Salomon Aero Glide 4 Review
By David Salas
Salomon Aero Glide 4Price: $160 at Salomon
Weight: 9 oz, 256g (men's size 9), 8 oz, 226g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: Stack height not provided at this time, previous model 42/34
Drop: 8 mm
Shoe Purpose: Maximum Cushion, Daily Training
Pros: Lightweight for the cushioning, highly versatile
Cons: Narrow fit through the midfoot, lateral flare can push you medially
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Salomon Aero Glide 4 is a maximum cushioned daily training shoe for logging the bulk of your miles. The Aero Glide 4 updates include an upper change and a new midsole foam. The midsole is now OptiFOAM2. This is a softer and bouncier compound providing even more cushioning. The upper is a bit more streamlined, narrow fitting, and less airy than the previous. The Aero Glide 4 provides a soft and neutral ride with some upside for uptempo work as well.
SIMILAR SHOES: Saucony Endorphin Azura, Mizuno Neo Zen II
PAST MODEL: Salomon Aero Glide 3
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
David: The Salomon Aero Glide 4 fits true to size in my men's 9.5, but does run a bit narrow throughout the length of the shoe. This is especially noticeable in the midfoot. I can feel the shoe wrapping my foot like it should, but it does encroach my lateral midfoot more than I would like. The forefoot width is normal. The forefoot volume is normal. It is not as spacious as other maximum cushioned shoes out there, but it is not so low that I had any issues with pressure on my foot. The tongue is padded well. It does run a little long and requires some placement from the user. I had no issues with biting from the laces. The mesh material is generally comfortable. It is a bit thicker than the previous version, but does feel more secure in holding its shape. The general lockdown is good and I had no issues with foot translation or heel slippage. There is a stiff heel counter that is padded well. Despite the narrow fit, I had no issues with hot spots or blisters. Those wanting a more snug and narrow fit in their maximum. cushioned shoes have that here.
David's Typical Size: Men's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit David well: Nike Vomero 17, Saucony Ride 16, Puma Velocity Nitro 3
Shoes that have fit snug: HOKA Arahi 7
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon Aero Glide
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Average
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Average
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Somewhat
How Flexible is the Shoe: Mild
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Yes
Recommended for Haglunds: No
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly: No
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Good
PERFORMANCE
David: The Salomon Aero Glide 4 performed well for its intended use. The shoe does provide a large amount of cushioning and a softer foam. The OptiFOAM2 midsole is beaded and feels like a lighter and bouncier Boost foam. The ride throughout is very neutral, partially because of this. The platform is of normal width. Outside of having some sidewalls in the rearfoot, there is minimal support or guidance. There is some sole flaring in the midfoot and forefoot that extends pretty far laterally. To me, it felt like it wanted to push me medially and made for an even more neutral ride.
The shoe operates off of a rocker geometry that is most noticeable in the heel. The heel has a bucket like design, with the heel sitting lower than the sidewalls embedded from the midsole. The rounded heel and tall sidewalls allows for a secure and predictable rearfoot experience. The midfoot operates more as a bridge to get you to the forefoot. The forefoot has a little bit of rounding, but comes off more snappy. There is a touch of flexibility, but there is more outsole coverage in the forefoot. You can feel a resistance to the bend of the foam when walking and running. This helps give it that bouncy feel. The outsole configuration is also noticeable in the heel, where the rubber lines the outer rim of the shoe platform, forming a moderate crater that runs from the heel to the midfoot. This translates to a softer heel that sinks in and a forefoot that is more snappy.
The ride of the shoe is fun, but I did find myself wanting a touch more stability. I know the shoe is neutral, but the softer foam, higher stack height, and somewhat narrow delivery made for an unstable experience during my long run. After about an hour of running I could feel my mechanics slipping. For shorter runs the shoe was great. The midsole also responded when I asked it to (even on the track). This will be a maximum cushioned training shoe for those that lean towards neutral offerings.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
David: The Salomon Aero Glide 4 is definitely a neutral training shoe. The OptiFOAM2 midsole is on the softer end and the platform does not do much to accommodate that. There are some sidewalls in the rearfoot that are appreciated, but otherwise the shoe runs very neutral throughout. The platform width is not very wide. It might just be me, but the lateral sole flare in the distal midfoot/forefoot feels overdone. I feel like I'm getting pushed medially, which is not ideal for a shoe like this. The Salomon Aero Glide 4 is not necessarily unstable, it just isn't stable.
Thoughts as a DPT: Sole Flaring
By David Salas
Sole flaring is an interesting concept. A sole flare is an extension of midsole foam beyond the width of the upper connection to the platform. In theory, sole flaring can add stability to a shoe from a couple of different standpoints. One standpoint would be having a wider base underneath you. That would increase cross sectional area and make the landing point for your foot more predictable and reliable. The other would be that it adds rigidity to the platform. This rigidity would resist motion or forces that push against it in that direction. Supination and pronation would be examples of movements that would push into those directions.
This is a tactic that is often seen in maximum stack height shoes. As the stack height of the shoe gets taller, it will naturally get less stable. Most companies will start to shape a midsole that extends wider underneath your foot to combat that instability. Now... platform width and sole flaring can actually differ... but I won't get into the weeds on that. The general idea still applies.
More is not always better though. When there is too much sole flare in one direction, it will feel like it is doing the opposite of resisting motion. It will start to feel like it is pushing you in the other direction. This can create a bias. In the case of the Salomon Aero Glide 4, there is a lot of lateral sole flare through the end of the midfoot and early forefoot. This would resist the lateral motion of supination. The softness of the OptiFOAM2 midsole creates compression and the large amount of sole flare feels like it is pushing you. This is a medial push into pronation. If you have really neutral mechanics that design might actually feel good, since the transition will feel quicker. If you have stability needs though, it might make the shoe feel more unstable. The sole flare design in the Aero Glide 4 is not necessarily bad, but one that is noticeable on how it makes the shoe feel on foot.
RECOMMENDATIONS
David: I liked the Salomon Aero Glide 4, but the shoe missed the mark for me on a couple of spots. The first miss is the fit of the upper through the midfoot. It feels too narrow and undercut laterally. This gives off an encroaching sensation on my foot. The second is the sole flaring through the forefoot. That also feels overdone laterally, gently pushing my foot medially. That can increase instability on a softer foam. The rest of the shoe feels good and has quite a bit of upside.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
David: The Salomon Aero Glide 4 is a pretty neutral daily trainer with a fairly bouncy and softer foam. The upper is something to a little wary about and worth a slip-on to see how it meets your feet, especially if you really liked last year's excellent version. The Aero Glide 4 progresses from last year's excellent upgrade with some midsole changes, but the fit and design has changed some in ways that might not work for as many runners if they have any stability issues due to the way the shoes pushes you.
GRADES
David
Fit: B (Good lockdown, but midfoot feels undercut and I can feel a squeeze laterally)
Performance: B+ (Decent transitions, good foam, good versatility. Lateral sole flaring pushes you medially. Limits long run use.)
Stability: B- (Not horrible, but lateral sole flaring pushes you medially. Slightly narrow midfoot. Softer foam.)
Value: A- (If the geometry and fit work for you there is quite a bit of upside to the shoe. Good cushioning and versatility.)
Personal: B- (I like the foam, but the midfoot fit and lateral sole flare in the late midfoot and forefoot make it less fun for me.)
Overall Design: B
SHOP | SUPPORT DORSalomon Aero Glide 4Price: $159.95 at Running Warehouse
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FURTHER READING
A lightweight shoe for a variety of work.
Super trainer, evolved.
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
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