Salomon Ultra Glide 3 trail running shoes review: long run comfort meets mixed terrain versatility

The Salomon Ultra Glide 3 trail shoes are a mixed terrain shoe, aiming to hit that sweet spot of comfort and cushioning, enough energy return that you don’t feel like you’re plodding. And a grippy enough outsole to cope with a bit of mud, sand and loose trail without being cumbersome on the tarmac. Salomon call this ‘Dynamic Comfort’ and that sums it up quite nicely. Enough energy return to put a pep in your step, but without compromising on cushioning and with clever design features to minimise underfoot discomfort even on longer runs.

These shoes will certainly be a good choice for experience trail runners taking on longer ultras on not-so-hardcore terrain. But I’ve also found myself referring to the Ultra Glide 3s as a ‘gateway shoe’. An ideal choice for runners crossing over to trail from road, or triathletes like me (yep, we’re everywhere!) mixing in some off road excursions to break up the monotony of tarmac and treadmill that features heavily in our training schedules.

So with its ‘do it all’ ambitions, would the Salomon Ultra Glide 3s be able to deliver on all fronts and compete with the likes of the Scott Kinabalus? I’ve been putting them to the test over the last couple of months to find out.

Salomon Ultra Glide 3 specifications: Drop, lugs depth and everything else you need to know at a glance

Key features

• Lightweight midsole ‘energyFOAM’ made with EVA designed to offer ‘dynamic comfort’ blending cushioning and energy return
• Outsole geometry features a ‘wavy’ construction, designed to diffuse pressure and relieve underfoot impact
• contaGRIP® rubber outsole built for a variety of terrain including wet, dry, hard or loose surfaces
• 4.5mm lugs offer grip without being overly cumbersome when running on tarmac
• Lightweight and breathable upper made from 50% recycled materials
• Quick lace system

Fit and first impressions

Out of the box, I was surprised by just how lightweight these shoes feel as far as trail shoes go. Were it not for the grippy outsole and the lugs, they could almost pass as road shoes. That was already a big tick for me, as someone who hates that heavy feeling of certain trail shoes especially when I’m transitioning from road to trail.

Most noticeable is the wavy outsole design – which Salomon call “relieveSPHER”. This is designed to diffuse pressure as your foot hits the ground, and I was interested to see if I’d notice a difference particularly on harder packed surfaces. The overall look and feel is stylish, subtle and I’d say more premium than the relatively reasonable £135 price tag. I went half a size up from my regular street shoe size, and the result is enough room to wear thicker socks in the winter if I need to and space for my annoyingly long second toes, without compromising on feeling locked into the shoe. The ‘quickLACE’ system – somewhere between a lock lace and a BOA if I were to try and describe it – also helps with that foothold without having to overtighten the shoe.

What is it like to run in the Salomon Ultra Glide 3 trail running shoes?

I’ve been testing these shoes out for a couple of months over a variety of terrain. Generally if I’m running off road I’ve still got at least a mile or so of tarmac to top and tail the trail sections. And while I don’t tend to run on anything particularly technical or gnarly (I am, after all, primarily a triathlete!) the trails near where I’m based have a nice mix of mud, gravel and sand. Let’s dive into how the Salomon Ultra Glide 3s have performed out in the wild!

Cushioning and stability

Salomon promise ‘dynamic comfort’ with the Ultra Glide 3s – balancing comfort, cushioning and a decent amount of energy return to keep you moving on longer runs. In practice, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well these shoes have delivered. Trail shoes often feel ‘clompy’ and heavy on tarmac sections, but these have felt like a nice middle ground between a road shoe and a trail shoe.

The cushioning and the wavy geometry of the midsole help to reduce the sensation of ‘pounding the pavement’ on the harder packed surfaces and tarmac. But on softer trail and sand, this hasn’t made the shoes feel too sloppy or marshmallowy. My first run in these took me out along the North Norfolk coastal path on a nice scenic 10-miler which meant I was frequently going from woodland trail to long stretches of deep sand on the beach and the Ultra Glide 3s coped well with it all.

Obviously you’re not going to get the bounce and energy return of a dedicated road shoe, and the Ultra Glide 3s also aren’t designed to go and hit the really hardcore trails. But as a happy medium they’ve performed really well.

Grip

As mentioned, I’ve not put these shoes through their paces on anything hugely technical or muddy. And to be honest, if you’re regularly running on more hardcore terrain Salomon have other options that are designed more specifically for the gnarly stuff.

But so far the outsole and the lugs on the Ultra Glide 3s has proven grippy enough to deal with loose gravelly trail, sandy sections and the odd bit of mud. What I like is that this grip doesn’t leave you feeling like you’re running in a pair of work boots when you hit the tarmac either.

Comfort and breathability

So far the Salomon Ultra Glide 3s have been ultra-comfortable. I’ve not had any issues with blisters or hotspots, and while it’s not an exact science, the geometry of the outsole does feel like it’s spreading the impact of each footstrike quite nicely on harder terrain. Typically a 6mm drop would start to give me a bit of tightness around my Achilles/soleus after around 45-60 minutes – I’m usually an 8-10mm drop kind of runner. But even beyond the 90 minute mark, I’ve not noticed any obvious tightening up in the lower legs running in the Ultra Glide 3s.

The upper is super lightweight and breathable – which again speaks to the fact that these are more of a light trail shoe for mixed terrain and temperate conditions. If you’re going to be regularly shin deep in mud or battling it out in the rain, you’d probably want to go for one of their more weatherproof options. But for summer trail adventures where you want to have the freedom to head off the beaten track and pick and choose between trail and tarmac as the mood takes you. These shoes are light enough and breathable enough to keep you comfortable.

Verdict

You have to take the Salomon Ultra Glide 3s as they’re pitched – a versatile, mixed terrain shoe where a lightweight, energetic feel is balanced with long-run comfort. If you’re weighing these up against a more dedicated, off road purist shoe and expecting them to cope with all manner of mud and slop – it’s not going to be a fair comparison.

But as a do it all shoe that’s ideal for experienced trail runners taking on longer distances where comfort is going to be king. Or a roadie/triathlete dipping in and out of the trail life looking for a shoe that will comfortably take you from tarmac to trail and back again. I’m honestly struggling to fault the Salomon Ultra Glide 3s.

The bottom line: A versatile light trail shoe that offers the best of both worlds with little compromise.

Ratings