The Goldilocks Shoe
Trail shoes have gotten SO much better over the years. We are spoiled for choice with dozens of brands and hundreds of shoes. 10-15 years ago, trail shoes were heavy as bricks and better suited to hiking with a pack than running down a trail. Now we have space age foam, lugs that rip through mud, quicklace systems, thin and breathable uppers, and sometimes even carbon plates. It’s a good time to be a trail runner!
Despite all these advancements, the perfect shoe has remained elusive for me. The one shoe to rule them all. The Goldilocks shoe. Enter the Ultraglide, a new edition to the Salomon lineup. At long last I’ve found the shoe that is just right.
Weight: too light and you risk injury or blisters : too heavy and you compromise performance. At 9 ounces, the Ultraglide is just right.
Drop (difference in height for the heel vs. forefoot): too little (0-4mm) flares up my Achilles tendonitis : too much (8mm+) promotes poor biomechanics and heel striking. The Ultraglide is perfect at 6mm.
Foam: Salomon’s Energy Surge foam adds cushioning while still being responsive.
Rocker: the Ultraglide’s slight rocker promotes midfoot striking and good mechanics, but isn’t so much that it reduces stability on trails.
Tread: 4mm lugs are enough to perform well in mud and technical terrain while still providing a comfortable ride on groomed trails or even roads.
Quicklace: easy to adjust while running and spreads pressure more evenly than a classic lacing system.
The Ultraglide hits that perfect sweet spot, and they’ll be my go-to shoe for anything from 50km to 100 miles. I recently wore them for a 50km race and was thrilled with how they performed. The only slight issue was a bit of friction where the upper wrapped my ankle, but it didn’t end up blistering or bothering me very much. It was only the second time I wore them, so there is a good chance this goes away as they break in.
If this sounds like it could be your Goldilocks shoe, I encourage you to give it a try (and I am not sponsored in any way by Salomon). If you’ve already found your Goldilocks shoe, leave a comment below and let us know what it is!