Saucony - Peregrine 4

At $200 and difficult to find now, I'm cheap and save mine for races and a few long runs with speed work. Otherwise, it's older models of the Peregrine for training. 😔

I Have had the Peregrine 3s and 4s, loved them so much, ran some 50+ mile trail ultras in them no problem, comfortable from start to finish. Just bought the new 5s and they were horrible. I can't work out how they were so bad. I have seen other people say how much they love them so it's a clearly a good shoe, I just can't work out why it feels so different? Anyone else noticed anything odd about them?

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 loved the older Peregrine's but the new ones quality is absolute trash. I've moved over to Nnormals and don't see myself going back. Tomirs will probably fit your foot best, Kjerag is more "like" the Peregrine IMO (stiffer foam, lighter) but you may find them tight. Good luck!

I love my Peregrines, have been running/hiking in them for a long time. The 15s just came out. I have been more of a fan of even numbers (12/14 over the 11/13, 14s have been my favorite in a long time) personally. I haven't tried the 15s yet. There wasn't anything wrong with them, but just my preference lately, so I'd still recommend them unless you wanted to get a more recent one which are all getting marked down in price now. 

If they aren't working, there isn't much you can do. I find that higher stack height shoes - the Calderas are 38mm/32mm in heel/toe - I tend to roll my ankles more and look for something closer to the ground. The Cascadias are 33mm/25mm, so your foot sits much closer to the ground, and you may be noticing this. I like Saucony Peregrines which are 28/24, about half an inch closer to the ground than the Calderas. Unfortunately, a lot of the max cushioning shoes tend to have higher stack heights.  You can otherwise look for more "stable" and wider sole shoes, but too wide and your gait changes. Or, mid top boots for better stability. You can always keep the Calderas and use them on non technical trails.

I'm in the exact same boat. Started with the Peregrine, went to Speedboat, back to Peregrine. Have a number of pairs of both floating around. I find the Hoka stickier, but better tred (that doesn't fall apart quickly) on the Peregrine.

Personally I don't like waterproof trail runners. They're ok for short runs but they overheat (as you said) or if they do get wet they stay wet for ages. It takes forever for them to dry. If you're here in summer even if your feet do get wet they shouldn't get too cold. I don't bother with waterproof socks in summer, again I overheat. In winter though they can be very useful. I'm not going to suggest a specific shoe as the fit is far too personal. I've had a lot of pairs of Saucony Peregrines and live on the Pennines (same hills as the Peak District). They have a 4mm drop so you might prefer something with more padding. I know a lot of people that use Inov8s Mudclaws etc etc but they're too thin for me. Hokas obviously and Altras if you prefer a wide toebox. I'd recommend going to a running shop and trying some on. Have you tried asking the event organisers to see what they suggest? They know the route so should be able to tell you what the surface and ground conditions will be like.

I've never had peregrines last all that long going back to the 5s I started with. I don't find the traction to be bad on wet rocks though.

I’d recommend a non Gore Tex as your first and level upon the type of socks your going to wear so your feet stay warm. Do I have a pair of gore Tex shoes, yes, but they aren’t my only pair and I only use they certain times of the year. Trail running, where I live always, always ends up crossing some stream or running thru a puddle or something that your feet will get wet. With a Gore Tex shoe, once the water gets inside it doesn’t drain out and you end up running in soaked feet which your trying to avoid because otherwise why pay for the Gore Tex. Don’t get me wrong it has its place but I’d either have this as another pair or two before buy a pair with Gore Tex. I like and seem to always gravitate towards Brooks Cascadia, Saucony Peregrine and the New Balance Summit Unknown. All three feel different, breathe different, cushioning is a little different and fit slightly different but that’s what I like about them. I try and pick up shoes online that are last years models to save which loosely justifies having two pairs or more if you want. Hope this is helpful and keep going.

Fan of peregrine and even had those older model exodus (the tanks!) and liked them, but something didn’t click for me in the Xodus Ultra. Really wanted to love them. But I just always felt flat running in them, and failed to get a lockdown fit. Nowadays prefer shoes with a bit more flexibility too. Such an odd experience considering the rave reviews! Glad they worked out for someone though!