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It’s easy to look at the Sense Ride 5 and wonder what’s so special about it. Compared to trail shoes that have been modernized with a variety of plates, rockers, super foams, and high-tech minimal uppers, this everyday Salomon seems incredibly simple. Even with the latest updates, the fifth version still closely resembles the original. But as soon as you lace it up and hit the trails, that simplicity quickly becomes the highlight.
Pros
- Responsive ride with excellent stability
- Cushioning is still firm, but feels slightly softer than v4
- Secure grip on all dry terrain
- Good midfoot lockdown
Cons
- Slips a bit on wet and snowy surfaces
- Forefoot cushioning feels a bit thin
Key Specs
| Type | Trail |
|---|---|
| Weight | 10.3 oz (M), 8.9 oz (W) |
| Heel Stack | 29 mm |
| Forefoot Stack | 21 mm |
| Drop | 8 mm |
| Lug Height | 3.5 mm |
- Who It’s For: Runners seeking a durable, moderately-cushioned daily trainer with enough grip and dexterity for technical trails
- Preceded By: Salomon Sense Ride, Sense Ride 2, Sense Ride 3, Sense Ride 4
- For Runners Who Like: Hoka Torrent 3, Saucony Peregrine 13, Inov-8 Parkclaw 260
- Key Features: All Terrain Contagrip rubber outsole, multidirectional 3.5 mm lugs, Quicklace system
- Midsole Foam: Reformulated Energy Foam, a softer iteration of Salomon’s EVA and Olefin Block Copolymer (OBC) compound
Salomon Sense Ride 5 Overview
As I’m testing new shoes, whenever I go back to the Sense Ride 5, I often have a moment in the middle of my run when I realize just how little I have thought about the shoe being on my foot. As runners, we’re constantly on a quest to find those shoes we can just pull on and go, and not have to worry whether we’ve made the right choice. The Sense Ride 5 strikes a nice balance of light feel, security, and durability, making it a great option for handling the majority of my trail miles.
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Cushioning and Protection
The most noticeable thing about this shoe is that it’s still relatively firm. Instead of chasing high-stack Hoka-like cushioning or pursuing the “super shoe for the trail” with new foams and plates, Salomon kept a thinner EVA midsole for the Sense Ride 5. With a stack height of 29mm in the heel and 21mm in the forefoot for a men’s size 9, it’s similar to the shoe’s earliest versions—with only minor variations on the 8mm drops as we measured them in the lab. The fifth edition gets some relief, though. The latest iteration of Salomon’s midsole material, called Energy Foam, is a touch softer, most noticeably in the heel.
While that firmness can usually protect against rocks and roots poking through from underneath, the forefoot is still thin. Most of our testers agreed that they would have liked a bit more protection, especially under the forefoot.
“Compared to the forefoot, the heel cushioning feels almost squishy. The forefoot cushioning is much firmer. The softer heel does help while running downhill, especially on roads,” said tester Ben Hatt, who has also tested and enjoyed previous versions of the Salomon Sense Ride.
“The forefoot has less cushion, but is still pretty good for 10- to 15-milers. Whenever I got past 15-ish miles on a run, I wanted more cushion. This shoe is my go-to for training and even tempo runs, but it doesn’t feel fast enough for real racing—unless the race is a hilly ultra.” Hatt runs with a neutral gait and has a midfoot strike. He currently logs about 50 miles per week at an average 8:30 per mile pace.
Stability and Ground Feel
Before you knock it for not being in the running for softest shoe on the market, the Sense Ride 5 has reliable stability that many shoes with more cushioning lack. When we run on roads, our strides are much more linear, and the forces are more predictable, so it’s easier for brands to engineer max-cushioned midsoles and super shoe foams to react to a runner’s stride.
On the trail, however, our steps have a lot more eccentric motions as we navigate variable terrain. When you land on a super-soft shoe, it cushions the impact, but there’s often also some extra shifting once you land. That can make the shoe feel tippy, and even cause an unexpected roll as you hop across rocks. What the Sense Ride 5 lacks in softness it makes up for in stability. It feels planted, and I have confidence to put force into each step and not worry about what the shoe might do underneath me.
Fit and Comfort
The fit also factors into that stability. It uses Salomon’s signature quick-lace system, which our testers have strong preferences on—partially because getting the tension right can be difficult, due to the single tightening toggle. However, once it’s cinched down and the excess string is tucked into the lace pocket on the tongue, the shoe provided a secure lockdown, eliminating any extra movement. The Sense Ride 5 has a snug fit, but still a fair amount of toe space.
“There was a lot of extra lacing after I had the shoe tied snugly—so much that I had to weave the extra lace back through the shoe multiple times. This drove me crazy, and also made the shoes a pain to take off after a run. But as for the actual fit, it was totally fine,” said tester Connor Orr, who has an average-width foot and an arch height.
“I was wearing the shoe to try to PR some of my favorite Strava segments, one of which is an almost half-mile descent down 200 feet of elevation on loose rock, gravel, and dirt. Bombing down the steep backside of a mountain at full speed, I felt confident and agile,” Orr added. “In fact, I could even make some more athletic side-to-side maneuvers that a more traditional trail shoe might have prevented.”
Traction and Durability
Traction on the Sense Ride 5 is good enough for just about everything. The 3.5mm lugs have enough bite to grip most dirt and rocks, but still feel comfortable on pavement sections. And while the outsole isn’t the stickiest you’ll find, it performs well almost everywhere; the exceptions are wet rocks and snowy trails. The full-coverage rubber is also incredibly durable. I have regularly hit the 400-mile mark in each version of the Sense Ride without much visible wear to the lugs.
