TESTED: Salomon Ultra Glide III – the trail runner with innovation in its sole

Need a pair of kicks that’s suitable for hiking and/or trail running? With the recent release of the Ultra Glide IV, you can find the Ultra Glide III on sale if you shop around, and it offers a lot of bang for your buck. The Ultra Glide III found the sweet spot between weight, grip and cushioning. We took them to the trails. 

Out of the box 

You can’t help to go wow when you take the new pair of Ultra Glides out of the box. The colour (Salomon calls it “Cosmic Sky”) is spectacular. But you also can’t miss the wavy design of the Energy Foam midsole and the Relieve Sphere geometry of the outer sole. It looks ultra comfortable straight away.  

The legacy 

This is the third iteration of the Ultra Glides, but the Ultra Glide III is far closer to the elite trail racing S/Lab Ultra Glide, that was released end of 2024, than the Ultra Glide II. It shares a lot of trades with the (far more expensive) S/Lab version. The biggest difference between the S/Lab and the regular Ultra Glide is the mid sole. The S/Labs has a dual-compound midsole that uses Energy Foam + technology, whereas the regular version has an Energy Foam midsole.  

Performance 

After more than 300 km on trails ALL THAT can say the Ultra Glide III is a fantastic shoe for hiking. The stretchy mesh upper delivers a superior fit without compressing the toes, while the toe-bumper protects your toes from rocks and debris on the trail. The cushioning in the tongue and heel makes the shoe feel snug, but not too tight.  

But the real magic lies in the mid- and outer sole of the Ultra Glides. Turn the shoe upside down to see the “indents” under all the pressure points that are blister-proned. The relieve sphere technology breaks down the underfoot impact and disperse the pressure over longer distances. It has a “bouncy” feel to it, while also maintaining a feeling of stability. If you hike more than 6 hours per day on long distances, these shoes feel likes slippers.  

For hikers 

Take note though that in order to keep the shoe ultralight, there’s no water protection and your feet will get wet in rainy conditions. But it makes for an ultralight, super comfortable shoe that will also dries more quickly. If you need more ankle protection and a shoe that’s water repellant, also try the Salomon X Ultra 360 or the XA Pro 3D V9 Gore-Tex.     

 Take care! 

One of the myths about hiking shoes is that it takes months to break in. That may have been true of the old heavy, leather stalwarts, but it’s not true of modern, plush trail runners.  

The typical lifespan of a trail running shoe (of any brand) is between 500 and 750 km. Take that into account if you plan a long-distance hike like the Camino de Santiago.  

Trail shoes are designed specifically for natural surfaces like dirt, mud, rocks, and grass. These surfaces are generally soft and better suited to the rugged construction of trail shoes. Walking on tar or other hard, paved surfaces can cause the soles of trail running shoes to wear out more quickly, especially the softer rubber outer sole that you need for uneven terrain. The aggressive tread patterns in trail shoes are not ideal for paved surfaces.  

Also be aware of unnecessary wear: Using trail shoes indoors on carpet or similar surfaces can lead to unnecessary wear of the lugs and grip patterns. Wear your fashionable sneakers to the braai and save your trail runners for the trails.  

If you can afford to, rotate your training shoes. If you also train on hard surfaces, it might be a good idea to have a pair of road running shoes in addition to your trail runners. 

In a nutshell: 

• Weight: 255 gram (285 g in the men’s version) 
• Lacing system: Quicklace 
• Outsole: All-terrain Contagrip with Relieve Sphere 
• Midsole: Lightweight energyFOAM 
• Cushioning: Maximum 
• Frequency per week: 4 or more sessions 
• Running terrain: Mixed 
• Type of run: Distance 
• Price: R3599 for the Ultra Glide IV, look for a bargain on the III