Salomon Sense Ride 4 road to trail running shoes review: a trail-sensitive feel that suits soft and muddy terrain

Salomon Sense Ride 4: first impressions

The Salomon Sense Ride 4s feel even lighter than they actually weigh, with a breathable upper and slim, bendy Optivibe foam midsole, which allows your feet to feel more of the terrain than a more cushioned road to trail running shoe would. This means that, for most runners, this shoe is better suited to softer terrain – like grassy, muddy trails – more so than huge expanses of rock and road, especially with the excellent All Terrain Contagrip outsole with wide-spaced 4mm lugs. 

The fit of the shoe comes up around a half size big, which is actually a good size for those after an even roomier toe box, and the padded tongue and gusset are very comfortable too (see also: How should trail running shoes fit?).

Salomon’s trademark Quicklace system works really well for most runners. However, in this model the top laces criss cross the lace lock housing, which makes it very tricky to stow them away quickly. Doh!

The OrthoLite footbed may not work for every foot shape, as the arch curve may sit in the wrong place for your foot; if this happens simply replace the footbed with one from another shoe that works for you. The wide range of colors for men and women is another bonus for this shoe.

Salomon Sense Ride 4: on the trails

These shoes are super easy to slip on and pull tight, but I found it more tricky to tidy the laces away with the lace lock housing obscured by the top criss-cross of lace. I ended up not faffing about trying to hold the lace lock it away from the laces, but rather just slotting the lace end into the laces near the toes and winding it round a few times, which worked just fine. 

Discovering the fit was on the larger side was surprising, as in the past I have found Salomon shoes to come up small. But this was a refreshingly roomy fit, allowing space in the toe box for wider feet. 

Inside, unfortunately, I found the OrthoLite footbed to be blister-inducing, as it rises in the arch area in just the wrong place. However, changing the footbed solves this problem immediately. 

Running on mixed terrain, I found the Sense Ride 4s a little different to most of the other road to trail shoes I’ve tested, because you can feel a lot more of the ground under your feet. So I preferred using it on softer terrain rather than jagged rocks and long distances on roads. I also found this encouraged more of a forefoot or midfoot strike, rather than a heel strike, which may be preferable for some runners (see also: How to choose trail running shoes: drop, sole, grip, weight and more explained).