Salomon Ultra Glide 4 Review

Salomon Ultra Glide 4 Trail Running Shoe

I’ll hold my hands up, I completely missed the boat on the Ultra Glide 3. However, I was a massive fan of the Ultra Glide 2 and put hundreds of trail miles into them. So, when Salomon kindly sent me a pair of the new Ultra Glide 4s to test and review, I was absolutely buzzing to get them out on the dirt. 

Salomon Ultra Glide 4 Spec

• Stack Height & Drop: We’re looking at a maximalist 41mm in the heel and 35mm in the forefoot, giving it a 6mm drop.
• Midsole: Salomon is using their optiFOAM. If you’re a long-time Salomon fan, don't panic, this is essentially the much-loved energyfoam (an EVA OBC blend) that’s just been given a shiny new rebrand. It feels incredibly nice underfoot and absorbs impact beautifully over the miles.
• Outsole: They’ve opted for a one continuous piece, full-coverage Contagrip® outsole with 4mm lugs. One piece construction is generally the smartest move if you want maximum durability, and the Ultra Glide 4 certainly feels like it's built to last.
• relieveSPHERE: It’s a unique wave shape designed into the shoe to redistribute weight and reduce pressure points on the soles of your feet.
• Weight: ~280g for a UK size 9.5. This is pretty average, leaning towards the lower end for a highly cushioned all-mountain trail shoe.

Are The Salomon Ultra Glide 4s Good For Ultramarathons?

The Salomon Ultra Glide 4 is a trail running shoe designed specifically for long distance comfort on mixed terrain but before passing judgement, I wanted to make sure I’d put these through their paces. My initial test runs consisted of a good mix of classic UK terrain: grassy fields, loose gravel, hardpack dirt, and woodland trails littered with tree roots. The shoes handled everything I threw at them with ease.

Feeling confident, I decided to the push them further and laced them up for the inaugural Yellow Belly Backyard Ultra. Now, I know a BYU isn't exactly the conventional setting to test out an all-rounder mountain shoe, but I thought it was the perfect opportunity to see how they handle true ultra distances. The beauty of the format meant that if any issues did start to arise, I could easily swap them out for a different pair of shoes on the next lap. While the route wasn’t technical, it did have a few naughty hills that accumulated to a surprising amount of elevation for a typical backyard ultra event. I’m incredibly happy to report that I had absolutely zero issues with them, no blisters and no hot spots. I managed to clock up 15 yards (aka laps) in them, totalling roughly 100km, so it's safe to say the Ultra Glide 4s are definitely capable of going the distance.

Fit, Feel, and Upper Comfort

Often, with a softer foam and a high stack height, there is a risk of the shoe feeling somewhat unstable, especially on uneven terrain. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case here. The optiFOAM midsole foam wraps up into some high sidewalls, which creates an inherently supportive and stable ride.

The upper is constructed mostly from an engineered mesh. It has a tougher outer coating to fend off trail debris but still maintains flexibility. Inside, you get a SensiFit sleeve that hugs the foot, offering a good midfoot lockdown. Combine this with Salomon’s signature Quicklace system (which I’m a massive fan of anyway), and you can dial in a solid heel lock in seconds.

For comfort, Salomon has included a gusseted tongue with some nice padding around both the tongue and the ankle/heel collars. This is exactly what you would expect from a comfort-focussed ultra shoe.

Sizing

In terms of sizing, I found them true to size. I wear a UK 9.5 and had absolutely no issues, so I’d recommend sticking with your standard running shoe size. Over the past year, I’ve been leaning towards trail shoes with a wider toe box, and the Ultra Glide 4 accommodates this surprisingly well. Don’t get me wrong, they aren't as cavernous as a Topo, but they feel noticeably roomier than traditional, narrower Salomon models of the past.

Grip and Aesthetics

The Ultra Glide 4 uses Salomon’s Contagrip® outsole with 4mm lugs designed to maintain grip on mixed terrain including dirt trails, rocky paths and variable surfaces. During testing, they handled everything I threw at them with ease. However, if I had to pick one negative, it would be the grip in true UK slop. The traction didn’t feel 100% planted on wet, boggy mud. It wasn't terrible by any stretch, but it wasn't perfect. Then again, these aren't advertised as an aggressive fell running shoe, they're an all-mountain cruiser designed for mixed terrain.

On the design front, Salomon has knocked it out of the park. In my opinion they're a great-looking trail shoe and look very similar (almost identical) to the much more expensive, elite-tier S/LAB ULTRA GLIDE.

Value for Money

Priced at £135, the Ultra Glide 4 offers good value. In today's market, that's a fair price for a comfortable and durable trail shoe that can handle ultra distances. If you've been eyeing up the premium S/LAB Ultra Glide but can't stomach the £230 price tag, the Ultra Glide 4 acts as a capable alternative or stepping stone before shelling out the big bucks.

Who Are These For?

The Ultra Glide 4 is best suited for:

✅ Endurance trail runners pushing their limits for ultramarathons or long-distance trail races.
✅ Runners looking for high-volume cushioning and a stable ride during high-mileage sessions.
✅ Runners navigating mixed terrain who need consistent and reliable grip.

Final Thoughts

As I mentioned, I loved the Ultra Glide 2, and I’m happy to say that Salomon hasn't let me down with the 4th iteration. While I haven't had the opportunity to test them on proper, jagged technical terrain just yet, and I'll be interested to see how that higher stack handles the really tricky stuff, my initial impressions are very positive.

In my opinion they're a great all-rounder. If you're looking for a reliable, solid workhorse of a trail shoe that's comfortable enough to carry you through your next ultramarathon, the Salomon Ultra Glide 4 is well worth checking out.

Salomon Ultra Glide 4

Salomon Ultra Glide 4 - £135