Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide 2 | Full Review

Hey, this is Taylor with Believe in the Run, and today I have a full review of the Salomon S-Lab UltraGlide 2. So here we go. Even though it is on its second iteration, it's well documented that this is actually the fourth iteration of the Salomon S-Lab UltraGlide series. Started a couple years ago with this same basic silhouette. It virtually looks the same. Of course, over each iteration, they've really just focused on this upper. I was able to be in that first iteration, got to go to France, check it all out at the ADC, how it came to life. And I was one of those who right away knew I had to size down. And so because I sized down, I was able to get the appropriate sample. And you know, I'm really particular about my fit. I was able to lock in my heel, but that's the region where a lot of people had some difficulties. And I think based on feedback, I think was ultimately written off because of that and some weight issues. And so I keep all that in mind as I've gone through the different iterations. We had this one, we had, I mean, the original version that we just talked about, the S-Lab UltraGlide Dust, which I had a lot of great long runs in this past summer, and the 1.5, and now we're up to the 2. Yes, Salomon did update the upper yet again, and I'm here for it. They have switched this to basically be the exact same, virtually the same, I should say, as the Salomon S-Lab Genesis, which has been a fan favorite race day shoe. It is also in that higher stack category, not quite max stack, a little more nibble, but again, a very much a fan favorite for a lot of people who are Salomon fans or just kind of oriented toward those long distances, more technical efforts. And this one mirrors that one in terms of construction. Of course, that fit is going to be a lot more generous in the UltraGlide. It's going to be more generous in the forefoot and it's going to taper down toward the heel. And so the fit gets progressively kind of tighter next to skin as you go, because it does have this sock-like liner. It's just an integrated sock with a lower cuff on it than we're seeing on a lot of shoes. And so that ended up being a very comfortable fit. I felt just like the S-Lab Genesis and mostly like the last versions of the S-Lab UltraGlide 2. I didn't have to search for the fit near as much as those other options, but it still was able to roll on a lot of different terrain without worry because you just locked in and comfortable. And comfortable is the difference this time. And so again, we talked about the sock-like liner, but over top they have this matrix micro mesh. And so again, we talk about matrix a lot here. It's a very technical engineered mesh. It's known for being very durable, breathable, and having that layer over top just gives the appropriate structure. And again, the durability, the first version of this has some durability issues with delamination. I'm not worried about that now that this version of matrix and this sock liner is part of the equation. And so when we talk about fit, I think it's a fairly generous fit. Overall, it does run a little bit long. I'm someone who can wear a 10.5 or an 11 of many different shoes. And this one in a 10.5 is about a thumb long, but it's okay. That extra length is okay because it feels comfortable in the forefoot and it's very secure from the midfoot and the heel. So that's okay. I think many people would prefer to probably size down unless you're like me and kind of could run in either size. And then in that case, go true to size and then you're ultra ready for sure. I do want to make note of this heel and collar construction because I did make a mention in the first thoughts about it. All of my problems have pretty much subsided. Initially, I had some rubbing on the heel here, and I think there are going to be some folks who have that. There are some stitching, there is a nice soft liner here. It is well-structured and it can just be slightly abrasive here. However, I was running in a shoe that gave me a big blister just before this. So it was definitely part of the equation. After I was able to get rid of that blister and got back in the shoe, I just had a tiny bit of rubbing. However, after that, even without some body glide and the shoe just broke in, I guess, I haven't had any issues after that. So there might be a little bit of a break-in period with the heel, but overall, I think it's worth it. As with anything Salomon S-Lab, which is their racing category, but most things Salomon, you're going to get this quick lace system, which really does hold up in this case. And there's a lot of padding over top of the tongue. It's really just integrated into this sock. And so that's very key to this because in past iterations where they haven't had as much padding right over the midfoot there, it's been a little rough to get this and you had to be really strategic to dial in your fit without irritating your foot. And so that wasn't even an issue here. This quick lace system, Salomon does it best and you can throw it right in this pocket here on the tongue. And it was just an easy, secure system, exactly as we'd expect from Salomon. So let me just stuff that in there for the rest of the review here. A question I've gotten is this upper overbuilt? Maybe a little bit, not too much. I think again, because we're focusing on fit for the function, I think it's actually a good trade-off in terms of the upper and the upper itself is lighter than it's ever been before. It's not as low in weight as some of those other ultra race distance options that might have a plate in it that might sacrifice weight over everything else to get the performance they want. I do want to spend a good amount of time on this midsole concoction and it's exciting, not in the sense that it's a brand new material or brand new foam or brand new design because it's the exact same that has been in all of the other versions of this shoe. It is the same design that's found in the Ultra Glide 4, even though that one has some different foams going on in it. That's one of our favorite just general trail shoes right now, but this one was kind of the author of this very unique midsole design. So let's just talk about it a little bit. On the inside, you're going to get this really plush, quite energetic Optifoam Plus. It's the same foam that's in their road racing options like the Phantasm 3 has that. And through all of the iterations, including this one, I've definitely felt that on initial step in through the miles that I've tested in and even beyond. And that's something I'm really impressed by, that there's some true durability to that softer, more energetic foam that, you know, is always in question with super foams these days. And so you really, really feel that sensation. On the outside of this carrier foam, you kind of sit in this bathtub construction of this Optifoam carrier foam. So it's going to be a little firmer on the outside and it provides a really nice structure. I think having the Optifoam Plus on its own would be a little too volatile for the trails, but because it has this carrier, it offers some really nice stability. It's going to offer durability to the package as well. And again, it just brings overall control to the whole package, which is what you want when you're going the distance on those long runs, long races, sometimes again, multi-day adventures. I think this is one of those shoes that's going to be really good for it because it does have a 41 millimeter heel to a 35 millimeter forefoot, so that's six millimeter drop. That's one of the tallest shoes we have for the trails. What's really cool is that this concoction of midsole and now again with this upper, it can still run on just about anything you bring it on. It's not going to be the lightest and most nimble. We've talked about that. This shoe comes in at 10.4 ounces for a US men's nine and a women's 10, so it's unisex sizing, so that's 295 grams. For my size, it came in at 11.2 ounces and comparatively to a lot of other shoes in this category, that's actually lower. And I'm glad to hear that because this is a race day option. A lot of the other ones I would compare it to don't necessarily put race day as their tag. It's lighter than the Topo Athletic Vista. What else do we have in that same category? Lighter than the Merrell MTL Adapt, not lighter than the Kipron Kip Summit Max. However, I think this performs better than all of those in terms of long distance racing options. So you're going to have to consider weighing and they're quite a bit cheaper. This one does come in at $250, so I guess it should be coming in lighter than those for sure. But the fact that this is, you know, more than 11 ounce shoe for my size, it can run on a lot of different terrain and I'm not like rolling my ankles because I'm up there on a max stack shoe. This whole geometry and the foams used and again, the fit just really play well with a lot of different terrain, whether I'm running smooth or on more technical. It was super stable without being blocky. It's one of those shoes I pretty much roll my ankle and about every trail shoe that I try. And I've almost done that many times in this shoe. It just won't let me. And I don't really know. It just has to be with that relief sphere in this unique geometry, but it just won't let me. So it's like truly stable. And when I'm talking about relief sphere, I'm kind of talking about this really wavy formation. It was developed to be able to disperse energy and just kind of high impact areas. So in that sense that you could go farther, go longer in more comfort. And so in all iterations so far, again, because it is the same midsole concoction, I've definitely felt that it does filter out pretty much all invaders underfoot. This outsole is also quite unique. That relief sphere goes right through it. And this is a Contagrip. Solomon's been known for that. It's hasn't been our favorite as of lately. However, this formula seems to be doing good. Part of it is that it's full rubber. Part of it is that it has that relief sphere. So you kind of get these extra little divots and they have four millimeter lugs on it anyways. And so in all the conditions I was in, mostly dry, but I did go through some different, you know, it is spring out here on the Rockies. So definitely went through some wet stuff. And when I was out in California doing a lot of different miles at the Big Alta, this really had no issues in terms of grip. You've already heard me compare to some of the others in its category. Again, not all of these also coined themselves as race day options. So the S-Lab Ultraglide 2 can certainly be compared to the Hokumafate 5, which is up there in stack. It definitely has a similar energetic cushion feel for sure. The Agravic TT was one of those that could go on a lot of different terrain and feel good on the smoother stuff. So in that way, I would compare those two shoes. The Topo Athletic Vista is one of those that was more stable, highly cushioned, and can run on a good amount of terrain as well. So that's compared here. And the Rover-like capabilities of just running over top of anything and not feeling it like the Merrell MTL Adapt in this one is very similar as well. After all that, let's just get into our overall scores of design, performance, value, and then our overall score of the Salomon S-Lab Ultraglide 2. For design, Salomon has tried, tried, and tried again. I've said it so many times, this is the fourth iteration and it has maintained this outsole and midsole concoction and they know they have something special there. So I really, like from a reviewer standpoint, I agree with that. They do have something really unique and special to offer to the market, especially those who are wanting to go the ultra distance or just have long distance comfort. This is really worth keeping around. They've done a lot to kind of perfect this upper and again, I just really appreciate that, that they're fine tuning it. I don't know if they've done themselves much of a favor in terms of the consumer market from that standpoint. It doesn't look like a new shoe, but it feels like a new shoe. And so I really appreciate, again, from a reviewer standpoint, the incremental changes in perfection of this shoe. I don't know if that'll translate to all consumers though. You have to have the compelling story or make it look a little bit different to get the eyes on it. And so I actually hope it works for them. And again, I appreciate it a lot. So I'm going to give design an A. Performance is what we talk about more than anything with these shoes. And if you haven't gotten the gist so far, I think this one's pretty stellar in that max stack category. Again, it coins itself as a race day and so it does need to set itself apart in some ways. And I think it is lighter than most of those in the category, still fairly heavy for a race day option. It also offers comfort and security up top that not many in the category can offer. And so I would take this for pretty much any ultra distance race for sure. It is comfortable and I feel confident because of that. So performance, we're also giving this an A. Value, that's going to be an interesting one here. It is $250 and for the race day category, that's not unheard of. That's very average actually. There's between $200 and $300. That's a race day option. However, this one is unique in the sense that it's kind of skewed toward that, the niche of very long ultras and focusing on the comfort over everything, which again, I appreciate a lot. In terms of max stack shoes that this would be compared to though, a lot of those don't happen to be in the race day category and they happen to be between $50 and $100 cheaper. And so that's something to consider here for sure. Do I think the performance of the shoe is elevated over a lot of those other max stack shoes? Yes. I think you can take this on a lot more terrain and I think more people would be comfortable and confident in this one for a race day option compared to some of those others that we've already compared to. So it kind of goes back and forth for sure. For a race day option, I would like to see this a little bit lighter, slimmed down. I think you can do a lot of the same technologies and have a very similar experience in a lighter package or maybe just skew that price a little bit. I'm just going to stop talking too much about it. We're giving this one a B for value. Overall though, considering our experience in the shoe again, performance takes a lot of the cake and I do think this one performs as an ultra max stack option. I think a lot of people will be pleased if they pick this up. We do consider that price as well at $250 and I also want to consider the fact that they are refining this shoe because I think not only is it special now, I think it will continue to be special in the future. So I'm excited about that. We're giving this one the Salomon S-Lab Ultra Glide 2 in A. Thanks for tuning into this review. If you would like more, please like and subscribe so that you can get all the road and trail running happenings and our thoughts about all the different shoes. That's a great place to start. Go to Believeintherun.com where you can find all of these written and with many more perspectives from our reviewers. Check out our podcast weekly. We have the Drop Guest on Monday, Fuel for the Soul on Tuesday, the Dirt Division segment of The Drop on Wednesday, and then the Roadrunners on Friday. Check out the newsletter that's going to have all of that consolidated so you can keep up on the latest information. Also go check us out on Instagram and all the other socials available. See ya. Hey, this is Taylor with Billy. Who's Billy? I'm not with Billy. Thanks for tuning in. Oh, I got that.