PULSAR TRAIL PRO 2

I like the Salomon fit. I have a couple shoes--the Trail Pro 2 is good and smooth, but too heavy. The Pulsar is great, but not efficient for flat/buffed terrain. Genesis is probably the pick, but I'm still not crazy about the Energy Surge foam...

I’m taking these on a trip to Europe this month. They work well for me

I like my Salomon Pulsar Trail for that purpose. They have a quite thick sole, so a lot of cushionning on easy trails at the expense of stability on technical trails.

What you may want is low/medium stack height, not necessarily “stability”. Try one around 30mm or lower at the heel. Saucony Peregrine, Altra Timp (zero drop), Salomon S/Lab Genesis, Salomon Pulsar, etc. Do you have a history of rolled ankles? I do and I and over pronate. I prefer being closer to the ground.

Salomon Pulsar - lower stack and foam is somewhat firm, but has pleasant energy return.

Prodigio Pro probably has the best blend of grip, cushion and fit (beware of sizing!). They are slightly overkill and expensive for 25km/700m though. You could try the Salomon Pulsar (i saw them for 85 chf on snowleader). Kjerag 2 is a bit more minimal and a lighter race option. A lot depends on the terrain, your foot shape, foot strike, if you want to them for hiking later, if you are planning to run ultras later, etc.

Over the years I’ve worn trail runners from Merrill and Salomon, or standard running shoes from Nike and NB. A comfortable fit was the main criteria. Even on wet ground I’d rather have fast drying sneakers than boots.

Salomon trail runners. They’re my goat shoes - the only thing they don’t get a grip on is wet wood.

Absolutely, did all of the ABC trek in trail runners (Hoka, Salomon). You really appreciate the lightness of them.

I’ve walked thousands of miles with Altra, Salomon, and New Balance trail runners. I just switched to Brooks Cascadias and have done about 250 miles on them so far in India, Sri Lanka, Portugal, and Spain. I love them, best shoes I’ve had so far. For a quantitative approach to which shoe is the most popular right now among long distance walkers, here you go: https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/pacific-crest-trail/pct-gear-guide-2024/#shoes

I’ve never found boots to be heavy and I like the stability. I normally wear Merrell Moabs, but I got some Salomon trail runners on clearance for $10 at Sierra, so I decided to give them a try (I think the only reason they were still there is the price tag fell off!) I like the trail runners on regular trails, but I took them for a hike on the AT and I didn’t like the way they handled on rocks. The entire shoe shifted sideways and felt less stable than my boots. I’ve been having pain from a Morton’s neuroma in one foot, so the trail runners helped with that. What I need is a boot with a trail runner’s cushioned sole. It will really be a matter of where you hike and what you prefer.