Editor rating:
9/10 on
MICHAEL MASON-D'CROZ
User's rating:

PROS

  • Soft but not pillowy.
  • Firm enough for speed
  • Upper cradles your foot
  • Anatomical fit

CONS

  • Lacing is a little finicky
  • The tongue takes maneuvering while putting the shoe on

OUR VERDICT

The Salming EnRoute 2 is a daily trainer that is lightweight enough to be your speed trainer. Although pricey, this shoe delivers in all aspects of running.
SHOE INFO
Brand
Enroute 2
Model
8.70 oz. (247 gr.)
Weight
150 US$
MSRP
6 mm
Heel Drop
Mar / 2019
Release Date
Previous model
WHO IS IT FOR
This shoe is for most runners. However, heavy-set runners may want more cushion underfoot.

Salming, a Swedish running company, has made their way onto the market with their ideas of what runners would want and what they need.

As a company they are producing some top-level running equipment that furthers their company’s stance on the proper way to run.

If you log on to their website they will provide you with tutorials of “proper” form and drills on how to achieve it.

Their shoes are designed with this form in mind. They support a forward lean, and incorporate a break in the sole unit at the proper spot and angle to help with this lean and forward propulsion.

In the past couple of years, their top-level shoe was the Miles, but over the past two years, the EnRoute has become the top model.

Salming Enroute 2 General Info

The EnRoute 2 is the newest edition of Salming’s top-of-the-line trainer. This shoe shows a combination of the technologies that Salming has to offer.

With a high-cushion, yet responsive sole unit, an upper with with ExoSkeleton technology to support your foot and lock it in. This flagship trainer delivers across all facets of a running shoe.

At $150 as a list price, the issue Salming will see is that they are going up against many traditional and popular options.

This shoe competes against the Brooks Glycerin and Levitate, ASICS Nimbus, New Balance 1080, Mizuno Wave Creation, Nike Epic React and Vomero.

Those are a lot of shoes that have a lot of people paying attention to them. Because of this, you don’t see a lot of people running in the Salming, even though they are easily at the same level.

When these shoes arrived, I was very happy with the look. They are unassuming, and just look ready to tackle whatever you’re going to throw at them. The blue and orange combo is classic, and looks great.

While wearing them, they were amazing for just all-day wear. Lasting a full day of teaching with extra time on my feet after. On the first run, they handled a 5-mile tempo run and felt amazing. There was no break-in time.

Salming Enroute 2 Sole Unit

Salming Enroute 2 - Pair

Salming Enroute 2 – Pair

Salming throws all their sole technology out there for these shoes, and blends them well to provide ample cushioning for the long run, while still being firm and responsive enough to handle the track as well.

With a lower-than-average 6mm drop (25mm on heel, 19mm forefoot), this shoe could take a few runs to get used to.

Using their RecoilR122 midsole compound which includes a good amount of rebound, but is relatively firm — this is the compound used in previous models of the Speed (Salming’s tempo offering).

This is the midsole that goes the full length of the shoe and provides a firm responsive toe-off. Then Salming used another layer of the compound under the heel to create a dual-zone cushioning.

Salming Enroute 2 - Lateral + Medial Side

Salming Enroute 2 – Lateral + Medial Side

This heel insert provides a soft landing for heel-strikers while transitioning into a responsive toe-off with a firmer forefoot.

This dual zone of cushioning is something that many companies are going to to keep shoes both lighter and more responsive for runners wanting to dial up the speed on their workouts. And Salming’s offering of it works very well.

Salming then uses a blown rubber outsole that offers great traction while keeping the weight down. This outsole is designed with two signature technologies that promote the “Salming way of running”.

The first of these technologies is the Torsion Guidance System (TGS) which includes deep grooves in the outsole and midsole alike to add forefoot flex and encourage an efficient, effortless gait.

This allows your foot to flex both forward and laterally to handle the surface of the road.

The second technology is Salming’s 62/75° design. This line you’ll see on the bottom of the shoe shows the delineation of the dual zones of cushion.

They keep the heel cushion and stability through 62% of the shoe, at which point they provide a 75° groove on the sole to increase flexibility as you transition to your forefoot.

Salming Enroute 2 Upper Info

Salming Enroute 2 - Toe

Salming Enroute 2 – Toe

On the upper, Salming focuses on an anatomical fit. This is not to be mistaken with Altra’s foot design. But with this anatomical fit, the shoe stays relatively narrow in the heel and midfoot before splaying out into a roomy toe-box.

This toe-box is not super wide, but is wide enough for you to feel comfortable on all runs. The seamless upper fits true to size, and did a great job of locking my foot in so I didn’t feel any slippage.

Salming uses a 3 Layer construction on their upper which includes a soft mesh next to the foot, a supportive ExoSkeleton over that to lock you in and a thin mesh on the outside to keep out dirt yet let in air.

The highlight of this upper — and the sole update of this version — is the ExoSkeleton. This piece of the upper adds needed support on your midfoot and locks you in for your run.

This year they moved the ExoSkeleton back closer to the heel to help work with the heel cup and make sure your midfoot and heel are locked in and secure.

Salming Enroute 2 Conclusions

I have really enjoyed running in the offerings that Salming have put out there. I have run in the Speed 3, Speed 5, Miles 1 and 2 and now the EnRoute 2.

They make a very good product. However, I believe that this shoe is the best mix of technologies that they have put out there.

The EnRoute is light, like as light as some of the tempo shoes I’ve reviewed before, while having the cushion to easily handle long runs.

I took these on 5 double-digit runs and at the end of each one, they still felt fresh and ready for more. The combo of technologies on the EnRoute 2 make for one of my favorite rides of the year.

The way you can dial up the speed and yet log the long miles has been great, and although they are a smaller brand, the Salming EnRoutes deserve your consideration on your next purchase.

We purchased a pair of Salming Enroute 2 from runningwarehouse using our own money. This did not influence the outcome of this review, written after running more than 50 miles in them.

Salming Enroute 2 Price Comparison

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