Salomon Aero Blaze Review: No-Frills Training
By Nathan Brown & Matthew Klein
Salomon is making some major changes to their road running shoes with their new Aero line. The Aero Blaze is their take on a traditional daily trainer and has the potential to be their "do-it-all" offering for those wanting a more traditionally constructed shoe to take the bulk of their miles. Let's see how they did with the revamp and how it stacks up against other main-line daily trainers.
Salomon Aero BlazePrice: $140 at Salomon
Weight: 8.7 oz, 247 g (men's size 9), 7.5 oz, 213 g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 32 mm / 24 mm
Drop: 8 mm
Classification: Lighter Daily Trainer
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
Matt: The Salomon Aero Blaze is a lightweight daily training shoe for those who want a simple snug shoe for daily training and uptempo workouts. The ride features a firm and stiff midsole that works well for short to moderate distances and mild workouts. The fit is long and slim, working best for those with narrow feet or those who want a snug fit. Those who want an uncomplicated, lighter, snug and firm daily training may be interested in the lighter of Salomon's new daily training line up.
Nathan: The Salomon Aero Blaze is Salomon's new daily trainer featuring their updated Energy Foam. This no-frills trainer has a firmer platform, a stiff and longer fitting upper, and feels overall lighter on foot. As a part of Salomon's revamp of their road running line, it takes a big step forward but still has some areas for improvement, particularly in the fit and upper.
SIMILAR SHOES: Brooks Ghost 15, Saucony Ride 16
FIT
Matt: The Salomon Aero Blaze fits me slightly long in my normal men's US size 10. The width is narrow, which I exacerbated by wearing extra thick socks to fix the length issue. The security of the upper is quite good thanks to this and there is only a little stretch to the material. The forefoot is snug and transitions into an equally snug midfoot. The mild to moderately thick tongue is not gusseted, but stayed secure with all my efforts. The heel features a moderately flexible heel counter with mild heel collar cushioning. I noticed the counter stiffness, so those sensitive should avoid this shoe and those wanting that should check it out. The snug heel further helped lock my foot in and there was no need to lace lock the shoe. Like Nathan, I had some insole slippage that got worse the longer I ran. This was fixed by using a size 10 insole from another shoe, so those that want this should prepare to swap out the included ones. For the insole reason and more, I would definitely wear socks with this shoe. The inner liner is comfortable but has some scratchy sections that do not work well for sockless wear.
Nathan: The upper of the Aero Blaze is breathable and lightweight, but not very accommodating, soft, or stretchy. That means that if the Aero Blaze's last (what the shoe is constructed around) is shaped like your foot out of the box you will be fine, but if it isn't and you are hoping it will stretch a bit over time to mold your feet, you may have issues. It does lock down the midfoot and heel pretty well but can be constricting in the toe box, particularly right at the end of the lacing system. It also fits quite long. There is not a gusset but the tongue has stayed overall secure. In the heel there is a semi-rigid heel counter that is padded well and is the most comfortable part of the upper.
The biggest miss of the fit is the insole. No matter how hard I try, the insole slides backward and my toes hang off the edge within the first 1/4-1/2 mile and will stay that way the rest of the run. It could be a simple fix with some glue or swapping insoles, but this simply shouldn't happen in a $140 daily trainer. In all, the fit of this shoe hits with midfoot security, but needs some work in comfort, accommodation, length, and securing the insole. Overall, this is the part of the shoe that needs the most work.
PERFORMANCE
Matt: The Aero Blaze is a lighter daily trainer with a firmer and stiffer ride. The stack height is moderate. The firmer ride makes it feel like a lower riding shoe. The ride is stiffer due to both the midsole material as well as the solid rubber coverage without deep flex grooves. Fortunately, a heel bevel and forefoot rocker are present. The heel bevel is small, but faces lateral making for a simple and decent transition at heel strike. The forefoot rocker starts early, so the ride does not feel as stiff at easy paces. There is an 8mm drop and it feels slightly lower. Combined with the sub 9 oz weight (in men's size 9) this gives the shoe a lightweight trainer-type feel. The firmer underfoot feel and stiffer ride make it a solid option for uptempo workouts like fartleks and less aggressive tempo runs. This is not a shoe I would race in, although those with narrow feet wanting a firmer/lighter shoe for distance races may be interested in this. The firmness makes it best for shorter to moderate distance runs, although again those that like this may be able to take it farther. Despite the lack of flexibility, it still transitions well for a simple ride that does a great job of getting out of the way on runs and uptempo efforts. The firmness from the thicker outsole does pay off as I have had no issues with durability. Despite 20 miles of use, I have not experienced any wear in my usual spot. Thus, I expect to get an above-average number of miles out of these for lightweight trainers.
Nathan: The Aero Blaze is a firmer platform with some moderate flexibility in the forefoot. There is a bit of a rocker (which they coin R. Camber) but feels more traditional in toe-off given some of the flexibility. The rigidity that does exist seems to come from the rubber coverage in the forefoot and the lack of flex grooves. This touch of rigidity does help with a bit of snappiness when picking up the pace, but this shoe still is best for daily mileage pacing. The Energy foam as it exists in this model is a bit firmer than some other daily trainers such as the Saucony Ride or Brooks Ghost, but lives in the same realm. The overall geometry works well, and there are no hitches or clunkiness thanks to the heel bevel and lack of posterior sole flare. The Aero Blaze delivers a no-frills, firmer ride that transitions well and has a bit of snappiness at faster paces yet is best for slower and daily miles.
STABILITY
Matt: The Aero Blaze is a neutral daily trainer with some mild guidance elements. The shape of the shoe is fairly narrow, especially in the midfoot on both sides. This is offset by the firmer ride and sidewalls on the medial and lateral sides of the heel/posterior midfoot. The posterior lateral heel bevel does a decent job guiding the foot in and the early forefoot rocker works well to transition the foot through toe-off. There is a prominent guidance line in the sole that may further contribute to a guided ride. Overall, this is a neutral shoe for those that want that.
Nathan: The Aero Blaze is a neutral daily trainer. It has a more narrow midfoot contact with the ground, minimal sole flaring in the heel/midfoot and no formal stability elements. There are some elements that do provide some structure including the overall firmer foam and some sidewalls in the heel and midfoot. Other than that, you are getting a very classic neutral construction.
Thoughts as a DPT: Geometric Decoupling: Does it Help?
By Nathan Brown
Many companies create cutouts within their midsoles in at attempt to guide motion in a certain way. One of the most common that you will see in daily trainers is a "ravine" that is cut out from the heel up to the forefoot. Usually, this ravine is more deep and wide in the heel and then becomes more narrow toward the forefoot. Salomon coins their cutouts as "geometric decoupling". But does this geometric design actually do anything?
The goal of this design is to create a path of least resistance that encourages the runner's foot to follow the path of the cut-out to minimize unnecessary motion laterally or medially and possibly slow down calcaneal eversion as the foot hits the ground. This, in theory, would both increase the stability and guidance that a shoe provides as well as influence efficiency by promoting forward motion. Whether this really happens has not been evaluated in a research lab, and I am overall skeptical of the impact of these guidance lines.
That said, there are some designs that have a more noticeable effect than others. If the cutout in the heel is wider and deeper, that can lead to more of a "centering" and "wedging" sensation. This can be felt in shoes like the Saucony Ride 15/16 and HOKA Rincon 3. Another factor that may increase the influence of these cutouts is the softness of the foam. The New Balance SC Elite v3 has a deep and wide cutout combined with very soft foam. Therefore as the foams are loaded, they splay outward, increasing the platform width and (in theory) centering the foot further. If a foam is very firm, there is less deformation and a path of least resistance is not really formed.
In the case of the Aero Blaze, the geometric decoupling is relatively narrow, shallow, and is on firmer foam. Therefore I doubt it is making much of a contribution to guiding motion in this case. Unlike the sensation of wedging and centering that I could feel in some of the other models mentioned above (particularly in the heel), I couldn't feel any influence of the decoupling upon landing. That said, having more or less guidance isn't always better or worse, but depends on the needs of the runner.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: The transition and underfoot feel of Salomon's new road line far surpasses the prior models, demonstrating a move in the right direction. However, I do have a few suggestions. Like Nathan, the upper needs some work. While the heel and midfoot snugness is great, the narrow toe-box is a limiting factor. Opening this up may also help the slightly long fit, but the length should also be assessed. The insole slipping is the same problem I had in the Aero Glide. This clearly is a bigger problem than just one shoe and I do not know the origin of it, but it needs to be fixed. The other thing is that narrowing the midfoot in both directions is not necessary. I would encourage Salomon to experiment with the geometry and consider widening that and potentially expanding the central groove in that area for further guidance. The outsole grips fairly well for a road shoe, so I would suggest this for light trails if it wasn't for that narrowness being a risk for instability. Fortunately, it is offset by the firmer shoe, but is still not a tool I would use on unstable terrain.
Nathan: Salomon has overall done a nice job with this new line of shoes. The biggest alterations I'd make to this shoe are in the upper. Having a more accommodating material in the forefoot region would help it suit more runners' feet. Additionally, the shoe fit a bit long, so sizing up for more space wouldn't be an option. I'd love to see a bit rounder last in the forefoot and shorten it just a touch. The biggest change is fixing the insole problem. This happened to multiple people on our team and simply shouldn't happen.
WHO THIS SHOE IS FOR
Matt: The Salmon Aero Blaze is a lighter daily training shoe for those who want a firmer ride, a snugger fit and a bit of versatility into uptempo efforts. Its narrow and long fit will work best for people with that foot type or those who want a snug shoe for some uptempo running without the aggressiveness of a plate or softer foam. Like many lightweight trainers, its firmer ride will work best for most at short to moderate distance efforts unless you are used to or prefer that sort of thing. The ride is far better than the prior Salomon road line, but still lacks the bounce from more experienced road brands. Outside of the insole issue, Salomon has demonstrated they can create a comfortable shoe with some bounce as evident by the recent Aero Glide. More of those concepts need to come over to their lightweight trainer model. They already have plenty of plated/stiff road shoes, so an extra focus on lightweight comfort should be key for the Aero Blaze 2.
Nathan: The Aero Blaze is a daily trainer that can certainly function as "one shoe to do it all" for those who run recreationally, use a shoe for walking, and may need a shoe for standing at work. It is for those who want a firmer foam and some moderate flexibility for a more natural toe-off while still maintaining some snappiness at faster paces. It is also best for people with a slightly more narrow and long foot given the current fit. It is a huge step forward for Salomon as they create a line-up for viable road running options, but I do think it's still a step behind in terms of step-in comfort and the responsive feel foam-wise compared to other brands.
GRADING
Matt
Fit: B- (Long, Narrow, but secure fit)
Performance: B/B+ (Firmer but decently transitioning ride for short/moderate mileage and uptempo work)
Stability: B [Neutral] (Narrow midfoot on both sides, sidewalls, decent posterior lateral bevel in heel)
DPT/Footwear Science: B+ (Decently integrated posterior lateral bevel and early forefoot rocker nice. Lack of major bounce and comfort from sole disappointing for a $140 shoe. Firmer than necessary)
Personal: B-/C+ (Insole slippage and narrowness were a turn off for me. Also difficult to know exactly how to include this in my shoe rotation as there are better shoes for daily training and faster efforts).
Overall: B/B-
Nathan
Fit: C (Long, insole slips, rigid upper)
Performance: B/B+ (No frills, transitions well throughout the shoe, a bit firm)
Stability: B [neutral] (Narrow midfoot, some side walls, minimal sole flaring in heel)
DPT/Footwear Science: B+ (Lack of posterior heel flare and bevel were integrated nicely, geometry overall good)
Personal: C+ (Underfoot feel was honestly fine, but the slippage of the insole and upper comfort fit didn't work for me)
Overall: B/B-
SHOP | SUPPORT DORSalomon Aero BlazePrice: $140 at Salomon
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