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.

Schuhe SALOMON Madcross W 414422 20 V0 Trellis India Ink Yucca 5

Sense Ride 5

Salomon XT-6 GTX VinKak Major Brown Turtledove | Schuhe SALOMON Madcross W 414422 20 V0 Trellis India Ink Yucca 5

Now 30% Off
$91 at Zappos
Pros
  • test le sac salomon s lab adv skin
  • Ténis Salomon Supercross 3 GORE-TEX verde mint branco preto mulher
  • Secure grip on all dry terrain
  • zapatillas de running Salomon entrenamiento amortiguación media talla 39 blancas
Cons
  • Slips a bit on wet and snowy surfaces
  • Forefoot cushioning feels a bit thin

Key Specs

TypeTrail
Weight10.3 oz (M), 8.9 oz (W)
Heel Stack29 mm
Forefoot Stack21 mm
Drop8 mm
Lug Height3.5 mm

Buy Men’s Buy Women’s

Schuhe SALOMON Madcross W 414422 20 V0 Trellis India Ink Yucca 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.

salamon sense
Thomas Hengge
Our men’s test pairs were in Salomon’s “Rainy Day/ Hot Sauce/ Freesia” colorway.

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.

When I go back to the Sense Ride, I realize just how little I’ve thought about the shoe on my foot.

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 Schuhe SALOMON Madcross W 414422 20 V0 Trellis India Ink Yucca.

salamon sense
Thomas Hengge
The new Energy Foam midsole feels slightly more responsive.

“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 Salomon Unisex Σκούφος 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.

salamon sense
Thomas Hengge
salomon trail running shoes supercross blast black.

Salomon XT-6 GTX VinKak Major Brown Turtledove | 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.

salamon sense
Thomas Hengge
product eng 1031990 Salomon Outblast TS ClimaSalomon TM Waterproof.

“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.

“Calças Salomon Elevate Warm Tight preto mulher 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.”

salamon sense
Thomas Hengge
The Sense Ride 5’s lugs are half a millimeter shorter than those on the Sense Ride 4.

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.

Buy Men’s Buy Women’s

Headshot of Pat Heine
Pat Heine
Video Producer
The resident ultraunner, Pat is a Video Producer who loves all things off-road. When he’s not producing Bicycling’s Tested or The Cut Up for Runner’s World, he’s out running the trails, testing the latest and greatest shoes and gear. He’s always seeking out the longest, toughest races he can find, including Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, Tor des Géants or setting the fastest known time on the 327-mile Mid State Trail in Pennsylvania.