7 Best Salomon Running Shoes in 2026

After conducting street runs and in-depth lab tests, we found the Aero Glide 3 to be Salomon’s best road running shoe. Airy yet supremely cushioned underfoot, it’s a reliable daily trainer that can handle long mileage effortlessly. It’s comfy, stable, and even has the grip for occasional off-road runs.

Our runs with the AG3 blew us away with its impressive energy return scores of 68.0% and 66.5% in the heel and forefoot, respectively. The ride felt lively and highly cushioned, confirmed by our caliper with a generous 42.2/31.9 mm stack vs. the 34.3/25.7 mm average. Our legs also felt secure against repeated impacts, as reflected in above-average ratings of 156/121 SA in the heel and forefoot.

The landing base measures a wide 120.3/96.2 mm, with oversized heel sidewalls that leave no chance of losing balance.

Surprisingly, the Aero Glide 3 is really light for its size! We couldn’t believe it during our wear tests, but our scales validated it’s only 8.7 oz (248g), 6.4% below average.

However, the downside is limited wear resistance. It wreaked havoc in our Dremel test, so we can’t recommend this pair to runners seeking a durable shoe.

The Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2 offers a refreshing running experience, characterized by its low profile and low drop that delivers an agile experience far from typical maximalist racers. Naturally, it turns out to be both light and flexible. Yet the most pleasant surprise from our lab tests was its strong shock absorption, making it our best Salomon running shoe for marathons.

We measured the low stack height at 31.5/26.4 mm, which delivers a classic racing flat feel, along with its low 5.1 mm drop. 

Despite having less cushion than average, the platform still felt kind to our muscles, which helped prevent fatigue. We verified its strong impact protection with exceptional shock absorption scores of 142 SA in the heel and 114 SA in the forefoot.

Because of its compact build, it’s easy to pick up the pace with its light 7.5 oz (213g) build. At this weight, it’s 19.3% below average and makes a huge difference over long distances. Moreover, it emerged 11.8% more flexible than average, which means it takes less effort to maneuver the midsole.

However, the low drop and strikingly narrow heel make it unfavorable for rear strikers. This shoe is ideal for midfoot and forefoot runners.

Salomon’s Ultra Glide 2 combines running fast and far seamlessly. It’s delightfully soft for long miles, easy to maneuver and has an airy upper that locks down well. It delivers all the right ingredients to conquer endurance runs comfortably — making it our top Salomon ultra running shoe.

UG2 houses a cushion that balances comfort and stability. Our durometer shows it's 34.3% softer than the average trail shoe, confirming the cushy and bouncy sensation in our runs. It prevents leg fatigue from repetitive landing impacts. Its below-average stack allows us to run fast without wobbling.

With a 7.2 mm drop, it promotes smooth forward rolls and efficient turnover. Its unopposing midsole adds comfort since we can move freely. Our flex test confirms it's 33.4% more flexible than its counterparts.

Topping it off is a light mesh upper that hugs our foot snugly in all the right places without feeling constricting. Its Sensifit system allows a secure fit that boosts our confidence because we have one less thing to worry about. Our breathability test confirms it’s a good place to be in for long hours, scoring 4/5 on our breathability test. Bye sweaty feet and blisters!

Its focus on light weight sacrificed the outsole’s durability. Measuring a mere 1.6 mm thin, it doesn’t have a lot of rubber to last long.

Out of all the Salomon shoes we ran in, S/Lab Spectur offers the best traction because of its effective slip-resistance that allows us to be fast and secure. It has a padded base for comfort, balanced by a smooth rocker and a snappy carbon plate for a livelier feel.

Amazingly, we never had to slow down on wet pavements or slippery segments of our run. The contaGRIP outsole is a strong contender in our traction test, scoring 0.61 and emerging 22% grippier than average!

Underfoot, we measured the stack height at 36.9/26.2 mm. The heel feels cushioned and offers above-average impact protection of 138 SA. Meanwhile, the forefoot has a lower shock absorption score of 97 SA, making us more sensitive to the ground, therefore allowing us to quickly adapt to the surface.

To help us maintain quick cadence and cruise through faster paces, S/Lab Spectur features a Reverse Camber, or a rocker geometry. Moreover, the energyBLADE carbon plate adds a good mix of propulsion and stability to our strides.

However, we believe this pair can level up to a racer if it has a more energetic midsole. Unfortunately, it failed to impress us with mediocre scores.

We fearlessly ran through river streams and puddles in our Salomon XA Pro 3D v9 GTX. This ultra-protective shoe is perfect for outdoor adventures because of its waterproof membrane, firm cushion, and stability system. It excelled in our lab tests and runs, making it our best Gore-Tex Salomon running shoe.

Composed of a Gore-Tex membrane, it effectively blocks water and debris out. It even blocked off light in our permeability test in the lab! In our runs, we remained dry and safe as we tackled puddles and streams of water. It even has a toe bumper to shield us from painful toe stubs.

The ride feels firm underfoot but not in a harsh way. It effectively dampens our landings while providing some rebound and exceptional stability. Our durometer reveals a 32.5 HA reading, 23.6% harder than average. 

Another element that keeps us centered is the 3D chassis technology that gives the shoe a high level of torsional rigidity. This means protection from unwanted rolling of our strides on uneven paths. We rated it a 5/5 on our subjective scale as it was extremely resistant to our manual twists.

Though the upper is securely waterproof, it only offers protection below the ankle. We recommend staying away from deeper water levels. Since water won’t get in, it won’t get out if it creeps inside the shoe.

The Salomon Sense Ride 5 shows consistent performance from dry pavements to moderate trails with its reliable grip, unopposing midsole and soft cushion. It’s a no-fuss hybrid shoe that keeps us worry-free, making it our top gravel running shoe from Salomon.

Lined with 3.5 mm diamond-shaped lugs on its Contagrip rubber outsole, it has traction that works well even on wet surfaces and moderate terrains. Its outsole is hard enough to protect our feet from debris, as confirmed by our durometer when it measured slightly above average. The higher the number, the tougher the rubber is. 

It has a trail shoe’s ideal low profile that offers great ground feel and control. Its stack is below average but remains soft overall, measuring 20.5 HA on our durometer. This is 25.2% softer than the average trail shoe.

SR5 rises to the occasion when pushed to faster paces. Its adequately flexible midsole follows our lead, allowing us to stay in control. Our flex test confirms it's at par with the average of other trail shoes.

We do not recommend this pair to midfoot-to-forefoot strikers as the 18.5 mm forefoot stack (vs. the 24.2 mm average) might lack the landing support needed.