Saucony Progrid Peregrine
	Full Name: Saucony Progrid Peregrine
	Category: Trail Running
	Weight: 9 oz. ( gr.)
	Suggested Price: $90
	Recommended For: Trail Runners in search of a minimal feel

• Saucony Peregrine General Info:

Saucony introduced the Peregrine, a trail shoe based on the very popular Saucony Kinvara road shoe, in February of 2011 to a lot of critical acclaim in the trail running shoe industry. The shoe edges into the minimalist trail running movement without sacrificing the substance and protection that one needs in a go-to trail runner/ racing shoe. I have had the pleasure of putting this shoe through the paces of a Colorado winter filled with trail running, and after approximately 160 miles, the Peregrine has continued to impress me with it’s lightweight cushioning, durability, and excellent traction on rugged terrain.
In this review I hope to provide some helpful information for those looking to see if the Peregrine is the right trail shoe for them. The Peregrine runs true to size and weighing 10.1 oz is a very light, yet protective, minimalist trail shoe. The Peregrine is an ideal training shoe for mild to moderate pronators who are looking for a fast and responsive feeling trail shoe with great traction.

• Saucony Peregrine Midsole:

The Peregrine features the same 4mm heel drop as the Kinvara (18mm heel to 14mm toe). This low drop makes the shoe very agile on technical trail. The midsole also has a good amount of adequately firm cushioning from heel to forefoot that kept my feet protected for the long haul. Saucony uses the same ProGrid lite foam in the heel and SSL (Saucony Super Lite) foam in the forefoot. Support comes in the form of an “external bedrock outsole” which not only protects the foot and acts as a rockplate, but also lends itself to providing some medial support for mild to moderate pronators.

Peregrine Front View

• Saucony Peregrine Outsole:

The Peregine’s outsole features aggressive lugs and ridges made of a durable carbon rubber compound that felt very grippy over rocks and on muddy trail. This outsole material is harder, and more durable, than most of the shoes I test but it melded nicely with the cushioning to provide an agile transition and fully conceptualized ride. The only drawback I found to having this aggressive outsole was that it picked up a good deal mud and clay that was difficult to shed during the run.

• Saucony Peregrine Upper:

The Peregrine’s upper features a closed mesh synthetic upper with a synthetic leather webbing that provides protection from the elements and support. Saucony chose to go with oval laces as well as a gussetted tongue that kept debris out of the shoes during even muddy runs. The heel collar is well padded and rides well below the ankle to reduce irritation and improve mobility. The shoe gives you that “locked down” feeling that is a must have for trail shoes. This upper errs neither on the side of minimalist nor built up. It sits right in the middle of the spectrum of functionality.

Peregrine Upper

In the past, especially with their road shoes, Saucony constructed the toe box of their shoes in a very shallow fashion, meaning that one’s toes could not wiggle up at all without encountering resistance from the upper. At times this was accompanied by very tapered lasts on the shoes that made for a somewhat narrow and shallow toe box. For this reason, I was unable to wear Saucony shoes successfully in the past. However, the Kinvara changed all of that and the Peregrines sport a deeper and wider toe box that accommodated my average width feet quite well and left my toes room to splay a bit as they would in natural running.
On runs above 70 degrees I did feel like my feet were a little warm even when wearing very thin socks. Conversely, they did protect very well from snow, slush, and mud.

• Saucony Peregrine Opinion:

Already the Peregrine has received praises for showing versatility and moderation in a trail shoe market that is currently polarized between very minimalist and overbuilt trail shoes. I was very impressed with this shoe right out of box and my satisfaction with this shoe only grew the more I ran in it. The Peregrine feels minimal, light, and flexible, yet it is also protective and supportive enough to wear on gnarly trails for long trail runs.
However, the Peregrine could also be used as an everyday running shoe for those who spend time on both roads and trails. I found that the Peregrine adapted well to the roads (much better than most trail shoes) and the smooth heel to toe transition allows it to perform well in all conditions.

Let us know what you think of this shoe in the comments!

Review by Thomas Caughlan

• Saucony Peregrine Price Comparison: