Salomon Phantasm CF Review: A Smooth, Comfortable Super Shoe Built for the Long Haul

Introduction

The Salomon Phantasm CF is Salomon’s serious step into the super shoe market. Where the original Phantasm was essentially a lightly cushioned racing flat, the CF brings a much bigger stack, a composite plate, and enough foam to sit alongside the carbon shoes it is clearly aimed at. After a full marathon test and some faster track work, the picture is clear: this is an outstanding long-distance, long-training shoe, held back mainly by a price that places it among the very best racers in the category.

Key Stats and Specs

The Phantasm CF costs £200 in the UK, $225 in the US, and €200 in Europe, which puts it right up there with the most expensive super shoes available. Salomon lists the release as May 2022.

The midsole is substantial: 34mm at the heel and 25mm at the forefoot for a 9mm drop. All that foam brings weight, and in a UK size 9 the shoe comes in at 246 grams. That is heavier than most super shoes, which typically sit around 230 grams in a similar size, with lighter options closer to 200 grams. The foam has to work a bit harder to make up for that heft.

Underfoot, the midsole uses Salomon’s Energy Surge foam, an EVA-olefin copolymer blend also seen in trail shoes like the Pulsar and Ultra Glide. It is soft with a bit of bounce, though it does not quite hit the standout feel of premium foams from other brands. Sandwiched in the midsole is the Energy Blade composite plate. It is stiff but not as rigid as a full carbon plate, giving slightly more flexibility and a softer feel while still helping the shoe transition and snap off the forefoot. That rolling motion is amplified by Salomon’s aggressive reverse camber rocker design, which is far more exaggerated at this stack height and really comes into play on the run.

The upper uses Salomon’s matrix material, a firm-feeling mesh that wraps the foot well and delivers a very secure lockdown. There is extra reinforcement and padding around the heel for a solid fit. One weak point is the tongue: it is a poor fit and needs rearranging before every run, which will annoy anyone sensitive to awkward tongues. On the outsole, there is excellent Contagrip coverage in the forefoot, which grips well in the wet, plus two thinner strips at the heel. There is a fair amount of exposed foam, but the construction looks hardy, and durability is likely a strong point rather than a concern.

Fit and Sizing

The Phantasm CF has a long and slightly narrow fit. It runs true to size for most runners, but if you have a narrow foot and often land between two sizes, the half size down could work well. The secure heel lockdown and firm mesh upper mean the shoe holds the foot nicely once you are moving.

Marathon Test: Bilbao

The real test came quickly: a full marathon at the Bilbao Marathon, after only a couple of short shakeout runs, including a progression run down to around 3:20/km pace. The shoe felt comfortable from the start, and over 42.5km at a good, progressive pace it delivered a smooth, controlled ride that stayed comfortable the whole way through.

The ride feels similar to the Saucony Endorphin Speed in the way it rolls forward, but slightly more stable and firmer in a good way. Pushing through the later stages of the marathon, the shoe kept helping the pace along nicely, finishing fast without feeling beat up. If anything holds it back, it is the weight: it lacks the absolute top-end speed for an all-out effort from the gun. But as a long-distance racing shoe, it is genuinely excellent, and it would work well as a daily training option too, which is rare for a super shoe.

Track Session: How It Handles Faster Paces

To test quicker paces, a track session of two sets of 10 x 400m reps at 75 to 80 seconds with 100m jog recoveries, split between a firmer plated trainer and the Phantasm CF. After a firm shoe, the Phantasm feels wonderfully soft, comfortable, and quiet, with a much smoother ride than snappier transition shoes.

At around 5K pace and faster, though, it required more effort to hit the times. This is simply not an explosive short-distance racing shoe. It is built to get rolling and cruise through longer efforts, and it shines at tempo runs, long progression runs, and long races. For short, sharp speedwork, the original Phantasm, a firmer racing flat, remains the better Salomon option.

How It Compares to the Competition

This is the crux of the review. At £200, the Phantasm CF goes up against the top-tier carbon shoes like the Nike Vaporfly, New Balance RC Elite 2, and adidas Adizero Adios. Those shoes come in at or below this price, are slightly punchier and more efficient racers, especially over shorter distances, and would be the pick for an all-out marathon or half marathon. If you are spending £200, the extra money for one of those is probably worth it.

The closest competitor in feel is the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2, which costs £155. The rides are similar, and both are versatile enough for regular training. The Phantasm CF offers a bit more stability, which matters if you found the Endorphin Speed a little soft or unstable. That makes it a genuine alternative for runners who want the Speed’s smooth, versatile ride with a steadier platform, though the Speed remains significantly cheaper.

Buying Advice: Who Should Pick the Phantasm CF

The Phantasm CF is a superb choice if you are not buying a super shoe purely to top off a race-day rotation, but instead want a comfortable, durable shoe that can handle heavy training miles while still delivering a super shoe feel for long races and progression runs. It is one of the more hard-wearing options in the category, and the smooth, comfortable ride makes it a shoe you will genuinely want to pull on regularly.

If you already own or can find a Vaporfly or Metaspeed Sky at a similar price, those remain the sharper racers. But as a do-everything plated shoe for training and long-distance racing, the Phantasm CF is one of the top contenders available, second only in that specific role to the cheaper Endorphin Speed 2.

Conclusion

The Salomon Phantasm CF is an excellent, comfortable, durable super shoe with a smooth ride that excels over long distances and long training blocks. Its main obstacle is price: at £200 it competes directly with slightly better all-out racers, which keeps it in the second tier overall. For the right runner, one who values comfort, stability, and longevity as much as raw speed, it is a very easy shoe to recommend.