Saucony - Xodus Ultra

For Saucony you better look at the Xodus Ultra which is wider than the Peregrine.

I have Xodus Ultra 2 and it works well enough for me. Is 3 a similar fit?

My go to for 50k and under. The xodus is also a great shoe with some more cushion, they are bulkier and you’ll want to heal lock them if your heal is rolling on downhills.

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!

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!

Wha! Megagrip on Xodus? I gotta get some duck tape to make my current pair last til June now.

I have had a few trail running shoes. Xodus Ultra, Lone Peak, Terrex Agravic Speed, and now Speedgoats. They are all so different. Road shoes seem to be convalescing around some common principles related to uppers and midsoles, but trail shoes are still all over the place. I like a good heel counter in a trail shoe. Right now my favorites are my Speedgoat 5s. They were half the price of the Speedgoat 6 and they are really comfortable.

Saucony xodus ultra (v1)

Xodus ultra are my favourite. V1 and V2. Perigrine second place for shorter trails or muddy days. One thing I do is to re-sole the shoes (xodus ultra) after lose grip or spikes. New Vibram soles are great and give a seconde life.

Saucony xodus ultra 2

I am running the Puma Deviate Nitro 2 as my road shoe but they would certainly work on any trail that's not loose or muddy. The outsole is mostly rubberized and the grip is fantastic, the sole even has small lugs. I enjoyed the Xodus Ultra but the upper wore out quite quickly for me, big rips in the upper but plenty of mileage in the sole. Maybe less of an issue if you're not beating them up in ultras like I was.

Drop and stack height can depend on user preferences and training to a big extent. Shoe traction, trail surface, and how you run and place your feet also matter. I've run in 0mm to 8mm drop shoes over the years, all are fine for me. On some rocky/technical trails, I've actually been faster and more confident in Speedgoats (4mm) or the Saucony Xodus Ultra (6mm), both high stack shoes because I could stomp on whatever sharp rocks without concern vs lower stack shoes with more ground feel where eventually I'd be picking my way through sharp objects because of the repeated impacts. On the flip side, I'm slower with high stack shoes when going downhill on loose surfaces and making a lot of sharp turns. "Ideal" is kind of hard to think about for me. Generally? Specifically on certain surfaces or races or trails? It's all tradeoffs, you might be slower on the technicals but faster everywhere else in mid/high stack mid drop shoes. How much technical stuff are we talking here?

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'm on my third pair of Endorphin Edges and that's how my first pair looked after around 160 miles/257 km mainly on dry rocky US southwest trails. My second pair looked better at the same level of use on the same trails. My third pair is around 100 km and looks to be close to my second pair. I took them out to 300 miles but was more careful on traction for the last bit. Similar results on both pairs of my Xodus Ultra 2s and Peregrine 12. So normal for Saucony but on the lower end for trail shoes in general. What is particularly concerning for me was the damage and peeling from the outsole cutouts and straight up losing chunks of outsole lugs as opposed to having them wear down like in other shoes. It's a shame, because I love the fit of the Endorphin Edge and it's otherwise very durable in the upper and midsole since I retired them from harder trails but still use them for easier trails and roads. I hope Saucony addresses this and was surprised to see their trail line wane after 2020-2023.

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.

Yes but it's not just the high stack for me. Outsole grip/traction, upper fabric security (does it stretch a lot or keep my feet directly over the sole at all times?), and how soft/firm the cushioning is matter some too. I'd still wear high stack shoes like Speedgoats, Xodus Ultra 1-2, and others over loose rocky terrain but will slow down to maintain stability. I wouldn't be running them much faster with lower stack shoes because the risk and consequences is still higher and I'd be making trade offs with foot comfort and overall pace e.g., faster and more comfy the rest of the time vs being slightly faster on rocks but overall slower because after a while my feet get punctured.

Yes I'd say it's for comfort, the high stack stuff is oriented to long runs, hikes, and ultras. The brand's sponsored athletes likely have a say too, meaning that the shoe may be oriented to particular types of trails or races. I like high stack on occasion but still prefer the shoe to be on the lighter side when possible. I liked the Saucony Xodus Ultra 1 and 2 but the 3 got a bit bloated to me.

Yes I'd say it's for comfort, the high stack stuff is oriented to long runs, hikes, and ultras. The brand's sponsored athletes likely have a say too, meaning that the shoe may be oriented to particular types of trails or races. I like high stack on occasion but still prefer the shoe to be on the lighter side when possible. I liked the Saucony Xodus Ultra 1 and 2 but the 3 got a bit bloated to me.

I had one pair of the XU1 and 2 pairs of the XU2. Durability in XU1 was acceptable, got around 300 miles overall, much of it in the mountains above treeline. Traction was fine but not stellar. Durability of the XU2 was worse, I lost several outsole lugs and the upper began fraying/tearing by 170 miles, lasted out to 250 or so before I had to retire them. No idea on the XU3 and after.

I had one pair of the XU1 and 2 pairs of the XU2. Durability in XU1 was acceptable, got around 300 miles overall, much of it in the mountains above treeline. Traction was fine but not stellar. Durability of the XU2 was worse, I lost several outsole lugs and the upper began fraying/tearing by 170 miles, lasted out to 250 or so before I had to retire them. No idea on the XU3 and after.

I have >200 miles in my Nnormal Tomir 2s, spanning short steep runs to 20 mile runs with >5,000 feet of climbing at altitude. Previously ran in Saucony Xodus Ultra, Endorphin Edge, and Endorphin (g)rift. Traction and durability on the Tomir 2 are great. They are on the firm side, even with the mileage I put on them so far, and lean on fast feeling given my previous shoes. I would want more underfoot cushioning for anything beyond a marathon or 50K. To me, these are medium generalist leaning shoes, great for racking up miles and training. Fit was a touch too narrow at first, I have wide feet. Took around 50 miles for the insole to pack down and the upper to stretch and flex a bit. Fits comfortably snug now. For the long stuff I am using the Mount to Coast T1. Comfortable fit for my toes, good underfoot cushioning, yet light and fast enough that I don't feel like I'm working too hard when running uphill or picking up the pace. I have ~80 miles on them so far, really just a few long runs, they're great. Durability looks good but need to take them out to at least 200 to say more. If these still look good after 300 miles I would switch completely to them and not get another pair of the Tomir 2s.

Absolutely adored the OG-EUs. Also quite like this year's New Balance Hierros (I was a tester last summer).