Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2 — Credit: Josh Raper

Salomon is known for its light-weight trail and road running shoes suitable for racing, but is this latest innovation goes to see off the competition? We put it to the test to find out…

Straight out of the box, the S/Lab Phantasm 2s look great and feel light in the hands, with my men’s UK7 coming in at 200g, which sits right among its race day rivals. See our list of the best running shoes in 2024 for more ideas.

Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2 running shoe — Credit: Josh Raper

First impressions of the Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2

The shoes’ upper is extremely well constructed and I feel confident in saying it’s probably my favourite fit of any race day shoe. The lacing structure itself provides excellent lockdown over the top of the foot and goes just high enough to secure the collar area.

The tongue is the real highlight for me, as it’s seamlessly stitched in to the lateral and medial sides of the shoe, providing a sock-like fit. It’s also made from a sheer, thin, stretchy material that allows it to flex, but also includes a perfect layer of padding on top to keep pressure off the foot.

Each running shoe we review gets put through the same level of testing, including numerous runs of varying distances over the period of several weeks at a minimum. This includes long, slow runs, plus faster tempo efforts or interval sessions. We test against a range of criteria including comfort, breathability, support, stability, ride, propulsion and value.

Fit and style

The heel counter is semi rigid and has substantial padding. It’s lined with a suede-like material that extends a bit above the main upper, which alleviated any irritations when using the shoe sockless.

Interestingly, the S/Lab Phantasm 2s have a “low” stack height at 37mm, which is 3mm less than many of their counterparts. This of course saves a bit of weight but didn’t sacrifice comfort or performance.

As with many race-day shoes, there are no heel or tongue loops to help in transition, but the additional suede-like material mentioned above does offer something to grip a hold of.

So, how did the shoes perform? They ticked all the boxes you’d expect in a race-day shoe. There’s a PEBA midsole, a spoon-shaped carbon fibre plate, and a thin, lightweight upper. The whole package comes together nicely with a smoothness to it that’s hard to describe.

Performance and speed

The combination of the upper fit with a wider, flared out midsole and a wider forefoot platform gives a surprisingly stable race-day shoe. In fact, this is one of the most stable racing shoes I’ve tested.

The stability gives you heaps of confidence at fast speeds and cornering. Speaking of corners, the Contagrip outsole is superb, providing extra stickiness on pavement. It feels like the shoe really digs in when you need it to.

How does the Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2 perform?

From testing, I’d say the ideal strike point is squarely at the midfoot, where you can take advantage of the stability and rebound rather than further back, but at race pace any excessive softness at the heel disappears.

Conclusion

Overall, these Salomon racers do offer that true race-day fit and feel thanks to their well-designed upper and excellent execution of a bouncy-yet-stable PEBAX midsole.

And while the price tag may be a tough pill to swallow, those who pick up a pair of the S/Lab Phantasm 2 would easily be able to race in these shoes at all distances, and potentially more effectively and comfortably than shoes designed more solely for elites.