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
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.
Keep in mind the heaviest part of a shoe is the outsole rubber and that’s a lot of rubber added on these conversions. It might end up being not so light. For a vk track down v1 or 2 pair of the slab pulsar (175g)
Top Trail Running Shoes on Reddit
1
Mount to Coast
H1
85% positive of 177 users
Versatile road-to-trail, but struggles on wet, technical downhills.
brainrut
