Salomon S-Lab Sense 3 Ultra Shoes & Salomon Sense Pro Shoes

Salomon has a history of producing quality trail running shoes. Their wide range of shoes caters to a wide range of conditions and runner preferences. In this review we take a look at the S-Lab Sense 3 Ultra, Salomon’s top of the line trail running shoe, as well as the new Sense Pro, a hybrid of last year’s Mantra and S-Lab Ultra shoes.

To see what the Salomon S-Lab Sense 3 Ultra Shoe is capable of, give a watch of this video of Kilian Jornet pushing things to the limit:

Salomon S-Lab Sense 3 Ultra

The Sense 3 Ultra is the third revision of the Sense, a lightweight, breathable trail running shoe. It was designed with feedback from Kilian Jornet (if you haven’t watched some of his videos, be sure to take a look at teh one abvove) and the rest of the Salomon running team.

Intended for ultra-marathon racing in hot, dry and dusty conditions, the Sense 3 Ultra has ample venting that lets heat out but prevents debris from entering. In addition, low profile lugs (tread) on the bottom make for a lighter weight and faster stride. If you expect to be running in soft or weight conditions, the Sense 3 Ultra SG (Soft-Ground) is it’s counter-part designed for just that. Larger lugs and a less vented upper combine to tackle soft, moist terrain.

As their top of the line race shoe, the Sense 3 Ultra is packed with technology. The Endofit construction uses an internal sleeve within the upper of the shoe to hug the foot and provide a super snug fit. The rigid Thermoplastic Urethane (TPU) toecap protects the toes from getting stubbed or smashed against rocks and other trail debris. Salomon’s trusty Quicklace system keeps the foot secure in the shoe, quickly and without fear of untied laces.

Salomon Sense Pro

The Sense Pro is an S-LAB inspired training and racing shoe. Unlike the Sense 3 Ultra that puts the emphasis on weight, over cushioning, the Sense Pro favours increased comfort and cushioning at the sacrifice of weight and underfoot feel.

The Sense Pro is a combination of the lower (outsole and midsole) of the very popular Salomon Mantra, combined with the upper of the of the S-Lab Ultra upper. This combines the superior cushioning and comfort of the sole with the race-ready upper.

For this reason, the Pro shares many of the same technologies with the Ultra 3, including the Endofit internal sleeve and Quicklace system. The two shoes also share the same tread pattern. All this combines to create a very cushioned and robust trail runner designed for training and the more recreational racer.

features:

Salomon S-Lab Sense 3 Ultra
- Endofit™
- Quicklace™ lacing system
- Non-marking Contragrip™ sole
- 2nd Skin Seamless Construction
- Protective TPU toe cap

The Contra Grip tread of the Sense 3 Ultra.

The seamless construction eliminates seams which can easily cause chafing.

The neoprene "harness" of the EndoFit. Hugs the foot more tightly than a traditional tongue/lace combo.

Salomon Sense Pro
- Endofit™
- Quicklace™ lacing system
- Non-marking Contragrip™ sole
- 2nd Skin Seamless Construction
- EVA Shaped Footbed

The same tread pattern is used by both the Sense 3 Ultra and Sense Pro.

The Sense Pro - a combination of the Mantra lower and S-Lab Ultra upper.

Verdict:

Salomon S-Lab Sense 3 Ultra
This is a no-nonsense race shoe. Any unnecessary material has been whittled away, leaving an impressively engineered and incredibly light shoe. While this has not been a long-term review, the construction quality feels top notch, on both the Sense 3 Ultra and Sense Pro. As a trail race shoe, the Sense 3 Ultra feels ideal; super light, very responsive with a perfect dose of cushioning. The stiff sole feels springy and responsive on the trail, returning energy and without dulling the feeling of the ground.

The Endofit construction, which aroused a dose of healthy skepticism at first, proved to be very comfortable, and snug. While it makes getting the shoe on tougher (take this into account when initially trying shoes on) it really hugged the foot, instilling a new confidence when descending particularly technical terrain.

The midsoles are supportive under the foot, and are situated perfectly in the goldilocks zone--not too soft and mushy, not too firm and unforgiving.

After wearing the shoe for a variety of runs, ranging from short intensity on mellow gravel paths to long distance slogs in the mountains the shoes have proven to be very light, responsive to the trail with an excellent snug fit. As a word of warning, the recreational runner should be cautioned when using the Sense 3 Ultra extensively for long distance running or racing, as it is a very demanding shoe with minimal cushioning.

Salomon Sense Pro
While it shares much of the same technology as the S-Lab Sense 3 Ultra, the Sense Pro feels like a completely different shoe. The added material makes for a more cushioned and stiffer shoe. This added material allows the runner to be slightly less cautious about precision footing or efficient stride, a particular bonus when fatigue sets in.

The midsole of the shoe offers significant padding (16mm under the heel and 10mm under the ball of the foot), but mutes the trail to the runner. The added cushioning adds to comfort, but also reduces the feel of the trail, an essential part of trail running. The large amount of cushioning raises the runner significantly up off the trail, making for a less stable platform. Not significant when cruising along a gravel rail grade, but a significant amount when screaming down a technical mountain descent.

While stiffness can be an asset, it can also be overdone. The Sense Pro feels overly stiff and cushioned muting the feel of the trail and forcing the runner to work against the shoe.

SPECS:

Salomon S-Lab Sense 3 Ultra
Price: $200 US
Weight: 240g / 8.46oz
Midsole Height: 13mm/9mm
Sizes Available: US 4 – 13 (half sizes available)

Salomon Sense Pro
Price: $140 US
Weight: 280g / 9.87
Midsole Height: 16mm/10mm
Sizes Available: US 7 – 14 (half sizes available)

PROS:

Salomon S-Lab Sense 3 Ultra
- Excellent mix of trial feel and cushioning
- Stiff sole provides excellent “spring”
- Very snug, comfortable fit

Salomon Sense Pro
- Comfortable cushioning

CONS:

Salomon S-Lab Sense 3 Ultra
At $160 the shoes are certainly on the expensive side. With many other less expensive trail running options out there, this is a certain disadvantage. While Salomon have designed a different shoe for such conditions, the Sense 3 Ultra does not excel in soft wet conditions. Performance was not terrible, but the small lugs failed to gain confidence inspiring traction.

Salomon Sense Pro
At 9.5 ounces the Sense Pro is on the heavy side. The increased cushioning on the sole detracts significantly from trail feel, and creates a muted ride. The increased cushioning also makes the shoe stiffer, too stiff in-fact.

Salomon S-Lab Sense 3 Ultra Rating: 9/10

Innovation         1.5/2
Function            2/2
Aesthetics / Fit  1.5/2
Features             2/2
Quality/Price      2/2

Salomon Sense Pro Rating: 7/10

Innovation         1.5/2
Function            1/2
Aesthetics / Fit  1/2
Features             2/2
Quality/Price      1.5/2

This is only our opinion. Do you disagree? Did we miss something? Are we totally out to lunch? Join the discussion in the forums here, and let us know what you think. People like/dislike gear for different reasons so chime in and we'll get a well-rounded evaluation.

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