Details
Brand
Salomon
Breathability
7.9/10
Terrain
Trail
Type
Neutral
Key Features
• EVA foam cushioning in the midsole• Breathable mesh upper• Contragrip outsole• Ortholite liner
Upper
The upper is the part of the shoe that holds the foot down from above. The upper of the Salomon Sense ProPulse is made of a mesh design. Mesh is a very common choice for uppers, as mesh promotes breathability and flexibility inherently by its design. As a result, the upper of the Sense ProPulse is fairly flexible, and also dries quite quickly, which is a nice bonus.;Atop the mesh upper are Salomon’s Sensifit overlays, which are designed to provide extra support to the upper from the top and help secure the foot. The upper also features Salomon’s Ortholite liner inside, which is designed to be cooler, drier, and better cushioned, and also features an EVA foam heel cup at the bottom. Finally, the upper has a quick lace system, with pockets to tuck laces into. As a whole, the upper of the Sense ProPulse has many very useful features and technology and is definitely a strong aspect of the shoe.
Midsole
The midsole of a shoe is the area responsible for energy return and is between the outsole and upper. The midsole of the Salomon Sense ProPulse is made of EVA foam, a pretty standard choice. Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate or EVA is frequently used for midsoles due to the fact that it is springy, lightweight, and retains its shape well.;The Sense ProPulse actually features a bit more of the EVA foam than most shoes, in places like the forefoot, in an effort to provide extra cushioning. The midsole also features a TPU, or thermoplastic urethane, film called Profeel Film. This film is designed to provide extra protection from the impacts of trails. As a whole the midsole is definitely very solid, offering good materials and technology to promote responsiveness and cushioning.
Outsole
The outsole is the very bottom of the shoe. It is very important, as it helps both the durability and traction of a shoe, which are both important components of trail shoes. The outsole of the Sense ProPulse is composed of their High Abrasion Contragrip rubber, which is designed to both give good grip, and also resist abrasions. This gives the outsole good traction and also makes it fairly durable. The outsole also features a slightly different Wet Traction Contragrip material.;This material is similar to the High Abrasion Contragrip, except with a primary focus on maintaining traction in wet or rainy situations. Clearly, this is a very useful feature for a trail shoe and makes the Sense ProPulse more usable in different situations. Apart from these materials, the outsole doesn’t offer much else, making it a bit underwhelming. That said, the High Abrasion and Wet Traction Contragrip rubber both contribute to making the outsole fairly solid overall.
Breathability
Breathability is definitely an important aspect of a shoe. Lowe breathability leads to sweaty and cramped feet, which are definitely not fun. The Sense ProPulse offers pretty good breathability, mostly due to the design of the upper. In most cases, the upper of a shoe is the key factor that determines breathability, and the Sense ProPulse follows this trend as well. The upper being designed with mesh plays a big part in making the shoe more breathable.;Mesh has holes woven into it that allow air to flow properly in and out of the shoe, making the interior airier and light. The Ortholite liner the upper inside also contributes to the breathability, as it is designed with a special foam that creates a cooler overall environment inside the shoe. The breathability of the Salomon Sense ProPulse is quite good, and sweaty feet definitely should not be a major issue for most runners.
Comfort
Every runner knows the importance of comfort when looking at any pair of shoes. No runner wants to deal with an uncomfortable pair of shoes for mile upon mile until they wear out. Luckily, the Salomon Sense ProPulse is one of Salomon’s more comfortable trail shoe models. The ProPulse features some of the most cushioning out of any of Salmon’s shoes, akin to the style popularized by Hoka shoes. The midsole is the main place this cushioning can be found, as it is packed with EVA foam in large quantities.;This makes each step feel much more supported and cushioned, leading to an overall comfortable stride. Another proponent of the comfort in the ProPulse is the upper. The upper’s flexible mesh design and its breathability make it a very comfortable and supportive fit and the liner within does a good job with this as well. Overall, the Sense ProPulse is definitely a very comfortable shoe.
Style
Salomon is a likely less popular than some other common shoe brands like Adidas or Asics, meaning that Salomon shoes are also less used as a casual everyday shoe. This is mainly due to the fact that Salomon focuses on trail shoes, and trail running is a bit less common. That said, the Sense ProPulse is still a fairly stylish shoe. It is available in both vibrant and dark color schemes, for both men and women, meaning there is probably a color for everyone. Though it might be hard to use as an everyday shoe, the Salomon Sense ProPulse is definitely solid in the style department for a running shoe.
Durability
Durability is something to look at with any type of shoe. Replacing shoes quickly because they had poor durability is definitely not a fun experience. The Sense ProPulse is luckily fairly good in the durability department. The main components of this are the midsole and outsole. The outsole of the ProPulse is quite durable because of its High Abrasion Contragrip material. This rubber material is Salomon’s own unique blend, that does a good job resisting impacts and abrasions over time. The midsole, with its abundance of EVA foam, also is quite durable. EVA foam is an inherently durable material, that retains its shape well over time, and this lends itself to the overall durability of the shoe. As a whole, durability is quite solid in the Sense ProPulse.
Protection
When it comes to protection, the Salomon Sense ProPulse is fairly good. A big part of the protection comes again from the EVA midsole. The midsole is packed with cushioning which offers a lot of protection with every step and helps brace legs form harder impacts and the general pounding of long distance running. The upper also offers good protection, thanks to its synthetic overlays, which help stabilize and protect the foot from above. These are the main components that contribute to protection in the shoe and they do a good job at that.
Responsiveness
Responsiveness usually tends to be a factor of the midsole of a shoe, and for the Sense ProPulse, this is the case as well. The midsole’s EVA foam makes for a fairly responsive stride. This is due to the fact that EVA foam is very springy, and as such, does a good job of returning energy. Apart from this, however, the ProPulse doesn’t offer much else in terms of responsiveness, which is a bit disappointing. With the cushioning offered, however, and considering that the ProPulse is a trail shoe, the responsiveness is definitely adequate at the least.
Support
The Sense ProPulse is pretty good when it comes to support. The main factors in this are once again the upper and the midsole. The upper contributes to support by its snug design, holding the foot in place from above. The synthetic overlays secure the footwell, making the upper support of the foot well from above. The midsole contributes once again via its ample amount of cushioning. This cushioning, from the EVA foam, does a good job of supporting the feet throughout the duration of runs.
Terrain
The Salomon Sense ProPulse is capable of performing on all sorts of terrains. Though the shoes are designed for the trail, they definitely are usable on road or sidewalk with no issues. Trails, dirt, and general offroad terrain are where the ProPulse really shines, however. With protection and cushioning designed for such terrains, it is easy to see why. The Sense ProPulse is also usable in rain, so long as caution is exercised.
Price
The Sense ProPulse was fairly expensive at debut. Trail shoes tend to be a bit pricier than regular trainers, and this was the case for the ProPulse as well. The model has been out for a bit, however, and they can be found at fairly well-discounted prices. If found at a discounted price, the ProPulse is a pretty good value, but at full price, it is definitely a bit on the higher end.
Drop
The Salomon Sense ProPulse contains a drop of 6mm. 6mm is actually fairly low for a trainer of this type, which tends to hover around 9 or 10mm. That said, the drop probably should not be an issue for most runners.
Stability
Stability is a measure of how well a shoe supports strides. The Salomon Sense ProPulse is a stable shoe, primarily due to the midsole and the upper. The upper contributes to the stability by securely holding the foot down with its mesh and synthetic overlays. The midsole contributes once again via its EVA foam. The foam helps stabilize impacts with every step and makes the overall ride smoother. As a whole, the stability of the Sense ProPulse is quite solid.
Flexibility
The flexibility of the Sense ProPulse is fairly good, mainly as a result of the upper. The upper’s design promotes a great deal of flexibility, due to the fact that it is mesh. Mesh by design is more flexible because of the way it is woven, and its materials. Apart from this, however, the ProPulse does not have much that sets it apart in the way of flexibility. That said, high levels of flexibility tend to be found in more minimalistic shoes, which the Sense ProPulse is not. As a whole, the flexibility of the ProPulse is quite good for a trail shoe, primarily due to the upper.
Traction
Traction refers to grip, and the ProPulse is very solid in this department. The primary factor in this is the outsole and its Contragrip material. As its name heavily implies, Contragrip is designed to grip on various surfaces well, and thereby improving the traction of the shoe. Traction is especially important for trail shoes, as the terrain is often much more varied than regular road or concrete, and the Sense ProPulse definitely delivers.
Bottom Line
Overall the Salomon Sense ProPulse is a very solid trail running shoe. It doesn’t offer a ton of technology or features, but what it does offer is very good. The cushioning of the midsole, the design of the upper, and the outsole are all very solid and strong pieces of the shoe. For anyone seeking a trail running shoe with ample cushioning, the ProPulse is definitely a good choice.
