Saucony - Peregrine 13 ST

I usually lean towards lower stack and firmer cushioning shoes with at least 4.5+ mm lugs/tread. There used to be more commonly available soft ground options like the Altra King MT and Saucony Peregrine 13 ST but these may be harder to find. I've had good results with the regular Peregrine in the sense that they work better than high stack shoes like the Speedgoat, but they aren't optimized for soft ground.

I have >150 miles in the Tomir 2.0 and previously ran in the Xodus Ultra 1 and 2, and Peregrine 13. Also >500 miles in 2 pairs of the Endorphin Edge. Typically run on hard packed rocky trails. First 50-70 or so miles in the Tomir 2.0 felt a bit narrow in the forefoot/toebox. Not a big issue for short runs, moderately uncomfortable for longer runs. Loosening the laces helped a bit. After 70 miles, the insole has packed down and the upper fabric has loosened so they are generally fine for me on longer runs. I know it's not a case of my feet acclimating to being squeezed because my road shoes were squeezing my feet the whole time until I replaced them recently with the wider Mount to Coast R1. I've done several 20+ mile >4,000 foot runs in the Tomir 2.0 with some moderately technical sections, no width related issues anymore. The cushioning is on the firm side and took some getting used to. Endorphin Edge generally felt like a straight upgrade to the Xodus, lighter and faster feeling at higher paces. Some reviewers reported stability issues but I suspect it's due to (1) the Endorphin Edge being too wide for people who run in Hokas and Nikes, (2) high/max stack, and (3) the Endorphin Edge's plate. In my use, I had to slow down slightly on the looser and more technical downhills particularly when making turns but was notably faster with less effort and more comfort everywhere else. Main downside is that it's a struggle for me to get 300 miles out of a pair because the outsole peeled where the cutouts are, and that the outsole material itself doesn't flex well so I've lost chunks of outsole. It was worth the money when on sale but might be harder to find now. I just pre ordered the Mount to Coast T1 and am hoping it will be a good ultra shoe for me. I've had their R1 road shoes for some time and it fits and runs well for me.

I have ~100 miles in the Tomir 2 and ran extensively in the Endorphin Edge, Peregrine, Xodus Ultra, and Speedgoat. For me, the Tomir 2.0 is most like the Peregrine but with better traction. I wouldn't use the Peregrine in anything over a marathon and ditto with the Tomir 2.0. The main selling point of the Tomir 2 to me is better traction and overall shoe life (remains to be seen) since my Peregrines were done after 270 miles on my usual rocky trails. Of these, I like the Endorphin Edge the most and used it for my recent races and long runs. Outsole life and traction need improvement though, I've straight up lost chunks of outsole.

There isn't a best because user preferences and characteristics vary so you really gotta try them. Even then, some shoes fit and perform notably differently when new vs when you have 50 miles in them. I like the Peregrines but go for the Endorphin Edge and Rift when I want more cushioning and the Nnormal Tomir 2 when I want better grip. My Peregrines have nearly 250 miles of very rough terrain on them so they're about toast.

Inov8 trailfly / trailtalon Saucony Xodus or Peregrine (ST version is soft terrain and has more aggressive lugs) Hoka Speedgoat VJ Maxx 2 Scarpa Spin ST Not enough traction in mud: Altra lone peak, new Balance Hierro, inov8 parkclaw

There's going to be a compromise: you need aggressive lugs for snow and mud, but aggressive lugs aren't comfortable on road and wear down faster. So you need to decide for yourself what's more important to you and then choose the shoe accordingly. Examples of trail shoes with less aggressive lugs good for running on road: Inov8 Parkclaw, New Balance Hierro. Examples of trail shoes with aggressive lugs good for optimal grip in mud: Salomon Speedcross, INOV8 Mudclaw, ST version of the Saucony Peregrine. Many trail shoes including the regular (non-ST) version of the Peregrine are in between these two extremes.

There isn’t a shoe that will work well in fells and road. You’ll have to sacrifice one or the other. There’s unfortunately no shoe that does it all. NVII Terra TT, VJ Xtrm have a bit nicer protection than Inov8s while being a proper hill shoe with superb grip. Various Scott Supertrac versions have more cushioning but they often have a very “dead” feeling on the road. Saucony Peregrine ST are very decent in mud but not so good on the rock and feel a bit burly. More than decent on the road as far as shoes go. Hoka Mafate/Tecton are great on more groomed trails but wouldn’t be my choice for most hill races in Scotland. Ditto on Saucony Xodus.

LS Prodigio, Merrell Agility Peak and Topo MTN Racer as my go-tos. LS Bushido for techy shorter stuff. Saucony Peregrine ST for mud. Old pair of Cascadias with screws for the snow and ice.

I loved the performance of the peregrine 13s but that soft foam in the middle of the heel completely ruins them.

Saucony Peregrine 13. They just made running seem so... Fun?

I have the Peregrine 13s and love them. Have you tried any of their road shoes, specifically the Kinvara? It looks to be the road version of the peregrine (4mm drop).

Personally I'm not a fan of Goretex (or any waterproof) trail running shoe - water will still get in, and then it just sits there. Get something easily drainable and breathable. E.g. Saucony Peregrines.

I run through rivers or in my Saucony Peregrines - my feet get wet for a minute or so and then dry themselves. If you run through snow/puddles in GTX, the water will come in over the lip and pool up inside your shoe.

ran my first trail race in the Peregrine 13. they're great on the muddy and rocky terrain

Had had the peregrine and they were good for short distance but by about 13 miles in my feet were shot bc the sole was hard and the feet took a beating. I like a softer sole to cushion though.

There are so many different trail shoes out there that I like to try different pairs when I get new ones, the problem with this is I don’t really know how they will be during longer races. They can feel great for 3-4 hours, but it’s hard to tell how my feet will feel after 8+ hours so I thought I would list the ones I have tried and see what you guys think. Saucony Endorphin Edge- My current “race” shoe. I got them on sale. I wore for shorter distances and they are fine, then I wore them for 2 different 50k and they gave me heel blisters both times. Saucony Peregrine 13- I like these, light, comfortable, but worried about how they would feel after 30+ miles. Saucony Xodus Ultra- I really liked these, but I had them when I wasn’t running as many miles. Also the 3’s have mixed reviews so that makes me nervous to try. Hoka Speedgoat 5- These felt just too chunky. They were comfortable, but just too big. Salomon Ultra Glide 2- These are just fine. I don’t like or hate them, just ok. Also I did a road 50 mile with Saucony Endorphin 3 Pro and my feet were fine, no problems at all. Also my feet are average/narrow so a wide toe box is not a big deal. I was thinking of trying the Nnormal Tomir 2 or Topo’s, but I don’t know anyone who has actually had these and if I’m just being hooked by the marketing, of course sponsored athletes will hype them up. Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance!

There are so many different trail shoes out there that I like to try different pairs when I get new ones, the problem with this is I don’t really know how they will be during longer races. They can feel great for 3-4 hours, but it’s hard to tell how my feet will feel after 8+ hours so I thought I would list the ones I have tried and see what you guys think. Saucony Endorphin Edge- My current “race” shoe. I got them on sale. I wore for shorter distances and they are fine, then I wore them for 2 different 50k and they gave me heel blisters both times. Saucony Peregrine 13- I like these, light, comfortable, but worried about how they would feel after 30+ miles. Saucony Xodus Ultra- I really liked these, but I had them when I wasn’t running as many miles. Also the 3’s have mixed reviews so that makes me nervous to try. Hoka Speedgoat 5- These felt just too chunky. They were comfortable, but just too big. Salomon Ultra Glide 2- These are just fine. I don’t like or hate them, just ok. Also I did a road 50 mile with Saucony Endorphin 3 Pro and my feet were fine, no problems at all. Also my feet are average/narrow so a wide toe box is not a big deal. I was thinking of trying the Nnormal Tomir 2 or Topo’s, but I don’t know anyone who has actually had these and if I’m just being hooked by the marketing, of course sponsored athletes will hype them up. Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance!

Peregrine are my favorite trail shoes. They just fit my feet very well so I’ve stuck with the line for about 8 years. I don’t remember which design was the 11 but I do know it’s an older model. I think they’re are up to 14 now. I use the 13 currently and it has been one of the more durable models. The 12’s fell apart very quickly for me. I like the low drop, integrated tongue, and tread design. The tread on the 13 is good at giving traction without holding on to mud.