The Salomon Sonic 3 Balance running shoe is a shoe that seeks to do double duty. The Optivibe System makes it great as a running shoe and the outsoles, borrowed from Salomon’s trail running series, make it a great trail-running shoe. However, despite how great it is, the dual formula prevents it from being exceptional as any one style of shoe. Check out our list of best running shoes to find the perfect pair for you!
Why We Like It – Salomon Sonic 3 Balance
The Salomon Sonic 3 Balance does dual duty by providing a comfortable fit and making sure your foot is protected whenever it strikes the pavement. It’s nice to know you don’t have to decide between having a comfortable shoe that won’t protect against injury or an uncomfortable shoe that will protect against injury. You may want to compare these to the Nike Free Trainer 3.0 advanced athlete training shoes.
- Optivibe System cushions the blow on your foot
- Well-Executed bootie uppers and toe box
- Free Delivery
- Little on the heavy side
- A few cool colours, but not as expansive as you think
Performance
Salomon’s new two-piece midsole system, called Optivibe, reduces vibrations in your foot whenever your foot hits the pavement. These are the same vibrations that cause destruction on your joints. The Salomon Sonic’s Optivide prevents this pain by cushioning that blow and pushing you into your next stride while reducing muscle fatigue. Curiously, there are two versions of the shoe: the balance men (just called balance) and the balance women (called Balance W), but both perform well for road running. The shoe is a little bit on the heavy-side, so we would recommend the Nike Revolution 3 if you’re looking for a lightweight running shoe.
Design
Although marketed as a road shoe, the Salomon Sonic borrows its ContraGrip outsole Salomon’s trailblazing shoe series. This improves traction and helps the Optivibe system because of the denseness of this new outsole. If you want a shoe designed for trail running, we suggest the ASICS GEL-Venture 5. The Salomon Sonic’s bootie-style uppers, which have become commonplace for running shoes but not always well-executed, has been considered a lot considering it fits right with a thin, wide tongue that wraps the foot from the lower ankle to the toe box.
Value
The Salomon Sonic comes in a variety of colours which includes your basic black & white. If you want something a little sleeker with a wide-range of colours, consider the KUBUA Running Shoes. If you go to salomon.com you’ll find they offer free delivery for all orders (standard orders, to be perfectly clear), and a hassle-free return policy of 30 days. If you still have questions, just click the contact us link at the bottom of the page under the support section for a customer service phone number. For affordable running shoes, check out the Saucony Cohesion 11 review.
Salomon Sonic 3 Balance Wrap Up
Despite the possibility of using the Salomon Sonic 3 Balance as both a road shoe and a trail-running shoe it still performs better than most shoes who seek to be only one type of shoe. But this also prevents the Salomon Sonic 3 Balance from being a truly exceptional road shoe (as they’re marketed). Still, it’s a purchase worth considering if you’re looking for a new pair of running shoes.
