Xodus Ultra

I loved this shoe until they put the rock guard in the toe, now it rubs the shit out my big right toe. Wife has these and loves them. I ran the soles off v1 and v2.

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 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.

Hello. As a lot of people say, a good road shoe will be good on the hard packed trails as well. But if you want a bit more traction and security, go with something that has a good foam and a smaller lugs. Options I’ve run in and like include: - Hoka Mafate Speed 4 / Tecton X - Salomon Genesis / Ultra Glide - La Sportiva Prodigio Pro - Merrell Agility Peak 5 - Brooks Catamount 4 - Saucony Xodus Ultra 1 / 2 (avoid the 3) For reference I am 85kg and usually run 30km / week.

As many people have said here, the SG6 is too firm and has lost some of its “fun”. The Merrell Agility Peak 5 is a good option. The Saucony Xodus Ultra 1 / 2 are great. Miss version 3. Version 4 is supposed to be a return to form. Salomon Genesis is a good shoe I’ve run 200km in but runs narrow. I am loving the Mafate 5 but it’s a marmite shoe for this community I’ve noticed. La Sportiva Prodigeo Pro has a lot of fans but the midsole is less stable, more bouncy and it’s not cheap. The North Face Vectiv Series are decent now - there’s a lot to choose from. Final option if you want great outsole grip is the VJ Ultra 3. Fab lockdown too.

Hello. I come from the same issue. I had major issues with Plantar Fasciitis after running in the Speedcross and S/Lab Speed for many years. My first shoe was the Hoka Speedgoat Evo. That was an epic shoe, but sold out everywhere so quickly I only ever ran in one pair. Since then I’ve tried many similar shoes, looking for great grip, soft and bouncy ride, but good stability as I over-pronate, plus I recently developed osteoarthritisin my big toes. So, I really rate the following: - Hoka Mafate Speed 4. Good all rounder - Salomon S/lab genesis. A little narrow and unstable but speedy and shed mud quickly - La Sportiva Prodigeo Pro - great foam and good grip, lightweight. - Saucony Xodus Ultra - 1 and 3 are pretty good, ignore the 2. - Hoka Tecton X 3 - my go-to race shoe for hard packed trails and gravel I like the Speedgoat, Catamount, Fuji Lite, Ultra Glide too but they all have compromises that the shoes above don’t have in the same way.

Hoka is my go-to for this sort of thing. Mafate 5 is super plush, bouncy and fun. Tecton X3 is great for gravel and works well in the technical stuff too. Anything else you look at will be heavy or narrow. I like Salomon a lot, but the S/Lab Genesis is a little too narrow for more than 25km, and the Ultra Glide doesn’t seem to have the real bounce conpared to the Hokas. Saucony Xodus Ultra is great over the distance, but I felt it was a little clunky and heavy - for some reason the Mafate felt more agile. Speaking of which - Merrell Agility Peak 5 would be a good choice. I hate to say it but I really dont rate many of the Asics trail shoes. Fuji Lite is fine for a daily but not for a race day shoe.

Does this trail shoe exist? I've been trail running in Western Washington for around 15yrs and been thru a lot of shoes. Here's what I'm looking for. I have shoes that have most of these features, but have not found one that has them all. About me: 50yo male, 210#, 25-35 miles per week (some weeks closer to 100 during the summer), steep/technical terrain, lots of rocks and slick durt/mud 1. Super foam midsole 2. Plate (rock plate or propulsion) 3. 6-8mm of drop. 4. Good energy return 5. 4-5mm lugs 6. Grippy (mostly) full rubber sole 7. Reasonably padded tongue 8. Stack in the 30mm-40mm range 9. Handle 30+ mile days 10. Can be found for $100 or less on sale Most recent shoes Merrell Agility Peak 5 - almost perfect but tongue is too thin and causes discomfort when having to tighten on steep downhills, good foam, but wish it had better energy return. Love the mega grip sole. Saucony Endorphin Rift - close to perfect. Main issue is the lack of plate leads to more rock strikes than I want. Great energy return. Nike Zegama 1 - great cushion and energy return. Sole didn't have enough grip and no plate. Saucony Xodus Ultra (v.1)- again very close but felt very unstable, rolling my ankle numerous times. I have a pair of North Face Vectiv Enduris 3 to try, but I know the 3mm lugs is will keep them from being my daily shoe, but that seems to be the only thing holding them back. Was a big fan of older Xodus series, but have not liked it as much since they switched to the Ultra series. Also less interested in the boutique brands since they are rarely on sale. Go thru too many shoes to be dropping $150+ every time. What am I missing that's out there? The cost piece can be anticipated due to brand (e.g. Merrell, North Face, Nike and Saucony go on sale or on Sierra.com).

I loved the 5s and despise the 6s. I am now liking Saucony Xodus Ultra quite a bit, but I have version 1s and 2s. I have read their 3s and 4s are not as well liked. 🫤

I’m in the same boat. Love the 5 and despise the 6. I went back to Saucony Xodus ultra, which I wore before. But I prefer the older versions of those too.

I loved the Xodus Ultra v1 but these days it's been replaced by the Merrell agility peak 5

What size are your feet? If you have small or big feet, you might be able to find a pair of Saucony Xodus ultra 1 or 2. They are my favorite forever! Enough cushion for 100 but my foot doesn’t wobble around like in Hokas. They feel much firmer to me. I also like the Endorphine Edge. I am interested in the Mount to coast but haven’t tried yet.