The Salomon S/LAB Pulsar is a trail running shoe designed by Salomon as a lightweight performance shoe that has a precise fit and propulsive ride. Avid runner, trail running event operator, and retail manager of our Launceston store, John Claridge, gave the Pulsar’s a spin and here is what he has to say about them: from the good to the not so good, read on to hear why they are his go to transition shoe.

The Fit 

• They feel like wearing a second pair of socks
• Soft and comfortable from the moment you put them on
• Much more stable than first appearance 
• The internal plate helps with torsional rigidity giving you a planted feel and confidence
• Comfortable and non intrusive arch support
• Really narrow feet will experience bunching of the onepiece tongue which can be quite uncomfortable on the upper mid foot
• The extremely minimal upper has drawbacks as distance and time in the shoe increases
• Note: I experienced rubbing, to the point of skin removal, at the top of the heel cup where it meets the achilles after 5hrs of continuous running

The Performance 

• Grip is surprisingly good in most conditions including wet until the ground becomes soft and the solid substrate exceeds the lug reach
• Relatively breathable without compromising easy external ingress
• Grip wear is relatively poor on hard surfaces, holds up well on gravel but hit the bitumen and it will disappear in a blink

 

 

In conclusion, there are some good and bad points that I've noted about the Salomon Pulsar's. Though I should say that the negatives would not stop me buying another pair. They are now my go to shoe for transition (road, gravel and slightly technical) trails, I love them overall and can not wait for the soft ground version.