Saucony Men's Peregrine 12 Gore-tex Trail Running Shoe

Product Information

The tongue is thick and plush, excellent for protection, and distributes pressure more evenly when you crank down the laces. Katherine Takai is a consultant and endurance sport enthusiast in constant pursuit of new running adventures and the optimal shoes to take her there. The Peregrine 12 lives up to the marketing claims, as Saucony designers did a great job stripping this shoe of any unnecessary material to improve speed and performance.

That’s done along the lacing area to create some structure so that when you pull the laces together, it creates this cage, this wrap, from the heel all the way down to the toes. The toe box is protected by a hard bumper offering forgiveness from ramming toes into rocks, roots, and hazards.The Saucony Peregrine 12’s fit feels a lot like some of recent Asics running shoes – snug in the forefoot, but long in the front. In the warmer spring/summer months, these will likely be a great option because of the breathability factor. The Peregrine 12 flies over soft or slippery ground, and the narrow platform nimbly front points through tight sections. But according to the manufacturer, this newest iteration has received a "complete revamp," focused on cutting weight and enhancing speed and agility.

Featuring a new design that’s been formulated to give you more room and more comfort as you take on extra miles. It’s worth noting that while Saucony has named the shoe after the Peregrine Falcon – a bird that can dive bomb at speeds up to 200 miles (390 km) an hour – this running shoe is not a trail racer. The Saucony Peregrine 12 can be weighed directly against the Salomon Speedcross 6, our top pick for traction. For example, the Peregrine 12’s firm EVA foam midsole (Pwrrun) is well behaved during fast trail runs. It’s got the PWRRUN+ sock liner that adds a little bounce and spring to it while also doing some work to diffuse the poking and pressure of the ground.The only situation when traction was questionable was on rock when the outsole was wet from stream crossings. First, the lockdown of the midfoot provides the necessary stability for quick movements and turns required on trails. With 4mm of drop, the whole package feels delightfully neutral, and while 23mm under the forefoot doesn't feel like a racing flat, the Peregrine 11 feels more stable than higher stacked competitors.

The 12 feels slightly more flexible than previous versions and I was able to run about 3 miles on pavement in them before getting hot spots at my lateral forefoot. One recommendation for future models – which could result in an even lighter shoe – is to lower the heel cup to avoid irritation at the heel/Achilles. Due to the stiffness of the foam, it does place some additional stress on the lower leg due to decreased surface compliance. For example, while it suffices for everyday trail runs of distances up to 5K – 10 K, it’s neither a balanced road-trail hybrid like the Nike Pegasus Trail 3, nor an ultra-worthy shoe like the Hoka Challenger ATR 6 or New Balance More Trail V3. A flexible rock plate is sandwiched between the midsole and outsole, and does an excellent job of protecting the foot against roots and large gravel.But on flat-out sections and especially scrambling through rock gardens, the stiff, "cleat-like" feel is erratic and downright unsteady in spots.