You probably already know that Salomon makes some of the best trail running shoes in the game—but don’t sleep on their road lineup. Over the past year, we found ourselves racking up a surprising number of miles in the Aero Glide 3, a comfy and straightforward cruiser built for long distances.
Now, Salomon has added a new player to the daily trainer category with the Aero Blaze 3. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t come with a long spec sheet. But it’s light, responsive, and quietly capable.
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Looks
If you’re looking for subtle, the Aero Blaze 3 definitely keeps things understated. The white/yellow colorway we tested is about as neutral as it gets—clean, simple, and easy to pair with just about anything. The second option, a soft muted red, brings a bit more personality while still flying under the radar.
There’s nothing overly flashy here, but it’s a shoe that looks confident in its simplicity. Some might call that boring, but I’d call it refined.
Construction and Fit
At $140, this trainer slides in at a pretty reasonable price point—especially given the rising costs in the daily trainer space. It doesn’t come loaded with bells and whistles, but what you do get is a well-built, comfortable, and surprisingly versatile shoe that can flex into a bunch of different roles.
While the Aero Glide 3 leaned into max cushion comfort, the Blaze 3 is a little more dynamic. It’s a touch firmer underfoot, making it feel snappier during faster-paced miles. It’s still plenty soft for recovery runs but shines when the pace picks up slightly. It’s light, breathable, and feels natural for mid-distance daily use.
And just like the Glide received a GRVL version for light trails, the Blaze will follow suit before long.
Specs
- Stack Height: 35 mm heel / 27 mm forefoot
- Drop: 8 mm
- Weight: Approximately 8.1 oz for a US M9
Upper
The upper is composed of a soft, breathable mesh that feels comfortable right from step-in. The heel collar has solid padding, while the tongue is a bit thinner (and notably not gusseted, though it is laced through). Initially, there was a bit of heel slippage until I dialed in the fit with a slightly tighter lace job—it wasn’t uncomfortable, just took a second to figure out.
The shoe features a relatively narrow platform (though wider than the Glide 3 IMO), though there is some decent forefoot room. A bit of a high volume toebox allowed for some slight lateral movement, but it wasn’t enough to cause concern (and I forgot about it over time). A gusseted tongue might have helped add some structure here, but the airy upper adds to the relaxed fit vibe. If you like a snug and locked-in feel, this might feel a bit roomy. If you like some breathing room, it might be just right.
Midsole
The new Energy Foam Evo midsole is the same compound used in the Aero Glide 3, just with a slightly lower stack. It strikes a balance between cushioning and responsiveness, giving you just enough bounce to keep things peppy while staying grounded.
You’ll feel the difference compared to the plusher Glide 3—there’s a bit more ground contact and feedback here, which helps when picking up the pace. During faster runs, the midsole seemed to respond more enthusiastically, offering a nice little pop at toe-off. For daily miles, it provides enough protection without feeling overly bulky, and it hits that sweet spot for medium distance efforts.
Outsole
The outsole mostly mirrors that of the Glide 3, with a familiar layout of Contagrip rubber zones surrounding an exposed foam channel in the middle. There’s slightly less rubber than the previous version of the Blaze, but traction held up well in dry and mildly variable conditions.
We haven’t tested in rainy weather yet, but performance on light gravel and dry pavement felt stable and secure.
Conclusion
The Salomon Aero Blaze 3 is one of those shoes that doesn’t make a ton of noise—but it doesn’t need to. It’s a low-key, no-nonsense daily trainer that does exactly what it’s supposed to do: deliver a light, smooth, and versatile ride for everyday runs.
Ultimately, it gets the fundamentals right—making it a solid choice for runners who want a simple shoe that performs without the fluff.
