Article by Kurt Biesemans
Salomon Aero Glide (160€)
Introduction:
Salomon has long been a key player in the trail running world, but with this shoe, they've crafted a quality road running shoe. The Aero Glide is part of Salomon's Aero collection, which includes the Aero Glide (maximum cushioning), the Aero Blaze (lightweight for daily training), and the Aero Volt (for tempo and interval training).
The shoe is a great all-round road running shoe that is lightweight and well-cushioned with nice rolling characteristics. It is designed for the neutral runner. The Aero Glide is best-suited for low- to moderate-paced runs and long distances, such as endurance training.
Pros:
Superior cushioning
Breathable upper
Lightweight build
Vibrant color options
Solid heel support
Cons:
Narrow fit
No wide-fit option available
Overly ample vertical room in the toe box
Specifications:
Weight (men’s): 276g (US 10)
Stack Height: heel 37mm / forefoot 27mm
Drop: 10mm
Platform width: heel 100mm / midfoot 80mm / forefoot 125mm
Most comparable shoes:
Hoka Clifton
Saucony Triumph
Adidas Supernova Rise
Brooks Glycerin 2
First Impressions, Fit, and Upper:
The Aero Glide features an upper crafted from Salomon's Sensifit open 3D mesh, originating from their trail collection. It provides a secure yet comfortable fit, holding the foot firmly in place with a breathable mesh that reveals slight transparency in specific areas. This shoe has the typical narrow fit Salomon is known for, although it has plenty of vertical space in the toe box.
The toolbox has lots of vertical space. This leads to a not-so-tight appearance and comes across as somewhat sloppy. However, it did not bother me and I never felt that my foot was not locked down.
The heel cup feels comfortable and reinforced, offering good ankle support. The tongue has enough padding, allowing you to lace up securely without discomfort.
Salomon has used overlays starting from the heel cap and extending to the midfoot, which provides lateral support along the sides of the foot.
Overlays from heel to midfoot
Midsole & Platform:
Salomon’s EnergyFoam (an EVA/Olefin copolymer block blend) in the Aero Glide offers comfort, cushioning, and excellent energy return. It's soft, lightweight, and durable, creating a smooth and bouncy ride, perfect for endurance runs.
With a high 10mm drop, this shoe offers good cushioning for heel strikers, though forefoot runners will still find a smooth transition thanks to Salomon’s Reverse Camber geometry, giving a fluid roll from strike to push-off.
A 10mm drop. Heel stack height of 37mm, forefoot stack height of 27mm.
Outsole:
The Aero Glide has a Contagrip Road outsole, designed with flat, wide lugs. Salomon has several Contagrip versions—All Terrain, Mud, Road, Winter, and Water. The Aero Glide uses the Road variant.
It has a good grip, with a full coverage rubber that protects the midsole foam. For a road shoe, the sole extends sufficiently, all the way to the tip of the toe.
The sole features a long lateral cutout from heel to toe, providing stable guidance during landing and push-off. Additionally, the sole includes multiple flex grooves that enhance flexibility, allowing the shoe to roll smoothly.
I comfortably took the Aero Glide onto light gravel paths with satisfactory grip, although durability might be a concern as I’ve noticed some wear after 250 km.
Ride, Conclusions, and Recommendations:
The Aero Glide is a pleasant shoe, particularly if we take into consideration that it is from a brand well known for trail shoes. It performs well at long distances at slower paces. While it can handle faster paces, the shoe feels like it requires more effort then. It’s suitable for pure road training but also holds up on flat and mild gravel paths. For more rugged gravel, I’d opt for the Salomon DXR DEFY GRVL instead.
The shoe delivers dynamic cushioning with just enough firmness to maintain responsiveness and energy return. Its breathable upper, padded heel, and tongue make it comfortable, allowing for a secure fit without any discomfort across the top of the foot.
While it’s a straightforward shoe with few extra features, sometimes simplicity has its own merits. For its price (€160), it might feel slightly overpriced compared to its competitors, but it still delivers an excellent ride.
Kurt’s score: 8,9/10
Ride: 9 Fit: 9 Value: 8,5 Style: 9 Traction: 9 Rock protection: n/a
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Kurt Biesemans has a background in long distance triathlon. In recent years his focus is back on running. He recently ran various city marathons like Valencia, Milan and Antwerp. Kurt Is running on Belgian soils meaning mostly flat surfaces. He likes to hit the nearby trails which are mostly gravel and wooded surfaces. From autumn to spring his favorite trails are transformed into muddy terrain.
Kurt regularly joins a run or trail race to keep the engine going. But he also like ‘bigger challenges: he ran Tour du Mont Blanc in days in 2024, ran his first ultra trail (60K), hiked TMB in 9 days with his family and is on the starting list of Tenerife Blue trail in 2025. He is 1m86cm and 77kg.
The Salomon Ultra Glide 2 was a personal purchase.
SALOMON RUNNING
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