It feels like just yesterday we were reviewing the original Salomon Ultra Glide—and now here we are with the Ultra Glide 4. Time moves fast in shoe years. While we missed hands-on time with the V2 and V3, we have spent time with various S/LAB Ultra Glide iterations along the way, so this line isn’t entirely new territory for us.
That context matters, because the Ultra Glide has always been positioned as Salomon’s long-haul, comfort-forward trail shoe. The Ultra Glide 4 doesn’t try to reinvent that idea—it refines it.
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Looks:
The Ultra Glide 4 launches in three colorways for men, three for women, and one unisex option. Overall, the palette stays fairly restrained, leaning heavily on muted greys, blacks, and blues. Men do get a single red option, but the lineup as a whole keeps things simple—clean and understated rather than flashy. They may not be anything to write home about overall, yet they still look pretty sharp on foot.
Construction:
Since we skipped a couple generations, we did a bit of digging and asking around to understand what actually changed recently. The short version: this seems to primarily be an upper update. The midsole and outsole geometry remain largely unchanged from prior versions, and the stack height and drop stay exactly the same —but don’t expect a dramatic overhaul underfoot.
Specs
- Stack: 41mm heel / 35mm forefoot
- Drop: 6mm
- Lugs: 4mm
- Weight: ~10 oz (men’s size 10.5)
Upper
The most noticeable change shows up right away. The new upper uses a breathable and more durable fabric, trimming a bit of weight while improving airflow—something you’ll appreciate on warmer days. It also feels better suited for what we’ll loosely call Oregon trail conditions: damp, occasionally sloppy, and rarely predictable. This updated upper builds the reinforcements into the mesh itself, which is pretty cool – literally.
I’ve gone on record before: I’m not fully anti non-traditional lacing systems… but I’m also not fully converted. Let’s say I’m at about 85%. I understand the benefits, and someday I’ll stop sounding like I’m about to say “back in my day.” I’m only 41. I’m still hip. Mostly.
Salomon’s Quicklace system continues to grow on me. Historically, I’ve had a (real or imagined) issue with this style of lacing slowly loosening over the course of a run. That hasn’t happened here yet. Lockdown has been solid, pressure is evenly distributed, and the lace garage remains one of the cleanest implementations out there. Long-term durability is still a wait-and-see situation, but early impressions are positive.
Midsole
Step-in feel is immediately comfortable. There’s generous cushioning in the heel and a nicely padded, gusseted tongue—but this doesn’t cross into overbuilt or marshmallow territory. It’s clearly designed for long miles without feeling bulky.
Some of you may remember that the S/LAB Ultra Glide had heel-related issues for some runners that led to a 1.5 update. We haven’t seen evidence that the standard Ultra Glide line suffered from the same problem, and thankfully, we didn’t experience any heel discomfort or instability here.
With its high stack, the Ultra Glide 4 firmly lives in max-cushion trail shoe territory. The ride is smooth, forgiving, and consistent—very much in line with what Salomon has been doing lately on the road side. While trail shoes obviously require different considerations, that polished cushioning feel translates well off-road.
Outsole
Salomon sticks with full All Terrain Contagrip coverage, including the distinctive “relief spheres” across the outsole. They look a little wild, but there’s real function here: the placement helps distribute pressure during longer efforts, reducing fatigue over time.
Grip has been excellent across varied terrain, and it’s still impressive that a shoe with full outsole coverage manages to stay under 10 ounces. As always with trail shoes, outsole durability depends heavily on where and how you run—but early signs are promising.
Final Thoughts
The Ultra Glide 4 doesn’t scream for attention—and that’s kind of the point. It’s a quietly capable, comfort-driven trail shoe built for runners who value consistency, protection, and long-run confidence over flashy tech updates.
If you loved previous Ultra Glide versions, this feels like a safe and slightly refined continuation. If you’re new to the line, or have been away from it for a bit like us, the Ultra Glide 4 is a strong (re)introduction to Salomon’s take on max-cushion trail running—especially if your runs trend long and your trails trend… Oregon.
