SALOMON S/LAB GENESIS REVIEW: THE LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP OF 2024

SALOMON S/LAB GENESIS INTRODUCTION

I ran over 1,500 KM in the Salomon S/Lab Genesis – snow, ice, ultras, and brutal technical trails. Here’s the unfiltered truth: they shine on dry terrain, but the wet grip? A disaster.

I originally bought them in late 2023 as a replacement for my S/Lab Ultra 3s, which were great but lacked grip and cushioning for my taste. On paper, this should have been the perfect all-rounder. What followed was a love-hate relationship. The Salomon S/Lab Genesis shined on dry trails and felt amazing straight out of the box, but its grip on wet surfaces was simply… awful. I even sprained my ankle slipping on a rock in them. And to make things worse, my third pair fell apart after just 300 KM.

So, is the Salomon S/Lab Genesis still worth it today? Let’s break it down.

SALOMON S/LAB GENESIS SPECS AND FEATURES

Before sharing my experience, here’s what Salomon says about the S/Lab Genesis:
Weight: 270 g (Men’s UK 8.5)
Stack Height: 28 mm heel / 22 mm forefoot (6 mm drop)
Upper: Matryx® fabric (Kevlar® reinforced, durable, and breathable)
Midsole: Energy Foam for cushioning and rebound
Outsole: All Terrain Contagrip®
Fit: S/Lab precision fit with EndoFit™
Lacing: Quicklace™ system

Who are those shoes for?

Salomon designed the Salomon S/Lab Genesis for ultra distances, technical terrain, and daily training. It’s supposed to be the one-trail-shoe-to-rule-them-all—light enough for racing, cushioned enough for long runs, and built for tough conditions.

That sounds great in theory. But how did they actually hold up?

FIRST IMPRESSIONS, FIT & SIZING

Fit and comfort

✅ Matryx® upper is insanely good – super durable, lightweight, and breathable.
✅ Quicklace™ system = always a secure fit. (Shockingly, it never failed me!)
✅ True to size – or should I say “Salomon-sized”?

Sizing is weird these days, so I go by millimeters length of the insole. In Hoka or Arc’teryx, I wear 43 1/3, but for Salomon, I sized down to 42 2/3, and they fit perfectly.

Overall, after running in tons of Salomon shoes, I genuinely think their S/Lab fit is one of the best out there. It feels locked in but never restrictive – they just disappear on your feet. Plus, the toe box is slightly wider than some previous S/Lab models, making them more comfortable for longer runs.

PERFORMANCE

Daily training

After getting my first pair in late 2023, I used the Salomon S/Lab Genesis as my main daily training shoe. What I liked most about them:

✅ Perfect fit – locked-in yet comfortable.
✅ Great versatility – worked well on technical forest trails, gravel roads, and even snow.
✅ Durability – my first pair lasted over 700 KM, and I was genuinely impressed.

At 700 KM, the outsole was still in good condition, but the midsole felt dead. That early bounce was gone, so I retired them and kept using another pair (same grey color). I even got them on sale for 1400 NOK (~€120).
My second pair performed just as well, but then I started racing in them… and that’s when I noticed the grip issues more than ever.

Race performance

🏁 Tromsø PolarNight Marathon (January 2024) – My first-ever road marathon ran in full winter conditions: snow, ice-covered roads, -10°C, and a blizzard at the end. Surprisingly solid grip on packed snow, and my feet stayed comfortable the entire race. Great choice for winter road sections.

🏁 Sandnes Ultra Trail 21K (April 2024) – A technical, hilly race with rocky, rooted trails, gravel, and road – mostly wet. Already knew these weren’t made for rain, but at race pace? Let’s just say… things got sketchy. 😅

🏁 Nøsen 50K (June 2024) – Steep climbs, rolling ridges, and a brutal 3KM alpine traverse over wet, jagged rocks. On easier terrain, they performed great. But when it got technical, I could only watch in envy as runners with Vibram or VJ outsoles flew past while I tiptoed my way across the rocks.. together with other runners wearing Salomon shoes 😂 Outsole grip really matters in an ultra – who would’ve thought?

THE BREAKING POINT

My first two pairs lasted 700 KM. The third pair? Dead at 300 km. Same shoe, different durability – what happened, Salomon?. I basically just Ran Nøsen 50K in them where they held up okay, later in the year I spent a week running in Senja (Arctic Circle) – and they were wrecked by the end. Durability was WAY worse than my first two pairs so I threw them away completely ruined, never looking back. It´s weird but I felt like Salomon changed something, because my grey pairs lasted 700 KM, but the blue ones were dead in half that time.

FINAL VERDICT: ARE THEY WORTH IT?

Pros:
✅ Unreal fit
✅ Comfortable for long runs
✅ Durable upper (Matryx® is top-tier)
✅ Perfect for dry conditions

Cons:
❌ Terrible grip on wet surfaces
❌ Later models (blue) wore out in just 300 KM
❌ Expensive (but can often be found on sale)

Would I buy them again?

Would I buy them again? Not for where I train. If you live somewhere dry year-round, they could be worth it—especially on sale. But for mixed terrain? The grip just doesn’t cut it.

FOLLOW MY RUNNING ADVENTURES!

I hope you found my review helpful, if you have any questions, drop them in a comment below and if you wanna keep in touch just ollow me on Strava and Instagram! Have you tried the Salomon S/Lab Genesis? Did you love them or hate them?

See you on the trails! 😊