Salomon’s Aero Glide 3 GRVL Could be the Trail Shoe You Actually Need
The do-everything Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL is an ideal trail shoe for road runners.
If you consider yourself a road runner who only occasionally runs on trails, then Salomon’s Aero Glide 3 GRVL might be the ideal next trail running shoe for you. Even though it’s not billed as a trail running shoe.
Trail running shoes have come a long way in 25 years. The modern off-road running marvels are a lot lighter, typically more nimble, and often faster than the first-gen shoes of way back when. But if you’re a runner who often runs on paved streets, concrete paths, and dirt or gravel roads and only occasionally runs on more rugged or remote singletrack trails, you might not need the chunky lugs, extra protection, rocker geometry, or carbon-fiber propulsion technology of many of today’s modern trail running shoes.
What you might need — and will really appreciate if you’re predominantly a road runner— is Salomon’s Aero Glide 3 GRVL shoe ($160).
While Salomon has had a challenging time pushing hard into the road running category for the past 10 years, it has quickly found its place in the tiny niche of gravel running shoes. What’s a gravel running shoe, you ask? Whether or not that category truly exists (and I’m not saying it does), a gravel running shoe is a lightweight, very versatile, and well-cushioned road running shoe with an outsole that can offer enhanced traction on moderate trail surfaces and dirt roads while still running smoothly on paved roads and concrete paths.
In other words, just like the versatile, do-everything nature of a gravel bike, it can handle a wide range of terrain while offering a good amount of comfort, agility and traction without sacrificing too much functional performance. These shoes fit and feel like a road running shoe, are easy to run in, and yet allow you to run on more types of surfaces than most of the shoes in your quiver. I’m not sure the concept of gravel running will take off the way gravel biking has impacted the cycling world over the past several years, but there are plenty of places where gravel roads, dirt roads, or fire roads offer the equivalent of really great trail running experiences when it comes to scenery, serenity, and soulfulness.
What’s New: The Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL is a brand new model, although it borrows features and design attributes from Salomon’s Aero Glide 3 road running shoes and last year’s Drx Dfy Grvl multi-surface running shoes. The Aero Glide 3 GRVL’s supercritical TPU Energy Evo midsole foam is light, cushy, and bouncy, the upper and integrated tongue provide a comprehensive, semi-custom fit, and the ride is very enjoyable on all types of terrain.
Price: $160
Approximate Weights: 8.3 oz. (women’s size 8), 9.7 oz. (men’s size 9)
Heel-Toe Offset: 8mm; 40mm (heel), 32mm (forefoot)
Fit/Feel/Ride: The Aero Glide 3 GRVL fits true to size with a medium interior volume and plenty of wiggle room in the toe box. It has a soft and comfortable step-in feel, thanks to the cushy midsole, the smooth, stretchy, and soft upper and fully gusseted tongue that combine to create a snug, cinched-down feeling when laced up. The ride serves up a soft and bouncy sensation, offering a blend of shock absorption and energy return through the gait cycle. Despite the softness, it provides a good amount of inherent stability from its moderately wide footprint and midsole channels that help promote forward motion.
Why It’s Great: It’s great because it’s so darn versatile. Although it’s not a shoe I’d choose to do a lot of pure road running in (ie, either long or fast 15- to 20-milers while prepping for a marathon), its cushy midsole and low-profile outsole lugs allow it to handle sections of paved roads, sidewalks and bike paths with ease. And while it’s made to run mild trails and gravel roads, I’ve taken it out on a wide variety of moderately technical, rocky trails and have no complaints. (It’s a bit soft and the outsole rubber isn’t tacky enough for craggy, off-camber mountain routes.) It thrives on medium to long runs that include multiple surface types on flat or rolling terrain.
Most recently, I ran 11 miles on a mix of surfaces in Boulder, Colorado, and it was as comfortable as any road running shoe I’ve worn this year. I also ran in it along the concrete and pavement of the West Side Highway pedestrian paths in New York City, and it was great there, too. While it’s not a speedster of a shoe, the midsole foam gives it plenty of pep for strides, surges, and even dirt-road intervals.
Shop for Men’s Aero Glide 3 GRVL ($160)
Shop for Women’s Aero Glide 3 GRVL ($160)
Why You’ll Love It: The outsole provides just enough traction and grip on smooth rocks, pavement, and concrete without being overbearing. The chevron lug design offers good penetration and multi-directional grip on loose dirt, mud, gravel, pebbles, and other trail debris.
Pro: The airy 3D mesh upper provides optimal breathability and also has a soft, textile lining for added comfort.
Con: Although the Aero Glide 3 GRVL is bouncy and moderately energetic, it is softer and less lively than some of the faster and more snappy super trainers available at runner stores this spring.