Salomon Aero Volt Review: Everything Shoe
By David Salas
When I think of the company Salomon I don't normally think of lightweight trainers for the road. The Salomon Aero Volt is a highly versatile shoe that keeps a lightweight profile for the road but offers some versatility to off road conditions.
Salomon Aero VoltPrice: $149.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 7.5oz, 213g (men's size 9), 6.5oz, 186g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 32mm heel/ 24mm forefoot
Drop: 8 mm
Classification: Lightweight Trainer
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Salomon Aero Volt is a daily running shoe that captivates the light and versatile category. The shoe feels reminiscent of lightweight trainers and racing flats like the Boston, DS Racer, and Nike Streak. The shoe has a firmer feel to it with a forgiving upper and transitions like a traditional high drop trainer. This will be worth a look for those wanting that firmer light weight ride.
SIMILAR SHOES: Adidas SL, Brooks Hyperion max
FIT
The Salomon Aero Volt fits true to size in my Men's 9.5. The shoe uses a very lightweight mesh upper that reinforced decently well throughout. There is not too much stretch to the material, though there is enough space for swelling accommodation or wider foot types. The length is a tad bit long but not problematic in any way. The heel is normal to slightly wide, midfoot normal to slighty wide, and the forefoot and toe box are normal width. The volume feels pretty normal throughout and the laces do a great job of locking down. The tongue is thin, though padded enough to lockdown without biting issues. The laces are atrociously long. At least in my pair with double knots and tucking the laces I was still nervous about catching them on something. That is an incredibly easy fix though.
I really enjoyed the upper and felt the security was good. I probably would narrow the heel a tad to improve the lockdown in the heel cup and prevent translation side to side, though I felt the upper delivered well.
PERFORMANCE
The Aero Volt is a very interesting shoe. The shoe demonstrates simplicity and versatility in some fun ways. Like I mentioned earlier it reminds me a lot of the older lightweight trainers crossing with the flats. It gives me a feel similar to the Nike Streak I used to run high school cross country in over 10 years ago. The shoe is stacked up a little more having 32mm in the heel and 24mm in the forefoot, though it still feels really grounded. The ride is light and nimble. The midsole does not have too much pop to it (feels very EVA like), though the ride relies a lot on its weight, traction, and natural transitions. The heel does have a bevel to it that seems to work pretty well. I think it would still be nice to either round it a little more or shift it posterior laterally, as I was still having some slapping into the forefoot. The shoe feels pretty stable throughout for having a lighter frame. I will get more into that in the next section.
The shoe feels like a lightweight and nimble option that you can log daily miles in on the road, runnable trail, and even some uptempo work. The shoe essentially feels like a slightly heavier and stacked racing flat from the 2000's and I mean that in a nice way.
STABILITY
The Salomon Aero Volt is a lightweight neutral shoe but rides surprisingly stable. The shoe uses sole flaring really well in the forefoot and heel. It is present and gives you some cross sectional area without making it feel to boat like. The shoe also has some sidewalls integrated as the heel transitions into the midfoot. The upper security is good and doesn't have too much give to it. The traction is good underfoot and trustworthy in most situations. We're talking about a 7.5 ounce neutral trainer and I feel pretty solid on my feet regardless of terrain. This would go along with upper fit but the only thing I really noticed was occasionally some heel translation in the heel cup. Overall I think Salomon did a great job here.
Thoughts as a DPT: Simplicity
By David Salas
This isn't necessarily about biomechanics but today I wanted to talk about a dying category of shoes. These are the simple lightweight trainers. Lightweight trainers have traditionally been used to help with workouts, races, and daily mileage for those who could handle it. With the new wave of super foams these shoes are experiencing radical changes. These changes usually include a really compliant bouncy foam. Though this fits the trends of modern footwear it is leaving people who yearn for the lightweight and firmer natural feel behind. There are fewer and fewer options by the year for non plated neutral shoes that feel very grounded. The Salomon Aero Volt, however, is just that.
The Aero Volt is boring in the best ways. It is a no nonsense shoe that is lightweight and nimble across a variety of terrains and situations. Though there isn't too much pop to the foam, the nimbleness still gives a sense of responsiveness and turnover ability. For the market currently the price of 149.95 may feel steep, but I think it is actually justified in this case. For the niche group wanting that classic feel this quite a good option and should provide plenty durability. Sometimes stripping away the bells, whistles, and modern technology can make for a pleasant experience.
RECOMMENDATIONS
My main recommendations for the Aero Volt would be to clean up the lockdown in the heel cup by narrowing it slightly, reducing the length of the laces, and beveling the heel a little more in the lateral direction to prevent some slapping into the forefoot. Otherwise they have a solid lightweight trainer on their hands.
WHO THIS SHOE IS FOR
The Salomon Aero Volt is a lightweight trainer for someone that wants a firmer ride and a grounded feel. The midsole doesn't have crazy pop but feels nice for daily efforts and slight uptempo efforts. Traction and security is good enough for offroading as well. For those that have a nostalgic feel for the lightweight trainers and racers of the 2000s, this gives me some positive vibes from that era.
GRADING
David
Fit: B+/A- (Good fit throughout, laces are really long, heel cup a tad wide)
Performance: A- (Nimble and lightweight. Natural transitions though still a little slappy coming from heel into midfoot)
Stability: A- (Surprisingly good for the design. The heel cup and slight translation is the only thing I noticed here.)
DPT/Footwear Science: B (A relatively simple design so nothing too innovative here, but still a nice shoe)
Personal: A- (A simple but fun shoe that works for me)
Overall: B+/A- (A good option for the lightweight trainer category that gives to those wanting a more traditional feel)
SHOP | SUPPORT DORSalomon Aero VoltPrice: $149.95 at Running Warehouse
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FURTHER READING: 2023 TRAINERS
ASICS Gel-Cumulus 25 - A big update to this daily trainer makes it the softness, most cushioned yet
Adidas Adizero SL - A remodernized daily trainer for the Adidas line
Brooks Revel 6 - At $100, a simple, but effective neutral trainer that fits well
Hoka Clifton 9 [Stable Neutral Trainer] - A change to the midsole shapes the change to this classic maximal trainer
Mizuno Wave Rider 27 - Retooled to feel a little lighter underfoot and with a greatly improved fit
New Balanace FuelCell Propel v4 - Version 4 adds a forefoot plate to this budget trainer
New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v13 - A new update to this versatile "wogger" shoe
Nike Pegasus 40 - A light upper update makes this the most comfortable Pegasus to slip on yet
On Cloudsurfer - The softest On yet ushers in a new redesign for the future of On
On Cloudswift 3 - A versatile run/everyday activity trainer with classic On elements
Puma ForeverRun Nitro - A new "stability" entry in the lineup that provides a cushioned ride
Reebok Floatride Energy 5 - Major changes to the popular training series, including a torsion system
Salomon Aero Blaze - A new lightweight trainer from Salomon
Saucony Echelon 9 [Stable Neutral Trainer] - A wide-fitting, high cushion shoe that also fits orthotics perfectly well
Saucony Kinvara 14 - Higher stacked than ever, and lighter as well
Saucony Ride 16 - A light update that refines the daily trainer to its very best yet
Skechers GO RUN Ride 11 - New HYPERBURST ICE makes for an incredibly soft new entry
Topo Phantom 3 [Stable Neutral] - A daily training shoe with a fantastic upper and simple, functional ride
Tracksmith Eliot Runner - All-new trainer from the apparel brand, featuring a peba midsole
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
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