Ultrafly 1 vs S/Lab Genesis 2

The Nike Ultrafly 1 is Nike's first proper carbon trail racer, and it plays like a road super-shoe that has been sent to the mountains. A full-length ZoomX midsole gives you that soft, springy super-foam return, a carbon plate stiffens the ride for the climbs, and a Vibram Megagrip outsole handles the wet rock and mud that would leave a road plate helpless. This is a running shoe built for one job: going fast on trail race day. At £225 it sits at the very top of the market, up against the Hoka Tecton X 3 and Salomon's S/Lab racers, and it is best kept for hard efforts rather than daily miles. On smooth, rolling and moderately technical trail it feels quick and protective. On steep, rooty, gnarly ground the tall stack and stiff plate ask for confident, committed footwork. Buy it as a specialist trail marathon and ultra weapon, not an everyday trail trainer.

The S/Lab Genesis 2 is Salomon at its most race-focused: a lightweight trail running shoe built for short to mid distance racing, from a sharp 10k on the fells to a technical half or a fast 50k. At 249g it is genuinely light for a shoe with a 31.9mm heel, and the low 7.8mm drop keeps you connected to the ground so you can read the trail and react. There is no plate here, and that is deliberate. This is a shoe about precision, grip and control rather than pop off a carbon spring. You get a snug, locked-in Salomon fit and aggressive traction that bites on loose, wet and steep ground. In our view it sits at the premium racing end of the market, and the price reflects that. If you want a plated trail racer the Hoka Tecton X 3 is the obvious rival, but for pure connected feel and grip the Genesis 2 is hard to beat.