Salomon Pulsar Trail Review / FULL REVIEW

[@Trailrunner1978]

A masterpiece. By far best trail ultra running shoe I've had. I bought this on sale for much less than a Speedgoat, Ultraglide, Sense Ride or Fujilite. It completely destroys those shoes when it comes to legsaving , efficiency and security. The rods/plates really help. I would never buy the more expensive plated trail options from other brands when Salomon sell this kind of "high tech" trail shoe for this price.

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Yep I love this shoe!

[@feastfriday]

Dude you're killing these show reviews. Love the thumbnails and all the stats you've been hitting. The close up shots are buttery smooth! That energy blade is cool tech. That's super innovative.

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Thanks man! I really appreciate it! I still want to take you up on your offer by the way. Work is just insane right now.

[@feastfriday]

@@UltraTrailSteven No worries man!

[@Thefifaplayeryant]

My take after a 10 mile run on mixed terrain after rain (door to trail, gravel, MTB trail, forest road) : this is not a light shoe, in my US10 305 gr., after changing the cheapish insole 310gr. It's also not the softest shoe, more the firmer Salomon from years ago. Fit is good, neither too precise nor too wide, heel lock is okay, could be better but difficult with the Quick Laces. Forward propulsion works, for runnable stuff excellent, faster running without pushing harder, legs feel fresher, nice one ! Shoe is stable and protective, still no shoe for real technical terrain but technical sections should be no problem. After all I think this is one of the better shoes for sure, quite versatile, at least for the more runnable trails. One big negative though, wet grip is disappointing, several slippages, not a big fan of Contragrip in wet anyway, but together with the shallow lugs it's even worse, at least on the wet stones in the Black Forest. Too put this into relation, the compound of the North Face Vectiv-line grips better under those conditions (also 3,5 mm lugs). But as No shoe seems to be perfect, I guess this one is very good under the right circumstances and for the price definitely a bargain These days, Ingo, Germany

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Great info! I agree, that for the price it is a fantastic shoe.

[@seekingUltraNick]

Looking forward to trying these out for my next race in 3 weeks. Thanks for yet another excellent review, Steven!

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Good luck in your race! Thanks, Nick!

[@marcoc2706]

Just ordered my 2nd pair. It's indeed a great shoe. Would have been perfect if the outsole was better. Not good on wet wood and wet rock.

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Awesome

[@douglascastro6611]

I came across these shoes at a gear trader for $78 due to them being display shoes. They felt the best out of the various display shoes (around 12 others) that were on sale. Can’t wait to take them out! Awesome and informative review. Thanks!

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Wow that’s a steal! I hope you like them as much as I do!

[@chris.schmied]

Great to see Salomon coming out with shoes that have more cushioning!

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Agreed!

[@francoisnarrainen6413]

Just watched your review on the trail pro and now this one the pulsar trail, thanks for sharing i will buy this one, it seems more comfy than the pro

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Hi Francois! Yes, the Pulsar Trail is definitely more comfortable. I hope you like it!

[@bate119]

Great review, thank you! I have 70 miles on the Pulsar Trail and absolutely love it so far. I couldn't agree more with your comment about the grip on wet rocks...I have slipped a number of times with this shoe. It's been an adjustment for me, as I usually run in the Sense Ride 4 or SLAB Ultra 3's, which grip rocks like mountain goats. Looking to use these in 3 weeks on a 50K on Section J of the PCT (if the snow ever leaves!). I also purchased the Pulsar Trail Pro at the same time, but the laces bite on downhill, which I believe is partially due to the lack of the Endofit inner sleave and tongue design...again, great review, thank you!

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Awesome! I just wore the PT today for a 100km race. They were great!

[@jsleinonen]

Heh, 52 miles over 2 runs. I've also used these for two runs now... for a grand total of about 6 miles :) Your idea of a run is obviously a bit different from mine. Thanks for the great review, good to hear that I'm not going to run into the limits of the shoe any time soon.

[@UltraTrailSteven]

😂 A run is a run, Jussi! Just keep digging man! Nicely done!

[@jsleinonen]

@@UltraTrailSteven I try to be pretty careful with new shoes, hopefully I can put some more distance on them later on - so far my legs feel good after running in them. The one thing I can maybe add is that they feel pretty comfortable even on paved surface. Obviously I haven't used them for very long in such places but I do have a bit of of paved street between my home and the nearest trail. Running there, they didn't feel harsh or overly rigid like some trail shoes.

[@justinstratus5577]

Big fan of the salomon gear. Nice review!

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Thanks! I am as well!

[@at7512]

Just seen your channel... great review .👌🏽

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Thanks and welcome

[@Meirion658]

Hi there im keen to hear your thoughts on how these compare to the Ultra Gluide as i'm torn between them both. Im after something for those easy days in the hills and wonder which would be better ?

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Hi Meirion, I am working on a comparison video right now! Should be out next week. Stay tuned

[@pedromacd]

Just found your channel, it's great. I'm currently looking for a shoe for a 50 miler in July and am considering the Pulsar Trail. Would be great to see your thoughts on the Saucony Xodus Ultra compared to these. Keep up the good work!

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Thank you, Peter!

[@depotcondomembers6216]

I too would love to see thst comparison. Both look to be some favorites this year.

[@30m3]

It's the Sense Ride 4 upper isn't it?

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Pretty similar I think

[@krilin84]

Great review, made me want to try them out! Unfortunately I could instantly tell they were too narrow for me when receiving them, so I sent them back. I don't think I have extremely wide feet, but I do have somewhat flat feet and my feet felt like cramped sausages in the mid foot. A shame, I think these had great potential for me otherwise as they felt very nice in the upper and midsole. Wish they'd make a wide version. I currently use the Inov8 max cushion shoe, which is a perfect fit for me, but they create a hotspot in the upper tongue, so aren't perfect either.

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Thank you! Oh no that’s unfortunate. Thanks for the info about the width, may help someone else out too.

[@krilin84]

@@UltraTrailSteven Thanks, yeah I thought it might be helpful to someone! I just got the Altra LP instead. Oh boy they fit me like a glove and get a super comfy lock down! I'm understanding I need to take some time transitioning to the zero drop though, but hopefully it'll be worth it.

[@CelineFerocious]

I never thought about the design of the treads in any depth but sounds like a good way to not get mud stuck up in there, and the price isn’t too bad.

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Yep the design plays a big role! Thanks

[@trapperkeeper5682]

Hey Steven, new subscriber here. My question is unrelated to the Salmon Pulsar, but wanted to know if you had logged any more miles into the Salomon Ultra Glides since its last review, and if you felt the foam has significantly lost its bounce? FYI, loved your top 10 tips for your first 100, just signed up for mine and now trying to find the perfect shoe.

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Hi Trapper, thanks! Honestly, I haven't used the UG since the review. I had been planning on using them at Beaverhead 100k, so I was saving the midsole haha. BUT now that I want to use the Pulsar for the race, I will get the UG out on the trail. OOOhhh cool! Which 100??

[@RowOfMushyTiT]

I found the UG were firm out the box and i enjoy them more after 200 km. If you are light enough they should last at least 800 km

[@trapperkeeper5682]

@@UltraTrailSteven Thanks for the reply Steve. Racing the Canal Corridor 100, with my eyes on the Mohican 100 in 2023. Good luck at Beaverhead, and can't wait to see the highlights.

[@trapperkeeper5682]

@@RowOfMushyTiT Teefa, thanks for the info.

[@UltraTrailSteven]

@@trapperkeeper5682 Good luck at the race! Hopefully being that it is October, you’ll have good weather

[@LucaCastiglioni]

Pulsar Trail vs Ultra Glide. Which are the main differences or similitudes. Is the Pulsar ok for Ultra distance trail races like UTMB o LUT?

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Comparison video coming this week!

[@lewis5076]

How do they compare to the speedgoat 5’s? After using speedgoats for years I’m now looking for a trainer with more ground feel but still a bit of cushion and a little more room in the toe box than the SG5.

[@UltraTrailSteven]

I will do a comparison of the two. The PT feels more stable than the SG5, and not quite as cushioned.

[@lewis5076]

@@UltraTrailSteven thanks for the reply, a comparison would be great. Never had a problem in SG but in the latest version I feel that anything over 20 miles my toes go a little numb and they feel very restricted to the point where I feel like my feet are just inflexible blocks at the end of my legs which land heavy and unprecedented. After irritating my ITB again I’m wondering if it’s time to lose a little cushioning and get more ground feel.

[@PieroCosimo]

how do they behave on asphalt sections?

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Pretty good! Granted I’ve only run about half a mile on pavement, but it was fine.

[@PieroCosimo]

@@UltraTrailSteven thanks

[@stuartgunn5350]

Would you say it fits a standard or narrow foot? I tried the ultra glide and the speedcross and both felt very narrow on my foot

[@UltraTrailSteven]

I think my foot is standard, and it fits me really well.

[@stuartgunn5350]

@@UltraTrailSteven cheers mate I’ll give them a go thanks

[@stevebenjamin1254]

Thanks. Great review. Definitely on my shopping short list

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Thanks, Steve!

[@EverythingWasGreat]

Looks like its going to get heavy when wet. The lugs looks almost like it's for gravel light trail and tarmac. When will there be a shoe with good stack hight, lightweight upper and a soft ground sole.

[@UltraTrailSteven]

It probably will be heavy when wet with the thicker upper. I used these on some steep slick single track trails, gravel, tarmac, and double-track and they were great!

[@jsksia2902]

Since a long time now. Hoca - Speedgoat line

[@EverythingWasGreat]

@@jsksia2902 Sadly Hoka Speedgoat 5 has a bad fit on my feet, they are a bit too low in the toe box and a bit to pointy, the outer sole isnt really for off trail running either, probably great for trail as long it isnt very muddy. Rincon has great fit though.

[@jsksia2902]

@@EverythingWasGreat if you had a fitting problem with the speedgoat (providing you had the right size) I can only imagine what kind of a fit will you have with a Salomon

[@EverythingWasGreat]

@@jsksia2902 i have four different pairs of salomon shoes in my quiver. No issues for their intended use. Right now im trying to find a shoe for ultra off trail distance in the mountains, and for that I haven't found one in Salomons, Hoka, Saucony, New Balance, Adidas range, but I haven't tried all of their shoes. Just got a pair of Icebug that fits okay and checks all boxes.

[@papajingtv]

Planning to buy this, but i will be running on the road only. Is it okay?

[@UltraTrailSteven]

Ok… sure. I would recommend buying road shoes then if you are only going to be on roads.

[@papajingtv]

@@UltraTrailSteven thank you

[@frankjacobsen6848]

Hey Steven, is it correct that Salomon Pulsar Trail and Salomon Ultra Glide have the same weight in Your size? On Salomon web is Ultra Glide 260g and Pulsar Trail 280g 🤔😊Keep doing good content👌

[@Thefifaplayeryant]

I'm not Steven, but in my size UK9,5 the UG is 15gr. lighter...

[@UltraTrailSteven]

HI Frank, that's correct. The Ultra Glide are 11oz/313g in size 11. The Pulsar Trail are 11oz/312g in size 11. Maybe it depends on the size of the shoe?

[@Thefifaplayeryant]

@@UltraTrailSteven Just put them on the scale again, without insole in US10 the UG is 275gr. (after 200km or so), the brand new unused Pulsar Trail 290gr...basically both are light enough, but it seems a bit off :)...cheapish insole from Salomon is approx. 15gr., a decent one around 25gr.

[@UltraTrailSteven]

@@Thefifaplayeryant interesting 🧐

[@frankjacobsen6848]

@@UltraTrailSteven It is little strange, but maybe it depends on the size. I have now ordered one Pulsar Trail, I did have Ultra Glide and was very satisfied with that shoe :-)

[@robbyafwan3455]

VS salomon Hypulse which is better? Please answer

[@UltraTrailSteven]

I have not tried the Hypulse

[@silenthikerph5522]

Is it a wide feet friendly shoe?

[@UltraTrailSteven]

My foot is average width and fits fine. If you have a wide foot it may a bit snug. Try it on in a store near you if you can