The Salomon Sense Experience 5 ($140) takes a lot of what’s liked from the earlier model of this well-liked shoe and improves on just a few key areas. An incredible all-arounder shoe, it has moderately low-profile lugs on the outsole, an improved midsole with 8 millimeters of heel-to-toe drop that gives a whole lot of cushion for a fairly low stack top of 29 millimeters on the heel and 21 millimeters on the toe, in addition to an engineered mesh higher and padded tongue with simply the correct quantity of assist. The Sense Experience 5 weighs a claimed 10.3 ounces (293 grams) for a U.S. males’s 9.
On this video evaluation, iRunFar’s Travis Liles takes a deep dive into this shoe, which can be an excellent possibility for folks in search of a do-it-all shoe who’ve higher-volume toes that don’t at all times match into Salomon’s narrower fashions.
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Salomon Sense Experience 5 Evaluate Transcript
Hey, and welcome to Path Trials, the video evaluation part of iRunFar. My title is Travis Liles. On this video we’re trying on the Salomon Sense Experience 5. Let’s test it out.
Let’s begin off with the fundamentals. Salomon describes this shoe as a do-it-all shoe, very versatile, prepared for something, from quick and quick to ultramarathon distance. It has an 8-millimeter heel-to-toe drop with a stack top of 21 millimeters on the toe and 29 millimeters on the heel. It weighs about 295 grams in a males’s dimension 9, which equates to 10.3 ounces, so it’s undoubtedly a mid-weight shoe.
The lugs are 3.5 millimeters in depth. It’s bought an up to date journey, or cushion, from the earlier model.
Let’s stand up shut and private and speak about what these updates are and the way this shoe performs.
The Salomon Sense Experience 5. All images: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Salomon Sense Experience 5 Outsole
From an outsole standpoint, the Salomon Sense Experience 5 has pretty customary low-profile lugs, basic terrain I’d say. For roads, trails, no matter. It does slightly little bit of all the pieces, but it surely’s not targeted essentially at something particularly. It’s simply very well-rounded.
The lug patterning within the again is for braking, so a forward-facing total lug sample.
After which as you progress towards the center, you’ll be able to see there’s slightly little bit of a spot the place there aren’t any lugs, after which it transitions to rearward-facing lugs. These lugs are very a lot for climbing, and you may even see some very particular lugs right here within the center with this triangle and slightly little bit of a divot in there. The purpose of that’s that as you’re climbing, if the terrain is muddy or free, that it will accumulate slightly bit in there and add some additional traction. I don’t know that you may completely really feel that particularly as you’re transferring round in them.
General, I believe this outsole excels in a whole lot of issues, excluding actually slick, clean varieties of issues — assume strolling throughout a log over a creek or a rock that’s calmly moist. There’s not a large amount of friction that will get created right here, so it’s very slick. I’d even say generally on the white line on a street for those who’re street operating, the traction won’t be nice.
However for all the pieces else, this general-purpose outsole works rather well in a wide range of circumstances.
The outsole of the Salomon Sense Experience 5.
Salomon Sense Experience 5 Midsole
Alright, transferring on to the midsole of the Salomon Sense Experience 5. One of many areas the place this shoe has been up to date from the Salomon Sense Experience 4 is completely within the midsole materials — see our Salomon Sense Experience 4 evaluation to study extra about that model.
The Salomon Sense Experience 4 had an actual vibration to it, nearly to the purpose the place something over about 15 miles for me, my toes had been actually, actually drained. I’m comfortable to say that’s been up to date. It is a softer compound, or at the least extra vitality environment friendly. It undoubtedly appears like no matter’s been executed right here to alter the way it rides makes it far more snug.
You may run on the street, you’ll be able to run on the path, you’ll be able to run a whole lot of totally different situations over a whole lot of totally different distances, and that foot fatigue that I skilled within the earlier model within the Sense Experience 4 is gone. That is undoubtedly a greater, extra rounded midsole.
And by way of what this midsole is, it’s thought-about reasonable however not too stiff. And I’d say while you evaluate it to other forms of midsoles, it’s truly very reminiscent to me of some Hokas. It’s bizarre to say of a shoe that doesn’t have a giant stack, but it surely’s bought the same foam kind of really feel that Hokas do. It’s form of squishy. You may see my thumb right here, actually in a position to sink into it. It’s additionally bouncy and rubbery and has some vitality return. You may see that each in tactile really feel and in addition when you’re carrying it in your foot.
It’s single density foam all the best way round, so that you’re not any kind of pronation management or something like that. The one factor that you could be discover is slightly little bit of the toe arising, so there’s a springy journey to it. You do have a little bit of a rocker kind of really feel.
It’s not tremendous pronounced, however it’s an 8-millimeter drop shoe, so it does sit up slightly bit greater within the again than perhaps the sphere, if you’ll, of path trainers. However I don’t actually discover that 8-millimeter drop on this shoe. It feels pretty controllable with pretty good floor really feel regardless of perhaps a higher-than-normal heel-to-toe drop than I’m used to.
A lateral view of the Salomon Sense Experience 5.
Salomon Sense Experience 5 Higher
From an higher standpoint, the Salomon Sense Experience 5 makes use of engineered mesh. I’ll say that compared to some engineered mesh that I’ve encountered earlier than, this can be a lot stiffer, which is sweet. I believe a number of the engineered mesh that’s in street footwear could be very, very stretchy and never very relevant to path trainers. I believe it’s too stretchy and your foot strikes round quite a bit. None of this for my foot. Once more, slender heel, large forefoot.
This shoe is ready to lock down. I don’t really feel any of this mesh giving means, but it surely’s additionally not so stiff that it’s cumbersome in that vary. I believe a pleasant quantity of mesh on right here that’s breathable, that lets water get out and lets your foot do its factor. It’s not so stretchy and over-engineered that it’s actually solely viable in a street shoe the place you’re not sharply turning round corners and issues like that.
This does have the Sensifit on it. You may see that by right here. Principally, it’s similar to a whole lot of different footwear the place the overlays on the surface have corresponding anchor factors to the laces, after which while you pull that each one tight, it creates this wrap round your foot. There’s no stitching on this stuff, it’s laminated onto the higher itself. The laces are the well-known Salomon pull-tab lacing system to actually lock all the pieces down.
You may see it from the underside that that is very a lot a normal match for a Salomon. Numerous their different footwear are very slender, particularly by this center a part of the foot and the heel. That is extra of a normal match. Should you want slightly bit wider match, this shoe falls into that.
From a tongue standpoint, it’s pretty skinny, however it’s gusseted, so that you get a pleasant wrap right here and sufficient cushion to maintain the laces from feeling like they’re urgent in your foot. The tongue is padded all the best way down and it covers the entire foot, so you’ll be able to crank this down slightly bit with out feeling an excessive amount of stress on the highest of your foot.
It has the lace storage, so that when you pull your footwear tight you’ll be able to form of tuck that away and preserve all of it slightly bit cleaner.
From a heel cup standpoint, it’s pretty versatile, which is sweet. There’s slightly little bit of rigidity towards the underside half, but it surely’s pretty gentle. You may see I’m pushing down by all of that. However I nonetheless felt I used to be in a position to get a great heel lock down with this shoe. There’s pretty good padding within the heel collar and form of a deep cup because it extends again, so it creates a pleasant little carriage behind my foot.
I’ve a little bit of a slender heel, and this locked down greater than adequately. I truly didn’t even give it some thought, which is an efficient signal total.
The very last thing I’ll name out is that this shoe was white once I bought it. I’m unsure in regards to the viability of white path trainers. They appear cool the primary time. I do like white generally, it’s enjoyable to race in, however this one’s a tough one to maintain clear. Should you prefer to preserve your footwear clear, perhaps keep away from the white one.
The medial view of the Salomon Sense Experience 5.
Salomon Sense Experience 5 General Impressions
I believe what you’ve bought right here is just about what Salomon describes on their web site. The Salomon Sense Experience 5 isn’t a specific-job shoe the place it’s simply meant to go quick, or it’s simply meant to go sluggish, or no matter. That is actually a well-rounded shoe.
Should you have a look at a few of their different footwear, just like the Salomon S/Lab Pulsar or the Salomon S/Lab Extremely fashions, they could be a little bit slender — right here’s our Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 2 evaluation and Salomon S/Lab Extremely 3 v2 evaluation for a have a look at the present editions of those shoe fashions. If you have a look at the underside of this shoe, it has a fairly good width to it, so I believe it suits extra toes. It’s bought a extra steady platform to it. I believe while you’re interested by a do-it-all shoe, that is the componentry you’d need.
It’s bought a fairly well-fitting higher and pace lacing, which is doubtlessly controversial relying on what you want in laces. Nevertheless it does a fairly good job of constructing a pleasant wrap total round your foot. It’s not too heavy, it’s not too gentle, it’s not overly protecting, and the lugs aren’t overly aggressive. It checks a whole lot of bins for being a shoe that covers a whole lot of floor.
My solely gripe, and this isn’t only for this shoe, however Salomon footwear on the whole, is I really feel like they’re a extremely attention-grabbing combine of getting these rugged outsoles whereas not likely giving a ton of safety. And the Sense Experience 5 isn’t any totally different. You probably have a delicate foot, you’re most likely not going to love this shoe over prolonged intervals of time on actually technical and pokey terrain.
I really feel, like the opposite footwear of their steady that don’t have the Profeel Movie, that while you step on one thing within the midfoot space, you are inclined to really feel it. That could possibly be a great factor or a nasty factor. Should you like floor really feel, you’re going to get that out of an 8-millimeter drop shoe with a fairly good cushion. I do assume that helps with going quicker and proprioception and feeling all these issues. However when you step into longer extremely distance, I bought some fatigue from technical terrain, particularly on actually lengthy downhills.
It is a general-purpose shoe. Should you’re going to be on actually heavy terrain — technical, aggressive, pokey, jagged — that is perhaps not precisely the best shoe.
Questions, feedback, depart these beneath this video. Thanks for watching. We’ll catch you subsequent time.
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- Have you ever tried the Salomon Sense Experience 5? What had been your ideas?
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A high view of the Salomon Sense Experience 5.
