It’s been a while since we last did a gear review post, but remember we’re not sponsored, we just give honest reviews of gear that we actually use!
It’s no secret that I absolutely loved the Salomon Sense Ride range – in total I have had 14 pairs over the last few years. So when I heard at the start of the year they were going to be discontinued I was gutted. I managed to find a few pairs still for sale and bought some new for Barkley and Rasselbock BYU but I always knew I was going to have to move on to something new sooner or later…
At this year’s National Running Show I made a point of visiting the Salomon stand to see what other shoes they had in their range and settled on the Pulsar as the most similar option. Like the Sense Ride, it’s a versatile light trail shoe with enough cushioning for ultra distances, enough grip for most surfaces, and enough tread that it can be used on road or hard trail without wearing out too quickly. I bought a pair in the Spring, did a few miles in them in training, ran almost all of the 266 miles of Florence Court BYU in them… and the verdict is I love them š In fact when I swapped back in to a pair of Sense Ride 5 after 100 miles, they didn’t feel comfy and I swapped straight back again!
Here’s how they stack up compared to the Sense Ride 5:
| Sense Ride 5 | Pulsar | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 293g | 281g |
| Drop | 8mm | 6mm |
| Upper Construction | sensiFIT | sensiFIT + Endo Fit |
| Midsole | EnergyFoam | optiFOAMĀ² |
| Outsole | All-Terrain contaGRIP | All-Terrain contaGRIP |
| Lug depth | 3.5mm | 4mm |
After more than 350 miles of use, here’s my thoughts… and it’s basically all good! My immediate reaction was that the overall fit and feel of the shoe is very similar. I didn’t notice any biomechanical changes to how my feet were landing or my running gait. The 2mm less drop is similar enough not to be noticeable, and in principle I’m in favour of minimal drop so it’s good to see Salomon starting to head in that direction. The outsole pattern is quite different with fewer, larger lugs but it is made from the same material so I found the grip to be pretty similar.
The main differences I observed was that the midsole appeared significantly more cushioned – presumably due to the more modern optiFOAM2 construction and I think this was mainly why the Sense Ride 5 felt a bit “harsher” underfoot when I changed in to them mid-race. I also feel that the toe-box might be slightly wider, which should be a good thing as my foot was still held in place by the (claimed) improved upper construction. Both are changes which should be good for long ultras.
The amount of mesh and welded panels on the upper seems pretty similar, and although I was initially a bit worried that a shoe with so much white on it would get dirty very quickly they have held up well and the level of wear on both the upper and sole are similar to what I’d expect from the Sense Ride. The weather has been pretty good for the last few months so I haven’t been able to try them out in really wet conditions, but the similar construction suggests that they should be splash-proof, but well draining.
In summary, I’m a convert! I heartily recommend these to anyone looking for an all-round “do everything” trail shoe. Julie has been running in the Ultra Glide (versions 2 and 4) recently, so I might have to try them out at some point but for now these are good. Hopefully Salomon will keep them in their line-up for a while! Like all Salomon shoes they fit fairly narrow, so if you have wide feet you might do better with other brands like Altra, Hoka or Topo. The RRP is Ā£135 if you buy from Salomon, but you can find them at around the Ā£80 mark from a variety of retailers.
If you’ve tried them and have an opinion we’d love to hear it. Drop us a message or comment below š Happy running!