Salomon Ultra Glide 2 Review

Salomon launched the original Ultra Glide in 2021. Two years on, this deeply cushioned shoe has been given an update to improve its durability and fit. We tested them out on some Peak District trails to see how they perform. 

The original Ultra Glide felt like a departure from Salomon’s previous minimalist approach to trail running as one of their first deeply cushioned shoes. Unsurprisingly, like most first editions, there were a couple of issues experienced by some runners including rapid outsole wear and problems securing a good fit. Have they managed to solve these initial problems?

I overpronate and wear orthotics in all shoes. As a result, I’m not really a fan of heavily cushioned shoes with little structure. Plus, as I generally run on technical terrain I usually find my foot rolling around in them. The fear of rolling an ankle will reduce my descending speed and enjoyment dramatically.

When I first saw the original Ultra Glide, it seemed like a new direction for Salomon, who traditionally made low-stack responsive shoes. I instantly assumed that it could be unstable and not suitable for my gait, so I never tried the original Ultra Glides. On researching runner reviews of the original it looks like there were a couple of teething problems with the fit and the outsole wearing too quickly. The Ultra Glide 2 has attempted to address these issues by updating the outsole rubber and by adding further overlays to the upper to improve the fit. So it sounded like a good time to try the Ultra Glide 2. 

Straight out of the box and once my orthotic is in place they are very comfortable. To me, they do not feel overly plush or super soft which I think is a good thing. There is a nice firmness to the foam, so I can still feel the ground. They have already exceeded my expectations, as was I worried they would be too soft or unstable.

The width is what I’d expect and is near perfect for me and I can noticeably feel the rocker, but it’s not as pronounced as some like The North Face Summit Vectiv Pro. Overall, they are a very comfortable place to put my feet.

On hitting the trail on our test run in Edale, I felt planted and stable most of the time. It was only when traversing after we lost the path, that I felt my foot moving around inside. The cushioning is very deep compared to a fell shoe, but surprisingly, I can still feel the ground and I really like the firmness of the foam. I’m not used to wearing soft-cushioned road shoes, so this might not be for everyone who prefers super soft bouncy shoes. I had no issues with the fit while running; the Quick Lace allowed me to achieve a good tightness. Finally, the Contagrip performed with no issues over the dry terrain.

I do very little flat running as I'm normally in the hills. When climbing, I spend most of my time switching from running to walking to running again depending on the steepness. Perhaps not the intended use of this shoe, however something I did not expect is that this shoe climbs really well, when both walking and running. Perhaps it’s the rocker, that helps with the toe-off, or I’m feeling some rebound from the Energy Foam, or both. This explains why Mathieu Blanchard wore this shoe for the 2,500ft climb to Emigrant Pass instead of setting off in his race-specific prototype.

My testing coincided with the really hot dry spell we experienced during May and June, so I never tested the grip in any mud. However, this did have the benefit of being able to try them on rock-hard dried-out terrain. There’s a Strava climb segment locally, called Grand Canyon. It’s smooth but has some deep gravelly sections with very sharp stones. When it’s really dry descending this segment can frequently become a painful experience as I feel every stone in almost all shoes. This didn't happen in the Ultra Glide 2 and it was a pleasure to descend. I could completely let go, rather than holding back trying to protect my feet. After 50 miles, I've not seen any unexpected wear on the outsole, so my initial impressions are that the new rubber is durable. 

Although the shoe is surprisingly stable on the trail, I did need to be careful when descending rough mixed technical terrain as I almost turned an ankle a couple of times. I managed to readjust and catch it before it went too far, but I guess this is always going to be an issue when the stack level gets higher. I don't see this as a problem during normal/training runs, just something to think about in a race situation, where it can be difficult to manage if you reach a technical section. 

Overall these are very comfortable shoes and if I was a neutral runner, I’d happily wear them for most if not all of my training miles up to any distance. When I used them for consecutive runs, my muscles, especially my quads, seemed to cope with the miles more easily. I would even say I felt a little fresher the next day.

So as a heel-striking, over-pronator I currently find myself reaching for them at any opportunity outside of my running. If I’m walking to the train station, going to the supermarket, and wearing before and after fell races. I find them comfortable, even after my feet have taken a beating in the fells. I’ve even worn them for a stadium concert, where I was on my feet for several hours.