[Review] Women’s Sense Ride by Salomon

From the ancient streets of Rome to the ruggedness of the highlands of Scotland, the Women’s Sense Ride by Salomon proved to be the best all-around travel shoe that one can have. Whether you plan on walking city streets, hiking various terrain, or trail running your way through Europe, the Sense Ride is versatile and adaptable yet doesn’t look like an overly aggressive athletic shoe. Not only was I looking for a shoe that would outperform no matter what I threw at it, but I was also looking for a shoe that looked decent (think athleisure) with leggings and jeans.

Probably the most notable thing that stands out in my mind when I think about my experience with the Sense Ride is the fact that literally the first time I wore them was to get on the plane to head to Europe. Once we touched down in London after a 10-hour flight, we immediately went out to explore the city for the day. We ended up walking around 8 miles that day and I had no sores or blisters from my new Sense Rides. They were literally comfortable and ready to roll right out of the box.

Another important factor of the Sense Ride is the sizing. I think it’s pretty important for you to try these shoes on because I was a half to a full size smaller in the Sense Ride than my normal size. I normally wear an 8/8.5 and I have the Sense Rides in a 7.5.

Speaking more to technicalities, the Sense Rides have a lot of amazing features built in to bring you ultimate comfort no matter the adventure you’re on. Between the midsole construction, built-in liner meant to hug your foot (these shoes fit well even if you’re running loose laces), to the versatile outsole, the Sense Ride is built for comfort and doesn’t compromise some of the most important features a shoe can have.

The midsole construction is comprised of “Vibe Technology.” Vibe is the “combination of EnergyCell+, Opal, and a unique assembly that work together as a system to attenuate vibrations reducing a potentially harmful load to the body while delivering a responsive ride” (salomon.com). The outcome of the combined technology is a totally comfortable and safe feeling midsole that keeps your body comfortable no matter the miles. For me, it was really crazy to walk 8-10 miles through city streets (think hard surfaces) and not feel my feet fatigued at the end of the day. Whether we were hiking in the French Alps or walking city streets, the midsole proved to be an important part of the overall comfort from the Sense Ride.

I absolutely love the built-in, partial (what I’m calling) sock liner that ensures a nice secure fit even if your laces are loose. I’m not a fan really of the look of shoes with a full sock liner built-in, but I like that I can still get the effect of that with these shoes without them looking ridiculous.

The Quicklace™ system on the Sense Ride is so fast and easy and ensures a perfect fit and feel every time you put your shoes on. Tying laces on other shoes has become an annoyance since switching to the Sense Rides and it’s a relatively minor feature that makes a big impact.

I’ve found the Premium Wet Traction Contagrip® outsole on the Sense Rides to not only be stable on multiple surfaces but also very versatile. They’re not an overly aggressive looking outsole but they perform well on wet terrain, rocky terrain, and snowy terrain. Even in the slippiest of situations, I’ve not felt like I could slip in the Sense Rides.

Overall, if you’re looking for one shoe that can comfortably do it all, I think the Sense Ride is the perfect candidate. Not only are they extremely comfortable and versatile, but they are also a good looking shoe that will keep you looking fresh whether you’re exploring mountaintops or city streets.