Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 3 Review

Hey guys, I'm Alastair from Trail & Kale, and welcome to my in-depth review of the Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 3! These minimal trail running shoes are designed for ultimate performance on technical terrain, offering exceptional traction and responsiveness. Perfect for skyrunning, they are lightweight and provide excellent support for both climbing and descending.
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In This Video:
00:00:00 Introduction to the Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 3
00:03:09 Key features and statistics
00:06:07 Real-world performance on various terrains
00:12:08 Best alternative trail running shoes right now
00:12:28 Final thoughts on whether they are worth the $200 price tag
Key Features:
- Type: Minimal Trail Running Shoes
- Weight: 7.1 oz (US Men's 9)
- Drop: 6 mm (24 mm heel, 18 mm toe)
- Upper: Matryx upper mwesh for breathability and durability
- Outsole: Salomon’s Contagrip for exceptional traction with 4.5 mm lugs
- Price: $200
Performance Highlights:
- Climbing: Lightweight and responsive, perfect for steep ascents
- Descending: Excellent control and precision on technical downhills
- Flat Running: Fast and responsive, though a bit firm underfoot
Who Should Buy:
Runners looking for minimal, high-performance shoes for technical trails
Skyrunners and mountain runners needing reliable traction and lightweight design
Those with average to narrow feet
Pros:
- Exceptional traction with Contagrip outsole
- Lightweight and responsive
- Breathable and durable Matryx upper
- Secure fit with Salomon's Quicklace system
Cons:
- Narrow fit may not suit wider feet
- Firm midsole may feel harsh on very rocky terrain
Closest Competitors:
- HOKA Zinal 2
- Merrell MTL Long Sky 2 Matryx
Watch Next:
HOKA Zinal 2 Review: • Hoka Zinal 2 Review
Merrell MTL Long Sky 2 Matryx Review: • Merrell MTL Long Sky 2...
Join the Conversation:
Have you tried the Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 3? What do you think of them? Share your thoughts in the comments below! If you enjoyed this review, please give it a like, share it with your friends, and subscribe to our channel for more honest running shoe reviews. 🔔 Don't forget to hit the notification bell to stay updated on our latest videos!
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#SalomonSLabPulsar3 #TrailRunningShoes #Skyrunning #TrailAndKale #RunningShoeReview #MinimalTrailShoes #TechnicalTerrainRunning
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[@trailandkale]

Any questions at all, please just ask in the comments - I love hearing from you all! :) -Alastair

[@TrailrunnerTroy]

Raced a rugged desert-canyon-mountain 50 K in early March in these - they’re the best Pulsar yet. For me a little narrow in the toe box, but that’s typical for much of the S/Lab line. Excellent traction on hard rock; while steep climbing; and in mud/damp soft ground. For me at age 60, 50 K is likely the limit. Salomon S/Lab Ultra d’Haene is my current 100-mile shoe and is terrific for longer distances. And thanks to you, Alistair, the Arc’teryx Sylan Pro will likelybbe my 50-miler mountain racer this year.

[@trailandkale]

Oh that’s so awesome to hear, the Arc’teryx Sylan is something really special isn’t it! 👌🏼

[@TrailrunnerTroy]

@@trailandkaleunlike its would-be rivals, the rocker actually works!

[@trailandkale]

@TrailrunnerTroy I know right lol

[@jameswestmoreland9717]

I like your testing protocols. Running shoes are almost sentient beings to me. No cutting in half. But like a horse, likes to be ridden.

[@trailandkale]

Amen to that!

[@sandstromj]

I’ve got the Pulsar SG, which I don’t like at all. But I tested Pulsar 3 for a couple of km’s and they feel much better, a bit wider in the toebox. Also the grip is superb, although not as good as Vibram. Still sticking to my NNormal Kjerag.

[@trailandkale]

Yeh the outsole is definitely not quite on Vibram Megagrip level. Much improved over the Pulsar 2 though as the lugs are deeper

[@forestcitymountaintrail43]

Thanks for the review! For someone who holds the Pulsar 1 as one of my top 3 all time fav shoe, it feels somewhat strange knowing i will not buy the Pulsar 3, but i am really curious about the other red shoe i have seen on the feets of some Salomon Trail runners, still just a «proto» shoe, Looks like s/lab series, a little higher stack than Pulsar 3, but a wider base/platform, the upper looks very similar as the Pulsar 3. The NNormal Kjerag gave me everything i was missing in the Pulsar 1, super stability on tech downhills, super grip, and even more precise, better upper and just as superlight fast and fun!

[@trailandkale]

You’re welcome! I’m looking forward to testing the Kjerag - reports suggest it should be a good performer! Have you tried the Merrell MTL Long Sky 2 Matryx yet? Damn good!

[@forestcitymountaintrail43]

@@trailandkale The Merrel MTL Long Sky 2 Matryx looks like something i could try out in the future for sure, the wider platform and vibram/lug patters there looks very stable and reliable

[@trailandkale]

@forestcitymountaintrail43 yeah, it’s a pretty awesome shoe!

[@kgenest100]

Thanks for this review Alistair. I own the « Gen 1 » regular and SG version of this shoe. I love them both and they fit my narrow feet… but I find them unstable in heavily slopes technical terrain. Can you compare the stability of this 3rd Gen with previous versions? Finally, I would LOVE you to do a review of the VJ Maxx2. VJ’s outsole rubber beats Vibram and Contragrip… and these may be better and more versatile than the Merrell Long Sky 2 Matrix… which sounds like a great (and under-rated) shoe!

[@trailandkale]

Hey 👋🏼 you’re welcome, glad you enjoyed it! :) I only have experience with the s/lab pulsar 2, and this one, although a bit heavier, is much more stable as it has a wider footprint and much deeper lugs. The pulsar 2 was too twitchy for me but this one feels much better 👍🏼

[@trailandkale]

I’ll look into VJ Maxx! I don’t know much about them…

I heard that pulsar 2 is a bit more stable than the og. I have run in pulsar 2 and pulsar 2 sg and the new version 3 is definitely more stable. So you should really notice the difference. I also have the VJ maxx2, which is totally different shoe compared to pulsar. It is more rigid and has more protection under foot. Last is more foot shaped and the upper fabric is sort of waterproof. VJ Lightspeed is similar to S/lab Pulsar but has more bounce and cushioning. Unfortunately it hasn't got breathable upper either.

[@MrJfergs]

These look very similar to the norvan sl from arcteryx. Both are owned by amer aports so i would not be surprised if they took some inspiration.

[@trailandkale]

They’re not too dissimilar and both perform well for fast minimal mountain running. Here are my thoughts on them: www.trailandkale.com/gear/arcteryx-norvan-sl-3-review/ - Other similar shoes I’ve reviewed include the MTL Long Sky 2 Matryx, MTL Skyfire 2, Hoka Zinal 2, the Brooks Catamount Agil, and the On Cloudventure Peak 3. All of those sit in the lightweight minimal mountain running class, or skyrunning if you will ;)

[@joegatto3499]

I like the look of them; they seem like super-precise handling sports car ex. Lotus Esprit

[@trailandkale]

That’s spot on with how they perform

[@lisoushealthfoodandfitness]

Hey man, sick trail, where is this? I have narrow feet and trails here are super technical monsters, was running in the first pair of s/lab pulsar and keen for a new pair. Only downside for me was the platform being too narrow, even though I have narrow feet and run on my forefeet naturally, I still found them quite unstable and having to be precise all the time which meant I couldn't just relax on longer technical runs. Maybe they'll fix this but basically that's the difference with Killians shoe, he made sure the platform was more stable with the kjerag.

[@trailandkale]

Hey 👋🏼 it’s in Marin, California! I have the Kjerag on its way for review - looking forward to checking it out. The pulsar 3 still has a fairly narrow platform although better than v2 that’s for sure!

[@titanvision.studio413]

Would you say they are better than the Speedcross 6? I'm running an ultra in the Alps soon and I've always used the Speedcross so far. Should I perhaps switch to the Pulsar 3 instead?

[@trailandkale]

They’re so different. The pulsar 3 is incredibly minimal. I’d recommend maybe trying the Ultra Glide 2 first as that shoe sits somewhere between the two. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXnVgpyMo72Fj7csi=Rnxlfb0vKnNlWEi4

[@nicklas6973]

Looks amazing. Have you tried vj shoes? The new maxx2 and lightspeed might be as good or even better than the pulsar.

[@trailandkale]

Hey 👋🏼 no, not familiar with Vj shoes yet..

[@joeccriscuola]

I was looking at the Lightspeed as well, looks like a great shoe. I have a few of there other shoes and while they are all very niche for certain things, they are great.

[@nicklas6973]

@@joeccriscuola just got the maxx2. It’s way better than the original. It has a road shoe feel with a versatile outsole.

[@pje8614]

From what I know (or better yet from what I read) these are suppose to be successor of Slab Sense 8 SG. I still have another box of brand new Sense 8 SG in basement which is about to get open, but in about 1 year time, it will be time for new ones, and as Sense SG is nonexisting anymore, I guess Slab Pulsar 3 is new model to have. So any idea how they compare to old Slab Sense 8 SG?

[@trailandkale]

I loved the slab sense range! The 8 was great too. The pulsar 3 feels like a more twitchy version of it. It’s a lot more narrow, and the narrow footprint underfoot makes them less stable. I’d look towards the Merrell MTL Long Sky 2 if you’re looking for something similar to the sense 8. It’s fantastic. Review here: www.trailandkale.com/gear/merrell-mtl-long-sky-2-matryx-review/ -Alastair

[@amircastilla07]

Any shoes that offer similar results at a value price? The most import factor being lightweight and responsive.

[@trailandkale]

Damn right there are - and this is one of my favorite category of trail shoes. Merrell MTL Long Sky 2 matryx, MTL Skyfire 2 matryx, Hoka Zinal 2, Brooks catamount Agil, On cloud venture Peak 3, Arcteryx Norvan SL, All reviewed on the channel.

[@trailandkale]

I believe the Zinal 2 and Long Sky 2 matryx offer the best value

[@DNFADV]

Thanks for the review. This might work better on the TRT than the s/lab ultra 3

[@trailandkale]

TRT?

[@DNFADV]

@@trailandkale Tahoe Rim Trail race. 50k.

[@trailandkale]

I wouldn’t personally use these on a 50k around the Tahoe rim but you could… I’d go for a shoes that’s a bit more stable and has better traction

[@DNFADV]

@@trailandkale Such as? I just ordered a pair s/lab pulsar 3. How about those for the TRT 50k? Thanks in advance.

[@trailandkale]

Id grab my Merrell MTL Long Sky Matryx or Hoka speedgoat

[@RowOfMushyTiT]

How do they compare to the Kjerag?

[@trailandkale]

I don’t have any experience with the Kjerag yet unfortunately