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Salomon Pulsar

In production · trail · Trail / Daily · $140

Do-it-all daily trail trainer on optiFOAM at a friendlier price.

Built for trail, daily, at a target pace of 8:30–11:30 /mi on trail.

The spec sheet

Weight
289 g / 10.2 oz
Heel stack
29 mm
Drop
6 mm
Plate
—
Cushioning
3 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Rocker
2 / 5
Flexibility
3 / 5
Stability
3 / 5 (5 = most guidance)
Toe-box
Narrow
Sizing
True to size
Durability
~400 mi
Price
$140

How it rides

The foam

Salomon tuned this midsole balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 29 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 responsiveness.

The plate

There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.

The geometry

A 6 mm drop is the mainstream middle — familiar to almost anyone coming from a standard trainer. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.

Fit, sizing & life

The toe-box is narrow and performance-oriented; wide-footed runners should try before buying. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 400 miles from the outsole, about $0.35 per mile at $140.

For the foams and plates Salomon uses across its line, read the Salomon brand guide.

How it compares

Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.

Weight

289 g / 10.2 oz

14 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g

Heel stack

29 mm

7 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm

Drop

6 mm

Level with the catalog median of 6 mm

Price

$140

20 cheaper than the catalog median of 160

Responsiveness

3 / 5

Catalog median 3 / 5

Cushioning

3 / 5

Catalog median 4 / 5

Energy return

3 / 5

Catalog median 3 / 5

Durability

~400 mi

Catalog median ~400 mi

Within the Salomon line it is heavier than the brand's median (278 g / 9.8 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (34.5 mm).

Closest alternatives

Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.

New Balance DynaSoft Nitrel v5

285 g / 10.1 oz · 30 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $90

Budget trail shoe for packed paths and light terrain.

Skechers Premier Trail 2.0

290 g / 10.2 oz · 32 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $110

Cushioned budget trail shoe with Goodyear rubber traction.

New Balance Shando

295 g / 10.4 oz · 30 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $100

Aggressive-lugged trail shoe with a hiking-boot attitude.

Topo Athletic Pursuit 3(2025)

278 g / 9.8 oz · 32 mm · 5 mm drop · — · $160

Roomy, natural-feeling trail trainer for door-to-dirt mileage.

Merrell ProMorph

266 g / 9.4 oz · 33 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $140

Road-to-trail daily on FloatPro+ with Vibram XS Trek Evo grip.

Lineage & siblings