My ears perked up when I first heard about the Salomon Ultra Glide. A Salomon trail running shoe with max cushion?! Yes, please. Salomons are great, but their firm feel isn't for everybody. So I was stoked to try their ultra-cushioned trail runner—not so much to run in it, but to hike in it. I finally got my chance in 2023 with the release of the new Salomon Ultra Glide 2. My Salomon Ultra Glide 2 review gives hikers the scoop on this lightweight trail running shoe with plush cushioning.
Meet the Salomon Ultra Glide 2
The Salomon Ultra Glide 2 is a trail running shoe that's made for long distance runs and mixed terrain. However, some hikers have figured out that this lightweight and ultra-cushioned trail runner can also be a comfortable hiking shoe.
In many ways, the Ultra Glide is a change of pace for Salomon—one of the best brands for hiking footwear. Salomons tend to run firm with more "feel" than "float." They also tend towards a traditional (higher) heel to toe drop and tapered toe boxes that run slightly narrow.
That's not the case with the new Ultra Glide 2. Breaking away from Salomon's successful blueprint, this lightweight trail runner features
Like all Salomons, the Ultra Glide 2 wields good support for its weight. It's significantly lighter than the Salomon XA Pro—another trail runner that's popular with hikers—and the X Ultra 4, Salomon's best hiking shoe. At the same time, it offers less support and foot protection than those perennial best-sellers, too.
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Salomon Ultra Glide 2 Review
hiking in the Salomon Ultra Glide 2 at Shingletown Gap (State College, PA)
My Salomon Ultra Glide 2 review follows from several day hikes that I hand-picked to test this shoe's support, weight savings, fit, comfort, weather protection, traction, and overall value. Give the shoe's recommended use, I hiked fast (3-3.5 mph) on well-maintained trails and forest service roads. Then I hit up local trails that are popular with after-work hikers and casual hikers. For more of a challenge, I also chose a couple steep and scrambly trails to test the shoe's limits. Based on these test hikes, I'll be adding the Salomon Ultra Glide 2 to my list of the best trail runners for hikers.
Here's why:
The Ultra Glide 2 is best for mixed terrain or well-maintained trails
Support
MODERATE
Trail running shoes generally provide less support and protection than true hiking shoes. That's also true of the Ultra Glide 2. You won't confuse it with the X Ultra 4—Salomon's best hiking shoe—and it's also less supportive than the XA Pro, Salomon's more traditional trail running shoe. However, the Ultra Glide 2 still offers moderate support by trail runner standards.
Underneath all that cushion, there's some backbone in the midfoot with moderate flex at the balls of your feet. Just enough to give your feet and ankles a little help—not a lot. Likewise, the lightweight mesh uppers don't do much to protect the top and sides of my feet from sharp rocks. The Ultra Glide does okay on moderately difficult trails. However, its build is best suited for mixed terrain or fast hikes on well-maintained trails—not trails with gnarly footing.
Weight
LIGHTWEIGHT
That's okay—hikers generally choose trail running shoes over hiking shoes for the weight savings, not support. My pair of the Salomon Ultra Glide 2 only weights 1.5 pounds (men's size 12). That's 12 ounces lighter than the average hiking shoe, 5-6 ounces less than the Salomon XA Pro trail running shoe, and a little lighter than the Altra Lone Peak and Hoka Speedgoat, two of the most popular trail runners among hikers. That weight savings could translate to energy savings if you hike fast enough and far enough. Ultra Glides may appeal to thru-hikers and fast-and-light hikers who prefer lightweight trail shoes to more supportive ones.
Fit
STANDARD TO ROOMY FIT
The Salomon Ultra Glide 2 runs true to size with more room in the forefoot and toe box than other Salomons. Normally, I can only wear Salomons in wide sizes. Surprisingly, I got a decent fit in the 12 regular. Salomon also offers these in wides. Overall, this fit favors hikers with regular to wide feet.
Comfort
BIG PLUS
In hiking footwear, comfort mostly boils down to fit and matching your shoes to your body type and hiking style. For me, the Ultra Glide's relatively roomy fit offers a good fit for my moderately wide feet. More importantly, this shoe's plush cushioning will score serious comfort points with many hikers. Salomon's Energy Surge foam is super light and springy. And there's heaps of it—with a stack height of 32mm in the heel (max cushion) and 26mm under the toes (moderate cushion). That foam has softened my landings on rockier trails and taken the edge off of more technical singletrack.
The Ultra Glide 2 is a nice alternative to the popular Hoka Speedgoat for hikers who want a trail running shoe with a lightweight build and max cushion.
Weather Protection
AVAILABLE IN GORE-TEX
Most hikers who choose trail running shoes over hiking shoes opt for non-waterproof styles. That's because they generally wear cooler in warm temperatures and dry faster than waterproof shoes if they get swamped with water or sweat. On my test hikes, the Ultra Glide's ventilated mesh maintained a comfortable microclimate inside my shoes. The shoe will get wet immediately in puddles or wet grass, but it also dries quickly, too.
If you want a waterproof trail runner, the Salomon Ultra Glide 2 GTX is the GORE-TEX version. GORE-TEX remains the most durable and breathable waterproofing around. Just keep in mind that trail runners' low profiles only provide 3-ish inches of weather protection.
Traction
MODERATE
Salomon opted for moderate, multisurface traction with the Utra Glide 2. The outsole features a grid of shallow 3.5mm lugs that should be fine for most trails without excelling on any them. They're better on rock than more aggressive Salomon outsoles—like those on the Salomon X Ultra 4 hiking shoe. They're good enough in mud, but not as good as trail runners with deeper, more aggressive lug patterns (like the Salomon Speedcross). This moderate tread is good for mixed terrain. I was most impressed with the traction on a steep descent on a trail with small, loose gravel and think it'd be good on desert crust, too. Overall, though, I'd rate the traction as average.
Hoka Speedgoat, Salomon Ultra Glide 2, Topo Ultraventure Pro
Value
FAIRLY PRICED
The Ultra Glide 2 currently sells for $140 (closeout colors) or $150 (new colorways) with GTX waterproof styles selling for $170. That's now average for the best trail running shoes for hikers. For comparison, the Ultra Glide is $5 cheaper than the max cushion Hoka Speedgoat 5 and the same price as the other ultra-marathon shoe that I recommend for hikers, the Topo Athletic Ultraventure Pro. It's a quality shoe for a fair price.
Here are current prices. Click on these links to see size and color options from leading outdoor retailers:
Salomon Ultra Glide 2: Pros vs Cons
The pros clearly outweight the cons in my Salomon Ultra Glide 2 review:
Overall recommendation:
Based on this preliminary review, I'm adding the Salomon Ultra Glide 2 to my list of the best trail running shoes for hikers. The max cushioning and roomier fit will appeal to many comfort-oriented hikers, and the shoe's lightweight build should suit many fast hikers with light packs, especially thru-hikers and ultralight backpackers. It offers Salomon fans a lighter, more cushioned alternative to the XA Pro—and gives max cushion fans a worthy alternative to the cushy Hoka Speedgoat.
best fit
standard to wide feet,
wide sizes available
best match
thru-hikers, fast-and-light hikers, max cushion fans
Should you buy the Salomon Ultra Glide 2
My Salomon Ultra Glide 2 review should help you decide if this lightweight and cushy trail runner might fit your feet and match your hikes. If you're not feeling this shoe, feel free to browse my other recommended trail running shoes, my Salomon recommendations, or my other hiking shoe reviews. If you ARE feeling the Ultra Glides, please consider purchasing them through the affiliate links above. That doesn't cost you anything, but it gives me a little back for all the unpaid hours I've spent testing footwear and writing free and independent content to help people like you buy footwear that fits your feet and suits your hiking style.
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