Rossignol spent a century making skis before taking on trail running. Unveiled at UTMB in August 2024 and launched in spring 2025, the Vezor is the brand's first trail shoe, built for technical singletrack rather than the road. Three French tests put it through its paces over several months: here is what they found, without the marketing gloss.
The Vezor marks Rossignol's entry into technical trail running, after three years of development and a launch at UTMB. Its N+Foam midsole and Diapason+ plate give it a bounce that three French tests praise, but a narrow fit and grip that reviewers rate unevenly on wet ground narrow its playing field. At 180 euros, often discounted well below that at some retailers, it is a solid technical trail shoe as long as you have a narrow foot and stay away from mud.
Rossignol has been making skis since 1907. Trail running is a recent bet. The brand unveiled the Vezor in Chamonix during UTMB week in 2024, after announcing three years of prior research. The launch happened alongside a second pair, the Vercors, already reviewed on RunMorph and built more for long distances.
A ski maker taking on trail running is no sure thing. Salomon pulled it off by leaning on decades of mountain footwear experience. Rossignol starts out with a strong brand image among skiers, but no running pedigree. The Vezor has to win on its own merits, not on a reputation already earned in running. At RunMorph, three French tests of this exact model were read in full to check whether the bet pays off.
| Brand | Rossignol |
| Model | Vezor |
| Release | Unveiled August 2024, launched spring 2025 |
| Type | Technical trail, short to medium races |
| Drop | 6 mm |
| Heel / forefoot stack (men's) | 29 to 30 mm / 23 to 24 mm depending on the source (two French tests give slightly different figures) |
| Heel / forefoot stack (women's) | 28 mm / 22 mm |
| Weight (men's) | 282 g, a figure confirmed by all three tests read |
| Weight (women's) | 231 g |
| Foam | N+Foam (nitrogen-infused) top layer, standard EVA bottom layer |
| Plate | Diapason+, a non-carbon composite insert, slightly curved |
| Outsole | Michelin Formula rubber, 4 mm chevron lugs |
| Upper | Dense three-layer mesh, debris filter, forefoot TPU reinforcement |
| Recommended distance | Short to medium races, up to 50 to 70 km for a light runner |
| Official price | 180 euros, regularly discounted to 127.90 euros at some retailers |
The midsole stacks two foams of different densities. On top, the nitrogen-infused N+Foam targets bounce. Below it, a more standard EVA handles the cushioning base and protection. Between the two sits the Diapason+ plate, which is not carbon: it is a slightly curved composite insert that adds torsional stability and takes the edge off sharp rocks. It does not, however, have the propulsive stiffness of a carbon racing plate.
The concrete result, according to all three tests read: a bounce testers describe as responsive from the first steps, useful on rolling terrain and short surges. The pure cushioning, that said, is built for short to medium efforts. Past a certain duration, or on tarmac, the feel gets firmer, which matches the positioning Rossignol itself claims: the brand does not pitch the Vezor as a long-distance shoe.
Three French tests were read in full for this article. Outside ran the Vezor for six months before publishing its review in March 2025. Le Comparatif du Trail published its own in April 2025, and Outzer did so as part of a private test programme in July 2026.
Outside describes a secure fit, with the foot staying locked in place, and grip it rates as good on dry, wet, muddy and even frozen ground. Le Comparatif du Trail strongly qualifies that last point: good grip on dry rock and smooth wet rock, but noticeably weaker on mud and greasy wet ground. It also notes slight side-to-side instability at the heel and a tendency to roll underfoot on technical terrain. Outzer only tested on dry, rocky ground, with no verdict on mud.
Why such a gap on grip? Outside's test ran six months, winter included, with runs on frozen or damp ground that was not necessarily alpine-trail mud. Le Comparatif du Trail appears to have specifically sought out greasy mud, terrain where the Michelin rubber's 4 mm lugs show their limits against more aggressive patterns like Vibram Megagrip. At RunMorph, the reading is simple: on rock and hard ground, the grip holds up. Once the terrain turns greasy, expect more slipping than with deeper lugs.
The fit draws the opposite kind of agreement: narrow across all three testers. Outzer could not even fit an orthotic insole, even after removing the stock one. The thin, non-stretch tongue needs careful lacing adjustment, a point confirmed by two of the three sources. On durability, Outzer flags early marking visible on the midsole foam before 200 km, a signal worth watching rather than a final verdict, since the tester himself says more mileage is needed.
Both pairs launched on the same day at Rossignol, but they target different uses. The Vercors, already reviewed on RunMorph, is aimed at long distances with its PEBA-based E+Foam and 32 mm of heel stack. The Vezor stays lighter and more technical, built for shorter efforts on rough terrain.
| Criterion | Vezor | Vercors |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 282 g | 290 g |
| Heel stack | 29 to 30 mm | 32 mm |
| Foam | N+Foam + EVA | E+Foam (PEBA) |
| Recommended use | 50 to 70 km, technical terrain | Beyond 60 km, ultra |
| Official price | 180 euros | 160 euros |
For a short, technical format where agility matters most, the Vezor remains the right pick in the range. For an ultra, look instead at the Rossignol Vercors, whose PEBA foam and taller stack are built for the long haul.
The Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 4, already reviewed on RunMorph, belongs to the same family of lightweight technical trail shoes. Both share a 6 mm drop and a short-to-intermediate race focus, but their philosophy differs.
| Criterion | Rossignol Vezor | Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 282 g | 250 g claimed (247 g measured) |
| Drop | 6 mm | 6 mm claimed (7.1 mm measured) |
| Grip | Good on dry ground, uneven on mud depending on the source | All-Terrain Contagrip lugs, 3.5 mm |
| Official price | 180 euros | 220 euros |
The simple read: the Pulsar 4 is lighter on paper and comes from a brand with a long history in technical trail running. It costs 40 euros more, though, and its responsiveness disappointed in lab measurements. The Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 4 suits runners who put stability first. The Vezor, for its part, bets on a punchier bounce at a lower price, at the cost of a fit that demands more careful adjustment.
The Vezor earns its place on the short to medium technical outings of a trail build-up: surges on rolling singletrack, rocky sections, short climbs where agility matters more than cushioning. It is not, however, the pair to take on a multi-hour long run in the rain, nor on an ultra beyond 70 km.
To structure your technical sessions and move toward your goal, the RunMorph trail training plan schedules the right sessions at the right time. Working your footing on rough terrain, building toward a 50 to 70 km race: each phase has its place.
One last word of caution: if your runs are often rainy or muddy, look elsewhere. A pair with deeper lugs like the Salomon Speedcross 6 will do a better job on that specific terrain.
The Vezor delivers on a precise playing field: dry rocky trails, short to medium formats, narrow-footed runners who like to feel the terrain underfoot. The N+Foam and Diapason+ plate combo works, and all three tests read agree on that point. But the shoe runs into two clear limits: a fit that rules out wide feet from the start, and grip that loses reliability once the terrain turns greasy.
For a first trail shoe from Rossignol, the result is honourable. It is not yet an outright reference in the category, and the full price of 180 euros, often cut in sales, raises questions about the brand's long-term strategy in this segment. RunMorph score: 7.1/10.