Already considered a Salomon benchmark, the Sense Ride gets a little facelift in the fifth version offered by the Annecy-based brand. To get a real feel for it, We Rock Sport tested it over several weeks in all conditions.
Presented by Salomon as an "extremely versatile" trail shoe, the Sense Ride 5 offers a successful design and a wide choice of colors (green, red, orange, black, blue...) likely to appeal to all tastes. The Quicklace lacing system is as practical as ever (although don't hesitate to use the rear tongue to slip the shoe on more easily), and the fit is ideal. A real shoe for perfect comfort on the trail, and a sensation of lightness confirmed by the contained weight of 286 grams (like the best trail shoes on the market, most of which are under 300 grams).
Versatile as it is, the Sense Ride 5 is indeed at ease on many surfaces. We first tested it on ultra-dry trails in the south of France during short outings of between 10 and 40 kilometers. The cushioning is effective and never fails, and the Sense Ride 5 is safe on downhill and technical sections. As far as cushioning is concerned, it's now a foam with Energy Foam technology that does the job, offering greater flexibility and resistance, while retaining good cushioning and excellent responsiveness, which is one of the Sense Ride 5's strong points. The shoe's fairly thick upper is a real plus for good support and a feeling of optimal comfort, while the foot rolls perfectly from the very first kilometers.
Equipped with 3.5 mm studs (compared to 4 mm for the Sense Ride 4), the Sense Ride 5 also features a new stud structure on the "All Terrain Contagrip" outsole, making it a shoe perhaps more suited to compact terrain, even if it will do the job in loose conditions in the undergrowth, as we found out in the mountains of the Alps. In fact, this model has nothing to be ashamed of if you have to tackle an ultra and its changing conditions. But if you're training on mainly greasy terrain, then opt for the Supercross. The Thundercross will also do the trick, with a similar profile to the Sense Ride 5, but whose 5 mm studs make it more suitable for these conditions. Finally, on the road, the Sense Ride 5 is just as comfortable and efficient.
If you're hesitating between two sizes, take the larger one, especially if you have a strong foot or one that flares out at the front. The value for money offered by this shoe is clearly one of the best features of the Sense Ride 5, all models of which can be found at Private Sport Shop.
Technical specifications :
Drop: 8 mm
Weight : 293 grams
Lacing system: Quicklace
Lining:Textile
Insole: Textile
Outsole: Rubber
Upper : Textile/Synthetic