the contour of the outsole, making for a smooth ride which will help over long distances. However, at other times, not having a fully flat outsole means precise foot placements can be precarious and unsure. For moderate and relatively smooth trails, this outsole is great, but I’d be cautious about taking it into technical terrain. 

Drew: I’m with Sam on the relieveSPHERE. The concept and looks are freaking cool. It alone is going to sell the shoe to some people because it looks so awesome. I think it likely adds a little bit of cushiony goodness as well since it gives the midsole room to expand to the ground on various footfalls.

But it does induce some slippage and inconsistency that would otherwise not exist. Depending on my landing angle, I got weird, unexpected slippage on dusty trails that otherwise never cause problems. With certain rock fields and scrambly areas, the Ultra Glide will require caution with foot placement. If I were the Salomon design team, I’d remove the top three dimples so the entire forefoot is flat and leave the remaining dimples. I think that would be enough to ensure great traction when needed most to ascend and descend gnarly sections of trail.

Cons

Sam: The Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide is a very innovative shoe, but that comes with some risks. Like I just mentioned, I think the outsole design can be a con when entering into terrain where you need maximum surface-area traction. If you’re hoping to toe off smooth rock, the grooves in the outsole provide less surface area to do so.

I also found this was a bit of a heavy shoe. Super shoes are typically lighter, and the heavy feel can play a part in the mental game on long days.

Drew: At my size, I didn’t notice the weight so much, but it is a hefty shoe compared to other high-end trail runners on my shelf. The two upper issues and the outsole’s traction are the biggest cons that we covered. However, long distances on not-so-technical trails will feel great; so you really need to think about the trails you frequent to know if any of these cons will affect your experience.

Is the Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide wide foot friendly?

Sam: For Salomon, the S/Lab Ultra Glide is a wide-foot friendly shoe.

Drew: What Sam means is that most Salomon shoes aren’t even close to wide-foot friendly, but the Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide has a slightly wider toebox and midfoot that will allow a good amount of wide-footers to enjoy it. That said, the heel is still fairly narrow, so it will be a deciding factor for many.

Is the Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide worth $250?

Sam: Based on the market, yes. But make sure you get this shoe for its intended purpose: long days on good trails. I probably wouldn’t advise people to spend this much on this shoe for mountain or technical running.

Drew: This is the kind of shoe that will be worth $250 to a person who spends long hours on well-groomed trails either hiking or training. The Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide will help keep that pep in your step for longer and aid in recovery by blunting the impact forces of so much time on-feet. If you’re not spending a ton of hours on the trails, there are less expensive options that will meet your needs (see our list of Best Trail Running and Hiking shoes).

How to use the Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide

The Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide can be used for long training days to race days. The midsole is really the driver here, offering all-day stability and performance-based propulsion. If you’re looking for some extra boost to your legs on your next ultra or long training block, this shoe could be for you. Just avoid taking it to super technical environments.

Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide Summary

Sam: The new Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide is a performance option geared towards long distances, from a 50K to multi-day efforts. While the outsole of the shoe draws eyes and offers a unique approach to foot pressure management, what really shines in this shoe is the multi-layered midsole that provides extra energy in each step. Although Salomon touts the Ultra Glide as a shoe for every trail, I’d stick to those moderate and smooth cruiser trails where you can let the midsole really shine.

Drew: The Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide quickly became a favorite of mine (despite its drawbacks) because of how protective, supportive, and comfortable it is while tackling trail adventures. I don’t attempt very many technical ascents or descents, so I was largely shielded from its greatest weakness. Wearing it for hours on trails meant my legs would be in a much better place the next day. It also meant I could stack an up-and-down trail run the day after a track workout and not feel completely depleted or have my joints screaming in agony. 

The Ultra Glide is the kind of shoe that’s a valuable tool for someone running lots of miles across trails and roads because it ultimately makes it easier for the body to handle those miles.

How does the Author Run?

Drew Whitcomb (age 43, 6’6″ 200lbs): Runs daily with a once a week rest day. Runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and a growing affinity for long-distance races. Regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races.

Sam Lohse (age 28, 6’0″, 170 lbs): Runs daily, sometimes morning/night doubles, with one rest day a week (typically). Hangs right around 40-50 miles a week in general unless in race-specific training. Races distances from 50K to 100 miles, almost always on the trails.

Disclosure

While Salomon did provide pairs of the S/Lab Ultra Glide to facilitate this review, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.