Salomon DRX Defy Review: Defy-ing Gravel-ty

What You Need To Know

Introduction to the Salomon DRX Defy

KALEB: We (and by “we” I mean our resident trail stud, Taylor Bodin) recently reviewed the Salomon DRX Defy Grvl, a cushioned gravel cruiser based on Salomon’s DRX line. A few weeks after that review went out, I received the DRX Defy, a shoe that is most definitely very incredibly different… In that, it doesn’t have Grvl in the name, and that’s mostly it. Besides a more road-oriented outsole, the DRX Defy is a pretty similar shoe to its rocky sibling.

The DRX Defy is a new expansion of the DRX line, which (if I’ve consulted my ancient tome of shoe naming conventions correctly) is Salmon’s set of stability shoes. The Defy’s cousin, the DRX Bliss, is for higher-stability needs, while the DRX Defy is a more subtle approach to support. Salomon advertises the DRX Defy to be “as responsive as it is cushioned… designed to deliver soft landings and keep your stride on track.”

As always, lofty claims only exist to be tested, so let’s get down to business.

What we like about the Salomon DRX Defy

KALEB: Salomon’s Energy Foam seems to be all over the place when it comes to density — in some shoes, it feels like a brick, while in others, it’s pillow-soft. I’m happy to say that in the DRX Defy, Salomon leaned into the softer side of things. The DRX Defy feels quite cushioned for its otherwise run-of-the-mill 35 mm stack height, and I really enjoyed the shoe on some shorter five-to-six-mile recovery runs, just as advertised on the site. I can truly appreciate that Salomon is honest about the purpose of the DRX Defy, pinning it as a short-mileage shoe rather than a high-mileage, do-it-all-and-do-it-well trainer.

Balancing out its cushioned feel, the DRX Defy is featherlight on foot. My US M9 felt at least a half ounce lighter than the actual 8.5-ish ounces that it really is. The result of this cushioned-but-light combo is a shoe that really disappears on foot during easy days. It’s flexible underfoot, not particularly rockered, and the stability tech is barely noticeable. It just feels like nothing, and that’s a compliment when it comes to an easy day trainer. Some shoes should have personality, but the world wouldn’t go ’round without a wallflower here and there.

What we don’t like about the Salomon DRX Defy

KALEB: I find it strange that a compound called Energy Foam can exist with no discernible bounce at all. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad foam — underfoot, it’s protective and smooth, but it certainly ain’t energetic. I took the DRX Defy out of its wheelhouse for some real speed, and by the time I got into tempo pace, I felt like the shoe wasn’t returning all that I was giving.

Salomon’s ContaGrip Road rubber is also well and good on dry roads, but as I was taking a sharp turn on some damp grass (I’m talking soccer field length, folks), I completely wiped out. Thankfully, I’m a young, spry little whippersnapper, so I was just fine, but I was unnerved every time I took a corner for the rest of the run.

The upper, while comfortable, is quite roomy. In some shoes, I would count this as a good thing, but since the DRX Defy is marketed for light stability, lockdown is important. On top of that, the stability elements never really felt like they were doing anything at all. I’m a neutral runner, so I’m already not going to feel the full extent of whatever tech is in this shoe, but to me, this just felt like another neutral trainer.

Final thoughts on the Salomon DRX Defy

KALEB: I enjoyed my time in the Salomon DRX Defy. I really did. It’s simple and it’s smooth when it’s time to lay down some easy, loping miles. But there are so, so so many better daily trainers out there with wider usefulness at similar price points. Heck, the Novablast 5 just released for the same price as the DRX Defy, and you best believe that’s a shoe I’d reach for first.

Robbe said it best in an earlier review: Salomon just feels behind the times with its road department right now, especially in the midsole department. The S/Lab subdivision has shown that Salomon knows how to cook, they just need to share the recipe with the rest of the road line.

You can pick up the Salomon DRX Defy for $140 from Running Warehouse (featuring free shipping and 90-day returns) by using the buttons below.