Salomon Sense Pro 4

 

Salomon Sense Pro 4 Review

Stoat Rating: 9.5/10
Weight: 260g in UK 8.0
Sizing: I'm nornally a UK8.5 in most shoes (including most Salomons) but I sized down to an 8 in these which I put down to the fact that the upper just fit my foot very well so I didn't need to allow any extra room.

Overview

A precise, fast feeling shoe which runs nicely on firm or softer ground and could be used for distances up to a 50k and beyond if you don't have issues with dirt ingress. Brilliant.

Upper

The fit of this shoe matches my feet very well. It is not a wide shoe, but wider than the S-Lab 6 SG which is my main point of comparison. It also has a slightly squarer toe and softer toebox and all these things combine such that I ended up sizing down half a size compared to my usual Salomon size in spite of the fact that it is the same length overall. This is a good thing as I think that I'm a better fit in the heel and midfoot as a result when compared to my S-Lab 6 SG which I have in a UK8.5. Overall I think it is a testament to how well these shoes fit my feet.

The upper construction feels very simple and is made from a very open mesh material which breathes well and should result in a cool shoe. On the downside that open mesh is prone to letting in dirt - not a killer for half or marathon distances, but is one of the main downsides for anyone considering using this shoe for longer distances or in really wet conditions. I'm generally a fan of the ripstop nylon upper of the S-Lab 6 which I have found to be excellent in the conditions that I run in, but I can understand that people who prioritise breathability over dirt ingress would prefer the open mesh of the Pro 4. Salomon uses it's tried and tested speed laces which I'm not a fan of, but they have improved the system so they come out of the top now, unlike the old design where the laces trapped the pocket when you tension them.

The heel area is tidy - lacking superfluous padding and low on the Achilles. Excellent.

The tongue is held in place laterally by the classic Salomon gusset thingy. Only downsides of this is that you can get grit trapped between that internal gusset and the exterior of the shoe, but this has never been a major issue for me provided that I clean it out once in a while.

Midsole

21mm forefoot and 25mm heel stack with a 4mm drop. From what I can tell the midsole is about 16mm in the forefoot and 20 at the heel.

Flexibility is not barefoot flexible, but softer than say the Nike Terra Kiger, and the combination of flexibility and cushion feels good on sections of tarmac or harder surfaces to me, while still being firm enough to deal well with softer surfaces. I'd say that it strikes a pretty good sweet spot for me where I could use this shoe on hard or soft surfaces from 5k to 50k comfortably. There is a significant amount more cushion than the S-Lab 6 SG which for me starts to feel very harsh on tarmac or harder surfaces for more than 5k-10k. Oh yes and it has 'Opti-vibe' or some such nonsense.

Outsole

The lugs on the outsole are 5mm deep and well spaced to avoid picking up mud.  I have found them to be a good pattern for everyday use here in the UK where we are most often running on damp or wet ground.  It is not a fell shoe so don't expect miracles in mud, but then it is pretty accomplished on harder ground as well so it is a great door to trail option. The rubber seems to grip well in the wet as well which is not something that can be said for many of it's rivals.

Aesthetics

Classic Salomon - simple. I generally like the aesthetic, although I don't personally see why anyone would pick white for the heel.

What I'd change

Honestly not much. This is a bloody brilliant shoe which I will use from 5k races to 50k (or even mile?) slogs. If it were me, I would probably use a closer mesh (ripstop nylon?) for the upper to prevent dirt ingress and this would make me more comfortable using the shoe for longer distances or in wetter conditions. I'm also not the biggest fan of the speed lace - I find them fiddly and hard to get the tension right. I also sometimes lace my normal laces in different patterns to get more or less tension where I want it through the upper.

Alternatives

Hoka Torrent - Similar midsole and feel, albeit that the Pro 4 has a more 'precise' feel whereas the Torrent feels a bit more like you can slap it down anywhere. The upper in much more refined on the Pro 4 with less excess padding, better heel and midfoot hold, lower ankle collar and a less cramped toebox. IIRC the Torrent is a touch lighter. Unless you have a very high volume midfoot and heel then the Salomon wins.

Nike Terra Kiger - Wider, looser fit in the forefoot that again feels less 'precise' than the Pro 4. The tread on the Kigers is not as aggressive and I have found the rubber to have poor grip in the wet. This may be in part due to the fact that the Kiger's lugs are chevron shaped so there is very little contact surface area. This also means that I have found the Kiger's tread to wear out very quickly. If you have a wider forefoot (or prefer the loser feel because you run less technical trails) then go for the Kigers. Otherwise the Pro 4 wins out.

Inov-8 Trailroc 285 - There are a lot of similarities here in the precise feel. The Salomon has a touch more cushion, but a touch less protection underfoot. I found the rock plate in the Trailroc's to be a bit firm, making the shoe a little less stable in rocky ground than the Salomons. The Trailrocs also have an 8mm drop which I didn't enjoy and seemed to contribute to some instability in the heel. If you prefer an 8mm drop or want more protection then go Trailrocs, but overall the Salomon is a more refined shoe with better comfort and stability.

Final thoughts

I've said it already but this is a bloody brilliant shoe which can be used across a wide range of disctances and terrains. It's light enough to race short distances, but has enough cushion to run longer. It is comfortable, but the upper is precice fitting so that it will run well in technical terrain. I can see this replacing many of my existing shoes from my Inov-8 Trail Talons and S-Lab Sense 6 SGs through to some of my longer distance shoes such as my Terra Kigers, Torrents, and Terraultras. I'd love to see Salomon put out a slightly more robust version of this positioned squarely as an ultra distance shoe with  more robust upper and perhaps a smidgen more protection / cushion in the sole, but keeping the 4mm drop.