Run Oregon receives and tests running shoes from time to time. This post is the second of about the Saucony Peregrine 5, which Matt has been testing. This post goes further into Matt’s first 50 miles with these shoes. Check out the initial post here.
Shoe: Saucony Men’s Peregrine 5
Here is a reminder of the technical details:
SPECS
- Shoe Category: Neutral, Trail
- Pronation: Neutral
- Cushion: Responsive
- Construction Type: Trail
- Surface: Trail, Grass
- Arch Type: Normal (Mid)
- Water Resistant: No
- Waterproof: No
- Offset: 4mm
- Heel Stack Height: 21.5mm
- Forefoot Stack Height: 17.5mm
Comfort, Fit, and Wear:
I have put in miles on these shoes at Tualatin Hills Nature park, Tryon Creek State Park, and at the Peterson Ridge Rumble 20-miler in Sisters. Despite an initial concern that the 4mm drop would be a drastically different feel (I usually run in 7-8 mm drops), these shoes feel great. I have had no lower body issues and my calves and feet have been supported well by the Peregrines.
The terrain I have run in has been a great cross-section for the cushioning. Tualatin Hills had a combo of paved trails, as well as some trails that were very easily navigable and featured loose rock and bark trails.My run at Tryon Creek Park took things up a notch and added in some wet/muddy sections,longer inclines, and dirt trails with roots. The Peterson Ridge Rumble was 20 miles of rock-filled dirt trails. The Peregrine 5’s have held up to the challenge in both comfort and function. The cushion is extremely solid, and running on jagged rocks or roots haveyielded no ill effects. The deep and multi-directional grooves allowed for really solid grip when climbing both dirt and mud-lined trails. Despite the deep grooves, they were stil lable to shed the mud without issue.
I have found that I need to tie these tighter that I have to in all my other shoes. Being that this is my first “real” pair of true trail shoes, I am not sure if this is the case across that style? From my research, the fit is a bit roomier than the Peregrine 4, which would indicated it is not quite as snug and prove my hypothesis. However, even when being laced up tight, there is plenty of room for breathability and my feet never feel constricted.
I am very thankful that the Peregrine 5’s have an extended rubberized toe tip, as this has saved me on numerous occasions. During the Peterson Ridge Rumble, I fell twice and went foot first into countless other rocks adoring the trail. Despite the inability to pick my feet up, the shoes are no worse for wear as a result of this feature.
It’s only been 50 miles of trail work, but I feel as if these will last for quite some time and remain comfortable and functional. They are very easy on the feet (though that does take away from being able to “feel” the trail – if you are into that) and have held up to a variety of conditions without incident. I really enjoy these shoes and now look forward to hitting the trails more than I ever have before.
Amazon: Saucony Men’s Peregrine 5
