Sense Ride 5 vs Ultra Glide 3

The Salomon Sense Ride 5 is the trail running shoe you reach for when you do not want to think too hard. It is a do-everything door-to-trail shoe with a moderate 8mm drop and enough cushioning to soak up long days without turning your foot into a marshmallow. At 286g it sits in the middle of the weight range, so it is not a light and racy trail shoe, but it is not a heavy tank either. What you get is balance. The grip handles wet grass, packed dirt and light rock without complaint, and it rolls happily onto tarmac for the road sections between trails. It is neutral, so it suits runners with a fairly stable gait rather than heavy overpronators. If you want one shoe for mixed UK trails, muddy commons and the occasional path run, this is a smart, honest pick. Chasing a fast time on technical mountain terrain? Look at something more aggressive like the Saucony Peregrine 16.

The Salomon Ultra Glide 3 is a soft, high-cushion trail running shoe built for one thing: keeping you comfortable when the miles stack up. This is not a nimble mountain racer. It is a long-day cruiser for runners who want to switch off and let the shoe soak up the ground on runnable trails, canal paths and gentle single track. At 285g with a 6mm drop, it sits in that easygoing daily-trail zone, closer in spirit to a road-to-trail shoe than a technical fell weapon. The Contagrip outsole handles dry hardpack and light mud well, though it is not built for deep bog or scrambling. We rate it as one of the more forgiving ultra-distance trail shoes going, a shoe you reach for on tired legs and back-to-back weekends. If you want protection, softness and a relaxed ride over big distances, and you are not chasing course records on gnarly ground, the Ultra Glide 3 is an easy shoe to recommend.