S/LAB PULSAR 4 Unisex Trail Running Shoes

The LaSpo ProPro is my main trail shoe. It's fantastic. I have to say though, I tried on a pair of the S/Lab Pulsar 4 while I was wearing the Prodigio Pro at a race, and the bounce of the Pulsar felt just like the Prodigio Pro, but in a slightly more streamlined package. The lugs are a little shallower and I can't speak to Salomon's ContraGrip (LaSpo's Frixion White is great), but apparently people have been doing well with the Pulsar 4 over all sorts of distances. And it's a 6mm drop, so that might fit OP's needs.

Liked the fit and feel of the Pulsar 4 as well but didn’t put it through its paces only pretty slow jogging for just 5 k or so. Contagrip is an absolute no go for me on wet rock. Compared to Continental, Vibram and friction white it’s just really bad. I know they work on this but until I hear a lot of positive about the new compounds I won’t recommend a Salomon to anyone for that reason alone. It still baffles me how many great athletes have to put up with it in the mountains (I know some get Vibram Versions of their shoes sometimes).

Easy answer: Nike Zegama II - Cushion all day, on all trails/surfaces N normal Tomir II - Blend of cushion, grip, and maneuverability on technical leaning Salomon SLab Pulsar IV - light, nimble and solid cushion - without sacrificing underfoot feel, best on mid-technical and more groomed trails All durable and great fit

I've been dealing with insertional Achilles tendonitis recently and similar pain at the back of the heel. The most comfortable shoe in my rotation is Salomon S/lab Pulsar. It has a soft and pliable heel counter. The second most comfortable is probably NNormal Kjerag. Also I have an old pair of Brooks Catamount, which is the 1st version of the shoe. It is pretty comfortable too.

I spend a lot of time in either the Kjerags or the Salomon s/lab pulsar (I have the original ones, but the age version like really perfect).

Salomon s-lab pulsar is a good one for mellow flowy trails, and the Nnormal Kjerags are great if it's a little more technical, they're not quite as light or springy.

Nike Ultrafly have been awesome for me on faster, more runnable trails, even though they’re a bit on the heavy side. If you’re okay with a bit less stack, the Salomon S/Lab Pulsar is unbelievably light and only wants to go hard.

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.