Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL Run Shoe

Review by Erin Trail

The Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL Run Shoe is kind of a Goldilocks shoe.  I often find myself running gravel roads or trails.  The terrain doesn’t usually necessitate a trail shoe, with bigger tread, but the texture of the surface isn’t appropriate for a road shoe, either. 

Enter the Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL Run Shoe!

The Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL Run Shoe is a maximalist gravel running shoe, with just enough – but not too much – tread to keep you trucking along on dirt roads and crushed gravel paths. The shoe weighs 235 grams and feels light in the hand and underfoot. The heel drop is 8 mm.

These are a true trail-road hybrid running shoe.  They look and feel like a cushioned road shoe, but offer features like an enhanced mudguard and a gravel-specific tread to provide better foot grip and wear on more variable terrain.  

Straight out of the box, these shoes felt really great.  The optiFOAM midsole is cushioned while also feeling snappy and responsive. I think a lot of people turn to running on dirt roads because dirt is more forgiving on joints.  The Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL Run Shoe, with its maximalist cushioning makes those dirt surfaces feel even better. 

I’ve run on a variety of terrains in these shoes:

• Waterton Canyon (dirt road with a few bigger rocks)
• Regional mixed surface trails (paved and crushed gravel)
• Hill repeats on a regional dirt path

I appreciate that these feel like a road shoe but hold onto dirt surfaces like a trail shoe.  Most of the dirt surfaces I like to run on are fairly smooth but usually have a layer of fine to pea sized dirt/gravel.  This layer can make footing tricky.  My feet often slip during interval work and my footing isn’t always stable when I hit a rut or a bigger pebble.  The tread of the Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL Run Shoes gives me better traction (I still slipped a little… but not nearly as much as I do in road shoes) and gives me a stable-but-also-nimble platform for handling bumps and ruts. They also handled well on the paved portions of my mixed surface runs and felt like a road shoe with just a little bit more oomph under the grip.

I can see a variety of uses for the Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL Run Shoe.  I live in Denver and find myself often running on dirt paths when I want a scenic, flat run (Highline Canal or Waterton Canyon).  Ironman 70.3 Boulder (a medium distance triathlon) is primarily on dirt roads and paths. And several other triathlons that I like to do (both road and gravel) include smoother, more chill dirt roads and trails for the run portion of these races.  

I’d feel comfortable – and confident – wearing the Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL Run Shoes in races due to the optiFOAM insole, which provides a snappy and responsive ride. 

Closing Thoughts

The Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL Run Shoe is a great all-around shoe that’s comfortable in a wide variety of terrains.  They’re perfect as a training shoe for long, scenic rail-trail runs but also have the capability and snap of a race shoe.  Priced at a very reasonable $160, adding these shoes into your quiver is an easy choice, especially if you regularly find yourself on dirt, crushed gravel, or mixed surface trails.  The Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL Run Shoe is available in women’s sizes ranging from 5-11 (US) and men’s sizes ranging from 7-14 (US).

Erin Trail