SHOE REVIEW: Saucony Peregrine 12

Named after the fastest bird on earth, the new Saucony Peregrine 12 certainly lives up to its name. The shoe was designed for those looking to rip it up on the trails, as it has a combination of aggressive traction and a minimalistic upper for making serious time. The brand made several changes from the previous version, cutting down on the weight but not sacrificing the traction to help runners feel confident travelling over tough terrain.

Category: Trail neutral cushioning
Drop: 4 mm
Weight: 275 g (men’s size 9)
Stack height: 26.5 mm
Available: Now
MSRP: $159.99

Upper

The Peregrine’s aggressive lugs complement the simple, aesthetically pleasing design of the upper. The upper is the biggest improvement over the previous version. Saucony has trimmed 30 grams off the previous model, reducing a lot of the nonessential padding in the tongue and the heel collar – replacing it with more flexible and breathable materials. The lightweight upper has flexible overlays to protect your feet against trail elements. The new design and flexible mesh fabric will help you feel secure and protected on your run.

Midsole

This shoe once again uses Saucony’s PWRRUN midsole, which has been featured in all previous Peregrines since version 10. The PWRRUN midsole is built for durability, which will help the shoe last hundreds of miles on the trails. Despite being a lighter trail shoe, the midsole still feels spongy on soft surfaces but a tad hard on the roads.

Although it is not visible, there is a thin layer of Saucony’s higher-end PWRRUN+ foam on top of the midsole. This is to give the shoe a little bit of extra cushion, bounce and comfort on top of the standard PWRRUN midsole.

Outsole and grip

The 5 mm PWRTRAC lugs on the outsole are, hands down, the shoe’s best feature No matter the surface you’re running on, the grip on the Peregrine 12 is something you can trust to keep you on two feet. The multi-directional rubber PWRTRAC lugs provide great traction while running uphill on soft terrain or mud.

Verdict

Overall, the Peregrine 12 is a great improvement on the 11. If you are looking for a lightweight trail shoe that will excel in muddy conditions, this shoe is for you. With its dramatic weight reduction, the Peregrine 12 will work well for short, fast runs or long runs on soft surfaces – functioning as a race or daily trainer option, and all at a decent price for a trail shoe.