S/Lab Sense 7 SG

Here’s my contribution. I haven’t done controlled tests like you did, but I run a lot of rocky vertical terrain and have put lots of miles in all these shoes. Trying to focus here on wet rock grip from the outsole and ignore other shoe attributes (fit, lock down, flexibility/stiffness, weight, cushion, etc) that also come into play with their overall ability to do the job on wet rock 5: VJ Maxx 1&2 VJ Spark Arcteryx Norvan VT (limited mileage) 4. Arcteryx Norvan SL 1, 2, &3 Salomon s/Lab Sense 7&8 Nnormal Kjeraq 3. La Sportiva Helios SR La Sportiva Vertical K & VK INOV-8 F-Lite 195 2. Whole bunch of older inov-8 x-talon and RocLite models NB minimus Salomon s/lab ultra 3 Salomon s/lab sense 7SG 1. Old Nike Terra kiger Salomon s/lab sense 1, 2, 3 For spiked shoes, I actually think they suffer quite a bit on rock because they don’t stick instantly like pure rubber soles. 4. VJ Devil 4 3. VJ bold race, VJ ice hero, INOV-8 ORoc 280

Here’s my contribution. I haven’t done controlled tests like you did, but I run a lot of rocky vertical terrain and have put lots of miles in all these shoes. Trying to focus here on wet rock grip from the outsole and ignore other shoe attributes (fit, lock down, flexibility/stiffness, weight, cushion, etc) that also come into play with their overall ability to do the job on wet rock 5: VJ Maxx 1&2 VJ Spark Arcteryx Norvan VT (limited mileage) 4. Arcteryx Norvan SL 1, 2, &3 Salomon s/Lab Sense 7&8 Nnormal Kjeraq 3. La Sportiva Helios SR La Sportiva Vertical K & VK INOV-8 F-Lite 195 2. Whole bunch of older inov-8 x-talon and RocLite models NB minimus Salomon s/lab ultra 3 Salomon s/lab sense 7SG 1. Old Nike Terra kiger Salomon s/lab sense 1, 2, 3 For spiked shoes, I actually think they suffer quite a bit on rock because they don’t stick instantly like pure rubber soles. 4. VJ Devil 4 3. VJ bold race, VJ ice hero, INOV-8 ORoc 280

I used to run in salomons (s/lab sense & ultra 3s). I’ve since found Arcteryx Norvan SL to be a great replacement for the Sense, with the SL3 sharing obvious DNA with the sense 8. I was thinking a Norvan LD might be worth a look as an ultra 3 replacement, even though I’ve never tried them personally.

I'll second this, by far best running shoe I've had. They are minimalist enough, minimal toe drop, good enough arch support, good at keeping out debris, don't need to be sinched down tight as they fit perfectly snug, not much cushion, but the tread is amazing, lasts way longer than Salomon, and they have enough protection to not kill your feet when you land on a pointy rock wrong. I thought they were too tight at first, but man these are good shoes. Might go up a half size next pair. For reference I'm at 10.5 in Salomon, and got 10.5 sky DNA. The length is good enough on the dynafit, but they are a tad narrower. they are also a bit harder to get into. I've also been using a few gen ago Salomon sense sLabs soft grounds. They are pretty cool, feels likes wearing a sock with tread, very comfy and good grip, but tread doesn't last very long and they don't have enough rock protection.

Personal preference. For years it was the Sportiva Bushido for me. But now I find the Akasha the perfect mix - more cushioning and really good to run in and does not lose much scrambling ability to the Bushido. I had over 1000k on version one. Version two still going strong. If it helps, I ran/scrambled this route multiple times with Akashas no problem: [https://whympr.com/en/route/18031-rocher-des-mottets-chamonix-voie-caline](https://whympr.com/en/route/18031-rocher-des-mottets-chamonix-voie-caline)

The older I get, the more cush I need. While shoes I own are much nicer on my joints (Speedgoat, Prodigio Pro, Aero Glide) I never wear them when it gets technical. Of course the heavy and not too soft Akasha seems a bit outdated to those latest models but I have yet to find a better mix of run/scrambling shoe. Maybe if I was younger or better trained I just go with the Bushido again...but then... I also used a lot of Salomon models: S/LAB Sense SG (good scramble shoe, to harsh to run in for me), Ultra Glide (very good to run in but no scrambling shoe) XA Elevate (I would put it in between Bushido and Akasha - but it's not available anymore). Also: Sportiva rubber has so much better grip on rocks than Salomon's...

Solomon makes good lightweight trail runners, but honestly my Merril Moab low tops are my favorites. They’re lightweight (enough), but mainly they’re extremely comfy for me. I’ve seen people talk about the eyelets wearing out prematurely but I haven’t experienced that on either of my pairs. For reference, one pair gets moderate hiking and camping use, the other pair is a daily driver for me as a contractor

I use my old trail running shoes for hiking and grocery shopping. I don’t see why you couldn’t combine all that into one pair. What you’re describing can easily be done with something like the Salomon Sense or Genesis.

I've tried a few S Lab shoes that didn't work for me due to my wide feet. There might be some hope here with Brooks!

I wore Salomon S/Lab and my partner wore Hoka Speedgoat 5. All shoes have their own pros and cons, so if you have a fav trail running shoes, it’s best to stick with that one. We were comfortable in our shoes. Even on the trails where you inevitably get wet, it was refreshing to have the shoes soak up the cold, streaming water while we hiked to cool down. They dried quickly.