Who It’s For: Runners seeking a durable, moderately-cushioned daily trainer with enough grip and dexterity for technical trails Watch my video below where I show how they perform on my 11km mountain trail loop which includes around 300m of ascent on it. Salomon chose to use diamond-shaped lugs that measure 3.5 mm, so it's no surprise that this shoe works wonders on both easy and moderately-difficult trails but maybe not enough for the hard ones.

Regarding midsole cushioning, Salomon shoes generally lean towards the firmer side so If you prefer a more cushioned running shoe, you might want to consider HOKA running shoes as an alternative option.

Sustainability

However, if you prefer a more responsive ride and like to feel the trail beneath you, then the Salomon Sense Ride 5 would be a better choice for you. Salomon Sense Ride 5 vs. HOKA Tecton X 2 Apart from that, another possible improvement could involve shedding a bit of extra weight from the shoe. Comparing Salomon Sense Ride 5 to Other Similar Trail Running Shoes Salomon Sense Ride 5 vs. HOKA Mafate Speed 4 The 8.3 mm heel-to-toe drop on the Sense Ride may not be suitable for fans of low-drop trail shoes. Toe box space is in short supply but nice-and-secure platform It’s related to how the tongue is connected to the upper, where there’s some overlapping material that slightly constricts your foot. The Contagrip rubber falls within the average range when it comes to softness. The typical measurement for trail shoes is 84.9 HC, and the SR5 scored 85.4 HC, making it slightly harder. As a result, you can expect middle-of-the- roadtrail durability and grip from this outsole. A Ride that makes Sense

The brand is doing quite well on phasing out PFCs from its products. As of 2022, all its footwear is now PFC-free. In addition, all the leather it uses is gold or silver rated by the Leather Working Group. Salomon is working its way through improving its sustainability, but it is one of the areas where it could do more. Well, that’s what I’m going to cover in this review. There are some great aspects of this shoe that I really like, but also a few things that I don’t particularly enjoy. By the end of this Salomon Sense Ride 5 review, you should know whether these trail running shoes are the right fit for you or not. There are certainly differences between them, though. The Hoka Challenger 7 has quite a bit more cushioning underfoot and a more generous fit. And a wide fit version is available too. The Challenger 7 has a smaller drop (5mm) and therefore suits midfoot and forefoot strikers better.

Salomon Sense Ride 4

However, I prefer the Ultra Glide 2 over the Sense Ride 5 due to its more comfortable fit even though it is a bit heavier. On the plus side (for me anyway), it has more cushioning underfoot, and it also features the same Contagrip on the outsole. The shoe feels nimble under foot thanks to its narrower platform, so the weight is not noticed. It’s also lost about 20g from the previous model so Salomon is going in the right direction. I’d love to see the next version a touch lighter though. Salomon Sense Ride 4 lasts a long time! The Sense Ride, as you can imagine, has a very nice ride to it, It’s highly responsive, and I really like the energy return provided by the midsole’s Energy foam. I’ll begin this Salomon Sense 5 Ride review by going over the key specifications you should definitely know about. Then, I’ll discuss the positive aspects of the shoe, followed by some negative points.

At 10.5 (297g) ounces the Sense Ride 4 is not really a lightweight shoe, but it’s not overly heavy either.

Performance Comparison

Our durometer measurement verified that you'll experience a softer-than-average shoe. In fact, the SR5 is an astonishing 63% softer than its predecessor. Yes, you read that right! The fourth aspect that I really like about this trail running shoe is its design. While the colors on this particular model are quite retro, which I find appealing, I’m referring more to the silhouette.

This is a small thing, but I also like that in the fully loosened position, the shoe still fits well enough to wear around, and there’s no lace ends dragging on the ground. I found myself just loosening these after a run and lounging in them a bit rather than feeling the need to immediately take them off post-effort. Sense Ride 4 doesn’t weigh you down Despite being an exceptionally breathable shoe that's ideal for summer trails, it also performs superbly in winter. The EVA + OBC midsole becomes only 14.6% firmer after spending 20 minutes in our freezer, which is significantly below the 28.4% average. Upon closely comparing both Sense Ride models, we can confirm that the v5 is indeed smaller than the v4. At its widest point, the newer version is 2.3 mm or 1% smaller. Although this may not appear significant, it makes a difference. If you’re looking for a versatile shoe that can handle various terrains, I definitely recommend giving them a try.The shoe’s responsiveness and ability to feel the trail under your feet are fantastic. 4. I like the look and design of them. There’s nothing exceptionally fancy about the tread pattern, as you can see, it has a wavy and wiggly design that digs into the trails effectively. The forefoot has less cushion, but is still pretty good for 10- to 15-milers. Whenever I got past 15-ish miles on a run, I wanted more cushion. This shoe is my go-to for training and even tempo runs, but it doesn’t feel fast enough for real racing—unless the race is a hilly ultra.” Hatt runs with a neutral gait and has a midfoot strike. He currently logs about 50 miles per week at an average 8:30 per mile pace. Stability and Ground Feel