It feels as though trail running is having its true time in the spotlight. It’s little wonder why so many brands are looking to get their own trail runners into the market, and Salomon is hoping to get a slice of the action with the Aero Glide 3 GRVL.

Bringing a cushioned sole and lots of go-anywhere features, they could be a good bet if you’re looking to run a little further, or a little beyond your usual route. Interestingly, these shoes see Salomon carve out its own little niche – gravel running – out of the traditional trail running segment. 

We’ve been checking them out over our favourite routes to find out what they’re like. 

Sphere Score

For

• Secure fit
• Cushioned ride
• Great isolation from the road 

Against

• Grips can feel a bit slippery when you’re on tarmac
• Might not give enough feedback for some
• A little stiff to begin with

Tech specs 

• Price: £144 
• Weight: 275g
• Gravel ContaGRIP sole
• 3D mesh upper
• Ortholite sock liner 
• Textile lining

What does the Salomon’s Aero Glide 3 GRVL have to offer?

Salomon is one of the biggest names in the hiking world and it has already established a formidable presence in the running market, too. The Aero Glide 3 GRVL take what the brand has learnt from road running and transfers it into a more off-road-ready shoe, establishing a firmer grip on loose surfaces while still bringing the level of bounce and comfort that you’d expect from a more tarmac-focused set of runners. 

It’s why we’ve got bouncy optiFOAM midsoles to help give a soft, cushioned feel when you’re on the move, and to help isolate those big impacts from hurting your feet. There’s also Reverse Camber technology, which effectively helps your feet roll forward during a step. The net result? Better transitions and less jarring. 

But while all of this might be pretty standard for a road-running shoe, there are some differences here. Underneath, there’s a Gravel ContaGRIP outsole to provide some extra traction, whether you’re moving along gravel or other rough surfaces. Chunky lugs help to key into surfaces, but they’re not so large that you’ll be left feeling helpless if you do end up on a flat piece of road. 

We’ve got uppers made from 3D mesh for better airflow, but there’s some extra reinforcement around the toe box should you encounter – or aim for – those puddles en route. Inside, a moulded Ortholite sockliner brings added cushioning and breathability, but without adding all that much weight. They’re also designed to suffer less compression over the life of the shoe, meaning that – in theory – you shouldn’t have to swap these out quite as often. 

Wearing – what is the Salomon’s Aero Glide 3 GRVL like?

Slip on the Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL for the first time and you might be tempted to check out the sole to double-check that you’re actually wearing a shoe designed for gravel. They’re sumptuously cushioned, with loads of springback which helps your feet to fire forward as you run. Initially, they felt a little stiff, but after a few short runs, they quickly eased in. As for blisters, we encountered a few during the first few stints, but that’s pretty normal for any new set of runners and we can’t hold this against the Salomons. 

When you’re on tarmac, the Aero Glide 3 GRVL do feel very supportive and you can do some chunky stints on the road without much trouble. The only issue we encountered was that during post-rain runs, the lugs were a little slippery and this meant you felt like you were losing a little bit of power. However, once things dried up, this quickly went away. 

However, take these shoes to where they’re designed for and they shine. The gravel-focused sole provides lots of confidence when you’re moving over loose surfaces and we didn’t end up with wet feet even after encountering some decent puddles. That spongey midsole does a great job of soaking up the worst of the impacts, but the trade-off is that you lose some of that surface feel. Some users might find this appealing, while others might not. 

In terms of sizing, we went up by half to a men’s 9.5. This meant that there was ample room in the toe box to stretch out, but the heel still retained a good fit, and there wasn’t any slippage to report. We also liked the laces on these shoes; they’ve got a good amount of resistance to them and make it feel as though once they’re done up, they’re unlikely to slip any time soon. Even the tongue has a nicely secure feeling to it, though like the rest of the shoe it did feel a touch stiff to begin with. 

Of course, the snag is that Salomon has already released the Aero Glide 4 GRVL, but looking at the tech specs, they appear very similar in design to these 3s. Find yourself a site with the Aero Glide 3 GRVL in stock and we reckon you could have yourself quite the deal. 

To finish

There’s loads to like about the Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL. Sure, for hardened trail runners, the ultra-cushioned design might be a little too much, but we reckon that those who like to dabble in some road running followed by a small adventure off-road could find these shoes hit the mark. 

With a range of great features incorporated into their design and a comfortable, all-day-cosy fit to them, the Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL could be a great shoe for those transitioning from road running to more gravel-focused adventures. 

It’s something of an all-rounder, then. A shoe with enough bounce to make those longer days out on the road feel comfortable, but with the added reassurance of additional grip and support when you want to venture off the beaten path.