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Salomon’s S/Lab Sense 6
Price: $180
Weight: 220g
Drop: 4mm (18mm heel, 14mm front)
The new S/Lab Sense 6 is the most refined of the S/Lab Sense line, with all the same features that light and fast trail runners have come to love in the line. At $180, they’re anything but cheap, and they’re built for speed, not for longevity. Present is the extremely comfortable ‘endofit’ inner, which accommodates both barefoot and sock-lined feet. The same Profeel Film appears here as in the previous versions, and sheds weight by replacing a rock plate with an über flexible protective chassis.
With a distinctive red and white pattern, these shoes announce that you’re in Kilian’s tribe from a distance. The Sense 6 aren’t just breathable, they’re nearly transparent. Looking down, you’ll be surprised to see your socks beneath the porous upper. The extra breathability offered in the Sense 6 is the most distinguishing characteristic in this most recent iteration of the Sense line. The outsole performs on dry and wet trail alike, but the tread wears down quickly. These aren’t your door to trail shoes.
These are meant to go fast and require an agile runner who is comfortable in minimalist footwear. Fast runners used to running in more supportive shoes will likely find themselves struggling with the next-to-barefoot feel of these shoes. For the right runners though, the Sense 6 is the closest thing you’ll find to a highly comfortable track shoe, and they disappear on the feet.
If Superman were a trail runner, there’s little doubt that he’d rock these in all of his races. Oh wait, Kilian Jornet already does and would probably give him a real run for his money.
—Ben Luedke is a trail runner living in the Seattle area. Ben is an avid photographer and can often be found shooting local trail races and landscapes when he’s not out running.