I’ve owned my Salomon Sense Feel GTX a while now and have clocked up over 150km in them so far. They are not my go-to trainer – I still prefer using my Sense Ride or 90% of my runs. I thought It was time to do a Sense Feel GTX Review and let you guys know how I’m getting on with them.
Up until this week, I had only done shorter runs in them. Early in the week, I managed to get a 30K run under my belt with them on. My review will refer to my 30K run, with a few additional remarks from previous runs.
My 30K run included a small section of road, canal paths, light trail, even grass fields and some muddier rolling fields.
Salomon Sense Feel GTX After 30K Run
Sense Feel GTX Fit & Upper
The Sense Feel do have a sock-like feel to them once you slip them on, and the upper does comfortably encase the foot. You get plenty of space in the toe-box to stretch your toes out, so there is no issue there.
However, I found they fit a little larger than my other Salomon running shoes. I am usually a UK size and 11, and on my Sense Ride, the fit is secure, snug, yet comfortable. The Sense feel is a little looser around the ankle area, and in retrospect, I think a size 10.5 UK would have fitted better.
The lacing system is not as tight as on my Sense Ride, and there isn’t a lace-pocket on the tongue of the shoe. Instead, you have to thread them through a loop further down the tongue. On my 30K run, I did have to stop to pull the laces a little tighter.
In terms of waterproof – they were spot on. I did have to run along a 2K section of a pretty boggy canal with deep mud, and my feet remained dry as a bone.
Cushion and Comfort
I would say the Sense Feel GTX are pretty comfortable overall, even though I think I could have done with half a size smaller. On mixed terrain trail – path, cobles, grass and mud it held up pretty well. I like a trail shoe that offers some response on the harder ground because I do live a few kilometres from trails, so I always need to do some road runner to get there.
The tongue of the shoe is very well padded and didn’t dig into the top of my ankle at any point on the run. The Sense Feel comes with an Ortholite insole which I quite like; it’s removable if you prefer to use a custom insole.
Even though some runners say your feet can sweat in Gore-Tex shoes, I found the Sense Feel GRX to be quite breathable – although it wasn’t a hot day. However, in the summer months, I probably won’t be needing a Gore-Tex running shoe anyway.
On the shorter road section I’ve used them on, the midsole seems response – obviously nowhere near the level of a road running shoe, yet still decent. So if you do need to take on some hard surfaces to get to your trail route, you won’t be in any discomfort with the Sense Feel.
Grip & Outsole
On the lighter trail and canal paths where the grass was firm, then the Sense Feel GTX handled the terrain superbly. The lugs on the outsole are short and probably not intended for deeper mud, where they did seem to struggle. I did lose my balance once and went tumbling on my side; the mud was pretty deep though in section. Salomon has used Contagrip® MD -which I believe is there most durable outsole, so I expect the lugs to be durable and lasting.
Final Thoughts On The Salomon Sense Feel GTX
Overall I’m pretty happy with the Salomon Sense Feel GTX – they come with an RRP of £100, so they aren’t priced up as Salomon’s premium range, and I paid nowhere near that on Amazon. You can check the latest prices in the box above, which are pulled directly from Amazon.
If you’re looking for a well-rounded shoe for road-to-light-trail runs, then I think this will tick all the boxes. If you’re looking for a shoe to tackle deeper mud and softer terrain, then there are better options – such as the SpeedCross 5. Interested in some other options? Please take a peek at our Salomon Sense Ride 4 Review for another road-to-trail option.
Other Salomon Trail Shoes
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