Choosing the right running shoe is essential for comfort, performance, and injury prevention—especially as warmer weather invites more time outdoors. With longer days and sunnier miles ahead, spring and summer are the perfect seasons to reassess your current footwear and consider a fresh upgrade. Our team of experienced runners has tested the latest models to help you find the ideal shoe for your warm‑weather runs.
This guide offers a detailed look at the top running shoes available this spring and summer. We break down our hands-on testing process and explain why investing in quality, season-ready footwear can elevate your entire running experience. Inside, you’ll find clear, easy-to-follow insights to help you choose a shoe that matches your running style, goals, and the miles ahead.
Why Trust Us?
ACTIVE.com's editorial team relies on the knowledge and experience of fitness and wellness experts, including competitive athletes, coaches, physical therapists, nutritionists, and certified trainers. This helps us ensure that the products we feature are of the highest standard. Collectively, the team has spent countless hours researching equipment, gear, and recovery tools to create the most accurate, authentic content for our readers. Customer satisfaction is also a key part of our review process, which is why we only feature highly rated products.
Salomon Aero Glide 4
The Salomon Aero Glide 4 is a lightweight running shoe designed for smooth transitions and maximum comfort. Featuring Energy Surge foam for responsive cushioning and a breathable mesh upper for ventilation, this shoe is perfect for road runners who value speed and efficiency. The Contagrip outsole ensures reliable traction, while the streamlined design reduces weight without sacrificing durability. Whether you're training for a race or enjoying a casual run, the Aero Glide 4 delivers a seamless running experience.
The Salomon Aero Glide 4 is highly comfortable with soft, max cushioning and a breathable 3D mesh upper that keeps airflow strong on runs.
First Impressions:
It is comfortable with soft, max cushioning and a breathable 3D mesh upper that keeps airflow on runs, but its extra roomy toe box can make the foot move around and could be unstable. If you have a wider foot, it may be perfect.
The shoes are very comfortable. There is a plush interior feel. Not a very restrictive shoe. Feels like it rolls forward when running.
Things We Liked:
Very light weight and the cushioning is very comfortable.
I like the smoothness and support. This is one of he first shoes I have ever worn that dont hurt.
Areas for Improvement:
The toe box was very wide for my foot causing a lot of movement.
The comfort is too soft to be stable to lift weights in, so make sure you have another pair of shoes when heading to the gym.
Final Thoughts
The cushioning is the standout here—soft, high-stack foam delivers a smooth, protective ride that works really well for daily runs. It’s designed as a consistent everyday runs.
Breathability is excellent thanks to the open 3D mesh upper, keeping the shoe cool and comfortable, and the heel design (with its fin-like structure) helps center your foot on landing and reduces side-to-side wobble. Overall, it’s a comfortable, breathable daily runner with a slightly interesting heel setup, though the standard-width fit may not suit those who don't want extra forefoot room.
Specs:
- Drop: 8mm
- Weight: 8oz (Women) 9oz (Men)
- Price: $160
- Category: Cushion
- Type: Running - Road
- Fit: True to Size
- Ideal for: Recovery, Long Distance, Race
Buy:
Women's | Men's
Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide 2
Built for long distances and demanding terrain, the Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide 2 is designed to deliver consistent comfort, control, and confidence mile after mile. Blending Salomon’s race-proven S/Lab precision with enhanced cushioning and smooth transitions, this shoe is engineered for runners who prioritize endurance without sacrificing performance. Whether tackling technical trails or logging ultra-distance efforts, the Ultra Glide 2 offers a balanced ride that helps reduce fatigue while maintaining a responsive, stable feel underfoot.
Hands down, this is the best upper design I've ever experienced in a trail shoe.
First Impressions:
Side-by-side with last year’s model, the S/Lab Ultra Glide 2 looks nearly identical. It has the same cratered outsole, identical lugs, high stack, a midsole that rises nearly to the ankles, and Salomon’s traditional Quicklacing system. From a visual comparison, the only noticeable differences are in the upper construction.
The upper has been completely overhauled. It’s now designed with a built-in sockliner for a slip-in style fit, and an ultra-thin mesh material that is comparable to elite road racing super shoes. I’m typically accustomed to my trail running shoes having stiff uppers with thicker material that make them barely breathable. Without exaggeration, the upper construction here is the best I’ve ever worn in a trail shoe. It’s light, it breathes, it stretches, and the fit is super secure. The Quicklaces are more of an afterthought. I feel locked in without even needing to tighten the laces.
This shoe does run a little long with a noticeable extra inch of length beyond my toes. However, the width is perfect, so sizing down would likely create a shoe that is too tight.
I was concerned that the high stack would be disastrous on my rooty trails, but these are deceptively stable. The midsole rises high on the ankles which seems to help stabilize lateral movement and minimize ankle rolls. There was never a time where I didn’t feel in control while wearing these.
And these are fast! My stride flows as easily as it does in my road shoes. No more clunky trail shoes.
Things We Liked:
The comfort. From the lofty 41mm stack to top-tier upper construction, this is the most comfortable trail shoe that I’ve ever worn.
Areas for Improvement:
Would the S/Lab Ultra Glide benefit from a carbon plate? This model is at the highest end of Salomon's trail shoe lineup and is certainly sold at the price point of elite trail racing shoes, but it's curiously missing the carbon plate that I'd normally see in my race-day trail shoes. I've found articles suggesting that the lack of a carbon plate was an informed choice by Salomon to prioritize comfort over a potentially negligible speed benefit. Maybe Salomon has figured out something here?
Final Thoughts
The S/Lab lineup from Salomon represents their highest quality and most elite shoes with performance and racing in mind. With the S/Lab Ultra Glide models, the theme has been to maximize comfort in order to maximize performance in ultra-distance racing.
,br/> The S/Lab Ultra Glide 2 will look familiar to the two previous versions (there was a v1.5). With a 41mm stack in the heel and 35mm in the forefoot, the outsole and midsole remain consistent with the previous versions. Salomon is using two layers of foam with the Optifoam+ providing an inner layer for performance. This is the same PEBA-based foam used in their S/Lab Phantasm 3 road super shoes. The super foam is encased in their standard EVA-based Optifoam to provide durability and stability. The outsoles feature Salomon’s unique Relieve Sphere design, which consists of large dimples in the bottom of the shoe. These are designed to minimize hotspots that might occur over the course of a race. They are trying to create a shoe that feels as good on Mile 80 of a race as it did in Mile 5.
The major update with the S/Lab Ultra Glide 2 is in the upper design. Salomon has changed to a Matryx micro mesh fabric - their lightest upper material available - offering durability, breathability, and water resistance. It’s designed with an integrated, stretchable sockliner for a slip-on fit that is more akin to the feeling of a road racing shoe than a typical trail shoe. This model includes Salomon’s traditional Quicklaces, but they did upgrade the lace garage storage system from the previous version.
Salomon seems to have approached the shoe with the idea of building on the previous models: keeping what was great while addressing the complaints. Those who loved the ride of the previous models will feel at home here, while the overhauled upper will only make this shoe more comfortable.
Specs:
- Drop: 6mm
- Weight: 8.4 oz (women); 10.5 oz (men)
- Price: $250
- Category: Neutral
- Type: Running - Trail
- Fit: True to Size
- Ideal for: Race, Trail
Buy:
Unisex
Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 3
The Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 3 is a cutting-edge racing shoe designed for speed and precision. Featuring Energy Blade technology for propulsion and a lightweight midsole for responsive cushioning, this shoe is perfect for competitive runners. The breathable upper ensures a secure fit, while the durable outsole provides reliable traction on various surfaces. Whether you're chasing a personal best or competing at the highest level, the Phantasm 3 is built to help you perform at your peak.
Super light weight, you almost feel like they are not even there.
First Impressions:
"Good lord this is an ugly shoe." Fit was true to size. The feel was very rigid and uncomforable, even just walking in them. I'd rate these on scale comparable to 2x4 lumber for responsiveness.
Things We Liked:
I guess the colorway is kind of okay. Very simple, red and white with a gradiant midsole. Very Swiss.
Areas for Improvement:
The look. My stars these shoes are an absolute abomination. I mean... what? why? How am I supposed to tie them? Oh, with these little doilie trim tassles? Ooooh, underneath this revolutionary pantiecloth™ gaiter? What is that even for? Upon first trying them on, I walked in them to pick up sticks in my front yard. I think a couple milk crates strapped to my feet would've offered more responsiveness.
The wrap around the laces, not necessary. I ended up cutting it off to make the shoe much easier to get in and out of.
Final Thoughts
The Salomon Phantasm 3 presents several design and performance issues that make it difficult to recommend. The overall aesthetic and construction, particularly the integrated gaiter, raise questions about usability and purpose. The gaiter design complicates entry into the shoe and interferes with access to the laces, which themselves are notably thin and feel insufficient for delivering a secure, confidence-inspiring fit. While the gaiter appears intended as a functional feature, its practical benefits are unclear in use.
Putting the shoe on requires navigating a sewn-in elastic gaiter before adjusting the laces within the enclosed upper, a process that feels cumbersome and unintuitive. The toe box runs wide, which may appeal to some runners but can feel unstable for those with narrower feet. Underfoot, the shoe feels rigid across walking and running, with limited responsiveness from the foam and plate combination. The fit never feels fully settled, and the insole lacks anatomical shaping to comfortably support the foot. Despite being positioned in a performance category, the Phantasm 3 does not deliver noticeable propulsion, rocker efficiency, or energy return, resulting in a ride that feels stiff and uncomfortable rather than fast or dynamic.
Specs:
- Drop: 6mm
- Weight: 7 oz.
- Price: $280
- Category: Neutral
- Type: Running - Road
- Fit: True to Size
- Ideal for: Recovery,
Buy:
Unisex
Our Comprehensive Testing Process
To bring you this guide, our expert team, comprised of seasoned runners and footwear specialists, conducted extensive testing on a wide array of shoes. We are committed to providing reliable and unbiased recommendations based on real-world performance.
Each pair of shoes was subjected to a minimum of 20 miles of running across varied terrains, from city pavements to park trails. Our testers meticulously evaluated each shoe based on a set of key criteria to ensure a thorough and balanced assessment.
Key Evaluation Criteria:
- Comfort: We assessed the initial feel and long-run comfort, noting any pressure points or areas of discomfort.
- Fit: Testers evaluated how the shoe conformed to the foot, including the security of the heel, the width of the toebox, and the overall lockdown.
- Weight: We considered the physical weight of the shoe and how it felt during a run—whether it felt light and nimble or heavy and cumbersome.
- Breathability: The upper materials were tested for airflow to determine how well they managed heat and moisture during a run.
- Flexibility: We analyzed the shoe's flexibility in the forefoot and its overall ability to move naturally with the runner's stride.
- Overall Ride: This is a comprehensive assessment of the shoe's performance. It includes the quality of the cushioning, the smoothness of the heel-to-toe transition, and the general feeling of the shoe in motion.