I haven’t worn any Saucony shoes since the original version of the Peregrine.  I loved that shoe, but the cramped toe box (and resulting blisters) kept me away.  After 60 miles and several long runs, I took them out of my rotation and never really had an opportunity to try any of the revisions.  Upon inspection this 4th version still looked very similar to that first pair, with obvious updates like a more aggressive tread pattern.  The toe box still looks narrow, but when I put them on I was pleasantly surprised.  The tightness that cramped my pinky toe in v1 seemed to be gone.

So…who am I to turn down a new shoe to try?  When I got home I realized that my original pair was in the back of my closet.  So I did what any proper shoe geek would do.  I tried one of each on so I could compare.  My initial impressions were correct.  The toe box WAS more roomy.  I was happy about that and decided to take them right out.

My first run was a 10 mile jaunt on the snowmobile trails.  While not the best test for traction, they performed incredibly well.  I had less slippage than usual for the conditions.  I kept thinking how fast, light and agile they felt, kind of like the New Balance MT110.  I was also thinking that this is the direction I would have taken with the next version of the MT110.  Keep the snug fit, add more traction and a bit more cushioning.   That would make them just about perfect.  It looks like Saucony beat them to the punch.  The Peregrine 4’s have a firm feel, with not a ton of cushioning, but they are by no means a minimal shoe.  Perhaps when the temperatures warm up a bit they will feel more cushioned.  The cold affects some shoes more than others.

Being a motorcycle guy and gear head,  I get warm fuzzy feelings seeing the real nylon fiber rock protection plate underfoot.  It makes this shoe look very “techy”.  And, for whatever it’s worth, it’s a great looking shoe with lots of welded overlays and multi direction lugs.  Saucony claims 9.4 Oz for size 9, and my size 10.5 weighs in at 10.4oz.

That’s not a flyweight shoe, but certainly plenty light for a rugged trail shoe.  Running Warehouse reports lists the Peregrine 4 at 4mm drop (26mm heel, 22mm forefoot), and that is what they feel like to me.  I found them to run true to size, with a snug fit over the forefoot and a performance (but not overly tight) fit in the toe box.  The heel is very locked down, and the midsole below the heel contains what Saucony calls a “PowerGrid” heel insert that is supposed to keep your foot centered.  I guess it works because I never thought “hmmm, my foot is not centered!”

I have run 100 miles in these shoes over 9 runs, including a 20 and 23 miler.  Probably 30-35 of those miles have been on pavement.  They are showing almost zero wear, making me think that the rubber is very durable.  Because of our very cold and snowy winter here in New Hampshire, I have not been able to try them in summer trail conditions.  All of our trails are frozen and covered by snowmobile tracks.  Great fun, but I have no idea how they will perform in mud and over rocks.  I can’t imagine they will be anything other than awesome.

The only thing I’m not crazy about is the very stiff heel counter.  I like a very soft or non-existent heel counter.  I find that when I run a lot of hills with a shoe like this my heel gets irritated, but this is just a personal preference.

I am pleasantly surprised at this shoe.  It really wasn’t on my radar and I’m glad that Pete passed them over to me.  Unlike the first version, this pair won’t be sitting in the back of my shoe closet.  As a matter of fact, they are right next to my front door, ready to be worn again tomorrow.

In the US, the Saucony Peregrine 4 is available for purchase at Running Warehouse, Amazon.com, and Zappos. Outside of the US it can be purchased at Sportsshoes.com.

A little over a year ago I emailed my contact at Skechers about building me the “ultimate ultra-marathon shoe”.  I simply wanted to bounce some ideas off of him, but as it turns out my timing was perfect.  Another wear tester/team member was having a very similar conversation and Skechers had already been warming up to the idea of producing a highly cushioned shoe for (really) long distance running.  I gave them a list of what I would like to build.  Some of the things I asked for included Hoka-type cushioning, but with a more flexible and breathable upper.  I also wanted more traction and a more performance oriented fit.

About 4 weeks later they sent me an email with a C.A.D. image of a new sole.  I was blown away at how aggressive it looked.  We talked a few times more and then I kind of forgot about the entire project.  Then one day, out of the blue, I received a package with an entirely new shoe.  It was a first run GRU (Go Run Ultra).  I really like what I saw, and was excited that the shoe had so many of the elements that I had asked for.  It was light.  It was flexible.  It had incredible traction.  It had a roomy toe box. It felt like running on a cloud.  I was impressed.  For me, the biggest surprise was how well they feel on paved roads.  Although they have one of the most aggressive tread patterns, the softer material feels extremely smooth on hard flat surfaces.  They are an excellent “road to trail” shoe.

And now, after several revisions, the Skechers GoRun Ultra is available to the public.  Here are the specs:

Drop: 4mm (8mm with the included sockliner)
Stack Height: Forefoot 23/Heel 27
Weight: 9.5oz (claimed 9.5 mens.  Actual for 10.5 mens was 9.9)
Resalyte midsole/Resagrip outsole
Synthetic mesh fabric upper
Synthetic overlays for stability

The shoe has 65% more Resalyte cushioning than the GoRun Ride model, and the Ride is a great feeling shoe.  The result is a shoe that feels like a Hoka.  But with more flexibility.  And more traction.  Oh yeah, and here is the kicker, it retails for only $80.

All is not perfect though.  Is it ever?  My biggest concern is with the “Vamp” material.  This is the piece of material that makes up the area over your toes on the top of the shoe.  It extends to become the tongue.  It is made out of a stretchy material that I find holds water longer than most shoes.  It drives me crazy.  And it drove me crazy on the Go Bionic Trail as well.

I have talked with other Skechers users and testers who have zero problem with it.  As a matter of fact, the runner who had the most feedback on the GRU (Robert Youngren – read his post on helping design the GoRun Ultra) used them to run Hardrock this year and feels that it drains well.  I guess I’m a little like the “Princess and the Pea” when it comes to being picky about my shoes.

One other thing that I feel is worth mentioning is the method used to create the tongue.  In order to create a tongue that doesn’t let any dirt in, Skechers simply uses the vamp material and extends it into a tongue.  It is stitched on the sides to the shoe, which creates an alternative way to make it gusseted.  For low volume feet like mine, it causes some bunching at the front of the lace area.  It is not enough to be felt while wearing the shoe, but I would like to see a more traditional way of building the tongue to avoid this issue and allow me to snug the upper even more.  I have this “bunching” problem with many other brands as well, but with the Skechers it is a bit more pronounced.  I am the only person I know of that has had this issue with this particular shoe, so if you don’t have low volume feet I wouldn’t worry about it.  I did find that the bunching was minimized by sizing down one half size (10 from my usual 10.5).  This model runs a tad large, so I suggest you size down the same amount if you can’t try them on to check first.

I think that Skechers has a huge hit on their hands with this shoe.  Many people who are interested in maximally cushioned shoes are hesitant to take the plunge when the cost is so high on many of the alternatives.  At only $80 they are one of the best values on the market.   If you want a shoe that you can run in day after day without getting beat up, you should really give them a try.

The Skechers GoRun Ultra is available for purchase at Shoebuy(get 20% off through 12/20 with code 20DECEMBER – $63.96 for this shoe!) and at Skechers.com.