Trail running shoe review by Sarah Barber, a lifetime resident of Boise, Idaho, Barber has been a Life Flight Paramedic for seventeen years, and currently works in a dual capacity as a clinician and a Quality Manager. When she’s not flying in helicopters or collecting data for continuous quality improvement, she can be found trail running with her dog and camping with her husband in the mountains of her home state and throughout the northwest.
Saucony’s newest member of their trail shoe family is the Peregrine 13. Triskaidekaphobics, sit down: nothing about this shoe is unlucky. With three different models designed for speed, slop, or wet, the Peregrine 13 collection covers all conditions. Straight out of the box, I was struck by the stark whiteness of the shoe (three other colors are available) which begged the question: how would I feel about them getting sullied by trail dust or—worse—mud? But that thought was almost as fleet as the shoes themselves proved to be over the nontechnical dirt where I first tested them.
Despite having 5 mm lugs on the soles, the ground is still surprisingly perceptible—just enough, in fact, that I would have known I was on a trail rather than a paved road even if I hadn’t been able to see. That being said, the relatively stiff midsole makes this shoe more agile and responsive on dirt than most road shoes are on an oval track.
Saucony Peregrine 13
When I encountered several miles of frozen mud, pock-marked with footprints and rutted by mountain bike wheels, I was impressed at the confidence I felt in my ability to stay upright. Ordinarily, I find such surfaces unpleasant at best and orthopedically risky at worst. However, the Peregrine 13 held its ground—literally. On at least a half-dozen occasions, I felt my ankle threaten to roll, but the tread clung to the uneven terrain, and the stiff sole kept my body vertical. Stability is a non-negotiable feature for any serious off-roading, and the Peregrine 13 is virtually clutz-proof, even for me.
If conditions require gaiters, the Peregrine 13 has a nifty lightweight metal D-ring at the base of the laces, perfectly located as an attachment point for the sand shield of choice. This feature alone is enough to make me consider regular use of gaiters without concern for excessive wear on the mid-point of the lace or the nylon of the upper. And speaking of upper, the toe is reinforced with a rock-hard rock guard that refuses to flex under pressure, so I know my summer pedicures will be safe. Along the same lines, the heavy-duty mesh encasing the rest of the foot is light and breathable, which suits desert running in August. Although I didn’t have an opportunity to run through any streams, I suspect the same quality would allow for decent drainage if conditions required it.
Anyone seeking a plush ride should look elsewhere, as the Peregrine 13 delivers a rebound that’s more Jeep than Cadillac. At the same time, don’t expect the speed of a Ferrari if you’re driving a Jeep. The Peregrine 13 wants nothing to do with pavement, but that’s okay—because neither do I! For trail racing, this shoe is ideal.
Saucony Peregrine 13
Saucony has over one-hundred years of shoe-making experience, and the proficiency curve is steep. Named for the predatory peregrine falcon, the fastest flying bird on earth, the Peregrine 13 is billed as “vegan” and contains recycled materials, indicating that Saucony is as forward-thinking as is shoes are forward-moving. In the increasingly competitive market of trail shoes, if the Peregrine line is the question, the answer is YES.
- Heel-toe drop: 4 mm
- Weight: 8.1 oz (230 gm)
- Suggested retail price: $140
Additional articles featuring Saucony can be found here.
