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| Saucony Peregrine 3 |
It gives me great pleasure to bring to you my first women's-specific trail shoe review, courtesy of Faye Johnson from Kendal. I first bumped into Faye at a Salomon demo run back in October 2013, and have since kept in touch and met up to run together again. When it was suggested that she could provide a review on her much used Peregrine 2's, as well as a comparison with her newer replacements; the Saucony Peregrine 3's, and that it would be my first ever review of a women's trail shoe, she was so excited to help!
CavemanClarke (CC):
What type of terrain do you mostly run on and
have you been pleased with their performance?
Faye Johnson (FJ):
My first proper race in these trainers was a 21km mountain/trail
run in New Zealand, this covered compacted forest trails, soft forest floors
and tarmac mountain roads – they did not disappoint. The majority
of the running I have used them for has been on this kind of mixed terrain –
even sand and sea water failed to break down the outer if the shoe on multiple
beach training runs! Since returning to the UK I now run the trails in The Lakes around Kendal.
CC:
What does one shoe weigh in grams and what is the heel-toe drop?
FJ:
247g per pair. The drop is 4mm (This includes insole which is sleek and not bulky). A
minimal/lower drop shoe that still gives you a good balance of cushioning.
CC:
What is the grip like over different surfaces,
such as mud, rock, compacted trail and road?
FJ:
These shoes are very much a 'good all rounder',
feeling as comfortable on road and compact trails as they do on softer mud and
forest paths. They do grip pretty well on wet rock but the tread can clog up
quite quickly on very muddy trails so leading to a little more sliding than I
would like. But hey, I hold my hands up I am a trail runner not a Fell runner!
CC:
How comfy are they to wear, and did you have any
need to wear them in?
FJ:
Both pairs of Peregrine’s I have now owned and loved, came out the
box and straight out on 10 – 15km trail runs and were incredible comfortable
and I experienced no “hot spots” or discomfort to my feet. The
beauty of these trail shoes is the balance of cushioning that enables you to
wear them on such mixed terrain.
CC:
Do you wear them with or without socks, and do they have a
removable insole to custom fit better?
FJ:
I always wear
these with socks, from thin/light merino socks to a heavier cushioned short crew
sock for the longer muddier runs. The insole comes out of the trainer easily –
particularly useful for when they need a clean!
CC:
How durable are they and what is the quality of the materials
like?
FJ:
The Peregrine
2 that I purchased back in November 2012, in fact only retired from my races at
the beginning of November 2013. The
durability of the sole has particularly impressed me when I think of the varied
terrain I have worn them on. This is helped by the fact that the sole is
constructed from carbon rubber; high wear properties and great traction on
lots of surfaces.
The upper of
this shoe has withstood the rigour of regular use and even my initial shoes purchased in 2012 have only just started to show breakdown at the toe box.
Saucony Flexfilm prides itself on minimal layering of materials and that has
paid off as there is less to break down and wear.
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| Saucony Peregrine 2 after many miles of use |
CC:
How many kilometres and how many months running did you get
out of your last pair?
FJ:
My first
Peregrine 2 trail runners are still going 12 months after
buying them. These have
been worn anywhere from twice to four times per week for runs averaging 10 – 20
km’s. More recently they carried me to a pleasing off road marathon finish time
at Kielder in October.
CC:
What are the main positives about the shoes and why do you rate
them?
FJ:
In four
words: Comfortable, Light, Grippy and Durable.
CC:
What are any improvements that could be made or have been made
between your old pair and the new pair?
FJ:
Well my
biggest frustrations with my Peregrine 2's were the laces. The round laces
consistently came undone and required triple knotting, but thankfully the new
Peregrine 3's have flat laces that stay laced up far more successfully with a
double knot!
CC:
What do they cost and are they worth that?
FJ:
RRP
£85. Yes; as I bought a second pair at full price having been lucky enough to
get a good staff discount on my first pair of Peregrine’s.
Thanks Faye!!!
Many thanks Faye. It has been a pleasure meeting and running with you, and really appreciated that you have taken the time to help other runners who may be looking at whether the Saucony Peregrines are a worth while purchase to get them safely through training and races. I hope the future may bring many more runs together and even some more reviews!!!
Any questions, please feel free to comment below, but until next time...Happy Running.
CavemanClarke
About Faye:
Faye describes herself as a keen-bean trail runner, enjoying distances from 5km to marathon. She loves to get out on the trails to de-stress and has often expressed just how happy it makes her feel to escape for a run, especially when discovering new trails and places on her runs, taking in the views and testing her limits along the way. What's even more helpful to the purpose of this review, Faye is a complete self-confessed gear-geek, especially when it comes to trail shoes! Excellent.....
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| Faye meeting Anton Krupicka |
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