S/LAB ULTRA 3

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.

Tecton X 3 is a good call above. I'd also look at the Salomon S/Lab Ultra 3 if you want that snappy energy return without giving up traction. I've found it handles the same slippery/rooty stuff you'd rely on the Agility Peak for, but it's noticeably faster feeling on the flats and downhills. Good shoe for race distances in your range.

I swapped to Salomon S-Lab Ultra 3's and they are amazing. They are not as wide so I wear the thinnest merino socks with them for more space up front (I have normal-width feet). They're incredibly grippy and supportive while remaining sensitive. I find they dry even faster than the LPs.

I've been wearing Salamon S/Lab Ultras since their introduction for almost all of my trail running. They have been nearly perfect shoes for me and the one time I tried to wear something else I got injured. Unfortunately it seems these have been discontinued and it doesn't seem like Salomon makes anything directly comparable anymore. Anyone else find a good replacement?

Interesting choice! Never tried any Hoka shoe tbh. Did you use the same pair the whole time or swap at all? I logged lots of miles in my S/Lab ultra 3’s and it was a near perfect shoe for me. Only thing that comes close to that now is the Prodígio Pro. Currently considering trying out the On Cloudultra Pro, Norda 001a or 005.