Men's Saucony ProGrid Peregrine

Comments about Mens Saucony ProGrid Peregrine Trail Running Shoe:

First note - this initial review is after one run on the treadmill. I just got my shoes yesterday and the weather was poor today, but I couldn't wait to try them out! I rated them at 5 stars because they just performed exceptionally today, but note that I haven't had them on the road. I wanted to get an initial review out since these are new shoes.

Background - I am 5'10" and 160 lbs, I run short and middle trail distances and train at 5-6 minute mile pace. I am 42 years old and have been running since grade school. I have been a trail runner exclusively since 1994, and use a treadmill at least once a week to calibrate my pace.

My last pair of shoes were the Pearl Izumi Synchro Fuel XC. I rated these shoes with 5 stars, they are hands down the best trail shoes I've ever had. It was a very tough decision to go with the Peregrins, but I was intrigued by the light weight and minimalist approach. I can't stand some of the trendy fashions like toe shoes and running sandals - we don't walk around barefoot anymore because we don't have to. We also wear clothes. A good pair of shoes is good, but I think a minimalist shoe is a great concept - the peformance and benefits of a high tech shoe in a light weight platform that closely mimics the human body's natural form and posture.

I used RRS Neutral Cushion insoles in my new shoes. I found the arches a bit high on the insoles and trimmed them to match the factory insoles, they fit very nicely. I did a fast 4 miles on the new shoes, starting at a liesurley 7 minute pace to get a feel for them and set my balance, and rapidly getting into the 5:30 zone, finishing right at a 5 minute pace.

My initial impression is that this is an excellent shoe. It fit great right out of the box, and true to size. I wear a 9.5 regular, and that's what I ordered. There is enough give in the uppers to accomodate a slim after market insole like the RRS insoles, which I have found to be the best on the market bar none. The uppers are very soft and breathable, which may be a concern later on for wear, we'll see on that.

These shoes are VERY light compared to my PIs, which were very light compared to pretty much everything else on the market. The Peregrines are more flexible in the sole than the PIs, which I would expect in a minimalist shoe, but not excessively so. A pretty standard lacing system allows you to snug the shoes up pretty good. I have read a couple of pre-release reviews that said the toe box was narrow. My forefeet are on the wider side and I did not find these shoes overly tight. They are designed to fit snugly and they do, but in a very comfortable way. The sole is well lugged and I suspect will do very well on the trail. They did great on the treadmill - a really nice level of cushioning with the RRS insoles, but no mush. The fit was superb - after 4 miles no hot spots or friction points. Much has been made about the 4mm heel to toe drop, I didn't get out my protractor but it's noticeably less than any other shoe I've run in. Net effect was a very comfortable gait - it took me about 3-4 minutes to get used to the feel of it, and after that it was out of mind and off to the races. I comfortably clocked a consistently faster training pace than I did yesterday in my PIs - in part, I suspect, because the shoe is lighter, but also because of the improvement to my stride.

Bottom line, I really like this shoe. My first impression is extremely favorable. It is excellent in fit and comfort, and performance is superb. I can't begin to comment on stability, sole performance on the trail, or durability, some pretty important factors for a running shoe. I have no reason, at this point, to believe the Peregrin won't stack up in these areas as well. I will write another review when I get more trail miles on the shoe.

Comments about Mens Saucony ProGrid Peregrine Trail Running Shoe:

I love the snug heel, roomy toe box and small offset from heel height to toe height. Despite my large 190 lb. frame these lightweight shoes, designed to encourage more of a mid/forefoot strike, provided amble forefoot cushioning. After about a month of training with them, both off and on road, I put them to the test at last weekends very hilly American Zofingen Dualthon in the mixed terrain of the Hudson Valley's Shawangunk Mtns. The race consisted of several 5 mile loops under extremely wet and increasingly muddy conditions. I was impressed by how nimble I felt as I navigated around the numerous roots and rocks along the single track portions of the course. These shoes could not of performed any better and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they maintained their confidence inspiring fit even under such wet, muddy and slick conditions.

Comments about Mens Saucony ProGrid Peregrine Trail Running Shoe:

I have had these shoes for 5 months now. I am a 165 lb runner who lands on the outside of my foot. These shoes have stood up where no other shoe has. I put in 50-60 miles a week and these shoes are still going strong. I run on the trails, roads and bike paths. one of my favorite things about this shoe is that it has a wide toe box. I have tried on many pairs of shoes and these are the first that gave my wide forefoot the room it needed. Another thing I love about the shoe is it keeps the sand out. I have run along some beaches and its great to enter and exit the beach without loading up the shoes with sand.

Comments about Mens Saucony ProGrid Peregrine Trail Running Shoe:

I bought these to replace my Brooks Cascadia 5's, which I liked, because I wanted a shoe with a lower heel drop and because the Cascadias tended to pinch or rub the inside bottom of my forefoot too much on long runs. These fit my foot perfectly and I love the lower heel. Traction with the Peregrines is better than anything I've ever run in for dry southern California trails both hard and soft. Haven't tried them yet in wet or muddy conditions. I also love the fact that, so far, I have been able to step on/run over anything without wincing. Small pointy rocks, large pointy rocks, rocky river beds, roots, etc., have not phased the soles of the Peregrines and I have found myself looking for obstacles to land on during my training runs to test continually them. At the same time, the Peregrines are very light weight. They are, perhaps, a little stiffer than other shoes I'm used to but I've not found that to be a problem. My only complaint is a minor one that my foot tends to slide quite a bit forward in the peregrines, but only on really steep downhills. Perhaps the arch support could be a touch higher to help with this or, perhaps, my downhill technique could use improvement. I'm a midfoot-to-forefoot striker and usually size between 11 and 11.5 in most shoes. I bought 11.5 in the Peregrines and am glad I did. Plenty of toe room and the rest of the shoe still fits great.

Comments about Mens Saucony ProGrid Peregrine Trail Running Shoe:

I was looking for a light weight minimalist trail shoe, but didn't want to be sliding all over the place without traction. These shoes are just that. Very light and extremely comfortable. I've used these shoes in dry, wet, mud, rocks, roots, and rain. The traction is amazing. This is a performance shoe, so if you are looking for good support or stability above what your legs and ankles provide, you might not want to buy this one. But if you like to run fast through technical trails without slipping and sliding, then they are outstanding. Not recommended for road running at all.

Comments about Mens Saucony ProGrid Peregrine Trail Running Shoe:

I have had these for a few months, and they are some of the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned, and are definitely lighter than my road shoes (Asics 2160).

I do, however, have two complaints about them. The first is that, while they usually have great traction, I had to be careful running when it was even slightly wet out because several near-falls that I had. Second, although the actual sole has shown no signs of wear whatsoever, the synthetic material that creates the web on the upper has begun to wear and the rubber that comes up in front of the toe has started peeling on one foot and is completely peeled off on the other.

In short, these shoes are amazing to wear, but I cannot give a fifth star because of a few concerns, especially about durability.

Comments about Mens Saucony ProGrid Peregrine Trail Running Shoe:

This is my promised follow-up review. I have owned the shoes for about 3 weeks now and have about 50 miles behind me on a variety of surfaces that include treadmill, asphalt, dirt trail, gravel/cinder, all weather track, and grass.

I have kept the 5-star rating because these shoes are phenomenal. I don't have any negatives to report on these shoes. They perform exceptionally on all surfaces in all weather. They are light as a feather, comfortable, true to size and have met all my expectations.

I will say my performance with these shoes has improved - not sure if it's psychological or if it's the lighter weight, but my training times are down about 15-30 seconds per mile over a 3-4 mile course. They really grip the surface, whatever it is, and the cushioning is just right.

The only remaining question is on wear and durability - only time will tell, but after 3 weeks they look and feel pretty much like new.

Saucony has done a great job with these shoes, I highly recommend them for the small-medium runner who trains hard and fast. I'm sure they would work great for heavier runners or long-distance runners, but I haven't tested them in that regime.

Comments about Mens Saucony ProGrid Peregrine Trail Running Shoe:

The fit and the perfect balance between lightweight minimalist trail shoe and good substantial enough of shoe to feel good on the road and trails. A minimalist shoe you'll want to wear everyday.

Comments about Mens Saucony ProGrid Peregrine Trail Running Shoe:

I purchased these shoes at a running store without the benefit of reviews or manufacture's description. They are lightweight and comfortable but as my feet swell the toes start feeling cramped. I made a mistake in not checking for a good toe bumper, I assumed all trail shoes had this feature, after 90 training miles I was still very happy with this shoe. 20 miles into a 50mile race I slammed into a root and found that there was nothing to prevent damage to my big toe. Some of my road shoes have better protection.

Comments about Mens Saucony ProGrid Peregrine Trail Running Shoe:

I loved the look of the shoe and thought that they were the best shoes i have gotten in a long time

Comments about Mens Saucony ProGrid Peregrine Trail Running Shoe:

This shoe is fantastic, I'm actually thinking about buying another pair just incase they are discontinued. The fit is like a glove and the arch support is perfect for those with medium to high arches. The treads are super grippy and handle everything that I throw at it. It's really lightweight and is just all around a really solid shoe which I would recommend to anyone looking for a great trail running shoe.

Comments about Mens Saucony ProGrid Peregrine Trail Running Shoe:

I was finally able to break these shoes in this past week. I have enjoyed running in the Kirvara 2 road shoes and had been wanting to try a pair of their trail shoes. Other than a narrow toe box I found nothing wrong with this shoe.

Comments about Mens Saucony ProGrid Peregrine Trail Running Shoe:

i use this for trail races. probably wont be my trail trainer. I had been racing in inov8 mudroc 290, these shoes have more cushioning in forefoot and smoother transition.