Salomon Men's Calzado Bajo Predict Soc Running Shoes

Product Information

Alfie Manthorpe has been busy putting the Salomon Predict 2 road running shoes to the test. Here he provides a detailed review of Salomon’s latest road running release; The rear collars are amply and comfortably padded without overdoing it and prevent any sensation of the dread top of knit upper collars flopping around sensation. The heel counter is semi rigid with its substance mostly it seems coming from the wrap around rear overlay extension of the mid foot cage. The entire mid foot to rear support array is one piece.

I was pleasantly surprised with how this shoe performed on the roads … imagine gazelle speeding down the high street vibes, with an efficient and elegant stride – although probably not how I looked, it was certainly how I felt! 8-miles later, I took them off, with no sign of muscle fatigue, and I can confirm no post 24-hour DOMS. The midsole is made from a nitrogen infused TPU based foam called Infiniride, but the outsole is virtually identical to the first model both in design and material, using Contagrip.At faster paces the midsole (in conjunction with upper hold) seems to get a touch mushier than I would prefer up front but SOC always remains stable with an easy smooth flow with the platforms of support functioning independently but in concert. While a neutral shoe with a knit upper the platform is inherently stable but due to the knit upper more than anything probably not ideal for heavy pronators.

The stretch knit upper is not overly snug over the top of the toes (looking at you Levitate 4) so not exactly high performance but adequate for most runs. The cushioning underfoot is almost non-existent the shoe lands so hard, but the shoe is heavy enough and doesn’t have much of a snap at toe-off making it appropriate for faster runs either. The midsole in the Salomon Predict Soc 2 also has decoupled grooves through the outsole, matching the grooves on the footbed. You can see them matching up. I was worried this might provide less stability, but you won’t really notice. The decoupled footbed allows for a more natural ride and lets your foot do what you want it to. I love that the shoe moves with your feet.

Our Verdict

If you don't know Salomon road running, they are designed by Simon Bartold. He is highly respected in the shoe and physiotherapy industry and puts out a lot of great information and articles on footwear. The grooves run down the center of the foot as well as across the foot - there’s a little more structure than the Nike Free series, but only slightly. I have always presumed Salomon excelled with a trail shoe… hence never venturing near a pair! But when I found out about the Predict 2, I was intrigued to see how they stood up against my more regular road shoes. The Predict 2’s midsole includes a durable TPU-based Infiniride™ to reduce impact, along with anatomic decoupling allowing the shoe to flex with your foot. EnergyCell™+ technology provides soft cushioning to deliver ultimate comfort and reduce stress on your knee joints. There’s extra soft heel padding which cradles your foot, which is extremely comfortable.

While about as fine a knit upper as I have run, toe box foot hold while comfortable and decently secure is overly stretchy over the toes leading to some toe lift and side to side slip at fast paces. Sam Sam: I never got along that well with the overly flexible often poorly held Freedoms 1-3. Too much work to keep things moving and the 4mm drop was felt as a low heel when tired. The Predict Soc 2 has some of the same vibe but is more stable, easier to move along, and more fun. I’ll continue wearing this shoe on a weekly basis for my easy runs. As someone who runs upwards of 80-100 miles a week, I will be combining this shoe with the highly rated Asics Nova blast, which shares some similar qualities to the Predict 2. Sam: Lighter with a very energetic, considerably bouncier supercritical foam midsole the Rebel is pure fun. This said it is less stable underfoot and doesn’t have the slower paces versatility of the SOC. It shines best at speed. As with others here the SOC upper is fine but doesn’t compare to the hold and performance of the Rebel’s for pure faster running.The brand's anatomic decoupling midsole and outsole comes as the design hallmark of the road shoe, allowing the shoe to move with the joints of the foot, instead of working against them, Hildebrand says.