The Sense Ride trail running shoes from Salomon sit in the middle of the Sense range, they're equipped with a Quicklace lacing system, Sensifit overlays, Vibe midsole inserts, and an Ortholite liner.
Fit is narrow across the mid foot area opening out in to a roomy toe box, this suits our weirdly shaped feet perfectly, holding everything firmly in place but still allowing room for the foot to breathe and toes to wriggle up front.
The single lace pull system is quick and easy to use, locking the lace solidly in place with no loosening mid-run. There's a handy lace pocket to stash the lace pull in although it can be a bit of a fiddle to stuff it under the laces if you've got podgy fingers.
The Quicklace system and Sensifit overlays work perfectly in harmony giving one of the best fits of any trail running shoe we've worn. The mesh outer is supple enough to cinch up over the foot as you tighten each section of lacing and the stretchy internal fit sleeve helps the shoe to form to the contours of the foot. The material doesn't bunch up and the seams and general construction are well judged, we've had no problems with blisters or general pain so far, including around the heel and ankles which are usually weak spots for us. The Ortholite liner and EVA heel cup are great for general all-round comfort without being overly bulky. The tongue is well-padded, protecting you from any undue pain from the laces, without feeling overly intrusive.
The moulded EVA midsole is surprisingly stiff initially but loosens up over time. We found comfort levels to be decent despite this, thanks to a 27/19mm stack and Vibe technology which reduces vibration using Opal inserts, these also give a subtle rebound.
The outsole is surprisingly tame with flat faced and well-spaced 4mm lugs but traction is still good, especially on surfaces like wet rocks where the Contragrip sole sticks like sh*t to a blanket. The reasonably tame lugs add an element of door to trail versatility, these aren't an unreasonable shoe to run in on hard ground. Three flex grooves at the forefoot and one on the heel add flexibility to the sole unit and the Profeel Film adds good protection from rocks as well as a consistent and stable transition to toe off.
Durability of the Sense Rides is excellent, the Contragrip outsole having been proven on the S Lab Sense Ultra and the stiff toe bumper protecting the toe area from scuffs.
At £110 the Sense Rides are somewhat of a bargain considering the versatility, they aren't full on racers like the S Lab Sense Ultras but as a do-it-all trail running shoe they make a great training companion.
