ShoeGeometry

Inov-8 Trailfly Pro vs Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 4

Two shoes compared on measured geometry. Each cell carries a provenance badge; open a shoe for sources.

heel boneInov-8 Trailfly Pro: heel 34 mm, forefoot 28 mm (drop 6 mm); toe rocker not measured yet (visible lift over the front 23 % of length), typical shape drawn; heel bevel 9 % of length (height not measured), ending behind the heel bone (only the back edge is rounded).Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 4: heel 34 mm, forefoot 28 mm (drop 6 mm); toe rocker 39 % of length, radius 56 % of length; heel bevel 12 % of length, 21 mm high at the back, ending about under the heel bone.Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 4: toe rocker 39 % of length
  • Inov-8 Trailfly Pro34/28 mm · toe rocker not measured · heel bevel 9 %
  • Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 434/28 mm · toe rocker 39 % · heel bevel 12 %
Illustrative profiles, not photographs: drawn from published stack heights and photo estimates of the unloaded shoes on a common length (300 mm), heels aligned, toe to the left; dots mark where each toe rocker starts; the dotted vertical line is under the heel bone (12 % of length), so a heel curve reaching past it is a bevel in front of the heel bone. Dotted lines use typical values where a shoe has no measurement. Exact values are in the table below.

Which suits you

If you wantPickBecause
A smoother roll at toe-offSalomon S/Lab Pulsar 431.2 vs 37.9 mm toe tip
More cushioning under the heelAbout the same34 vs 34 mm heel stack
More under the forefootAbout the same28 vs 28 mm forefoot stack
A lower dropAbout the same6 vs 6 mm drop

From the values below, with differences inside measurement noise shown as about the same. This describes the shoes, not what is right for your feet; comfort in the first few runs decides.

MetricInov-8 Trailfly Pro
Trail · Trail
Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 4
Trail · Trail
Heel-to-toe drop6 mmStated6 mmDerived
Heel stack34 mmStated34 mmStated
Forefoot stack28 mmStated28 mmStated
Weight227 gStated252 gStated
Toe rocker—39 %est.
Rocker radius—56 %est.
Rocker rise angle—25 degest.
Rocker angle at toe—58 degest.
Toe tip over ground31 mm*est.38 mmest.
Visible rocker lift onset77.2 %est.—
Toe spring (relative)—18.5 %est.
Heel bevel length9.3 %est.11.6 %est.
Heel bevel height—21 mmest.
Midsole width (forefoot)—106 mmMeasured
Midsole width (heel)—84.1 mmMeasured
Interior forefoot width—94.9 mmMeasured
Toebox width—74 mmMeasured
Longitudinal stiffness—25Derived
PlateNo plateNo plate
Primary foamPOWERFLOW Elite (supercritical TPEE)optiFOAM+ (PEBA/EVA) over optiFOAM EVA
List price$195$220

Key differences

  • Heel-to-toe drop is about the same: 6 mm for Inov-8 Trailfly Pro, 6 mm for Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 4.
  • Heel stack is about the same: 34 mm for Inov-8 Trailfly Pro, 34 mm for Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 4.
  • Forefoot stack is about the same: 28 mm for Inov-8 Trailfly Pro, 28 mm for Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 4.
  • Inov-8 Trailfly Pro's weight is 227 g, 25 g lighter than Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 4's 252 g.

Read more about both shoes

We measure the shape. For how they feel over many miles, and for lab tests of cushioning, grip and fit:

Inov-8 Trailfly Pro

No review found yet.

Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 4

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Inov-8 Trailfly Pro details · Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 4 details · Add more shoes