Testers said the ghillie-style lacing let them cinch down the midfoot without creating hotspots. Trevor Raab Tipping our scale at 22.5 oz for a US 9.5, these shoes aren't anywhere near the lightest we've tested. They feel surprisingly light and nimble, though. Even compared to some more lightweight models, they don't feel clunky and keep our testers bouncing along without dragging their feet. Should You Buy the Saucony Peregrine 11? The durable outsole features an XT-900 carbon rubber for outstanding performance and grip, with 4.5mm carbon-rubber lugs to provide the best traction. Whether you are clambering through muddy terrain or grassy grounds, you should feel unstoppable. The insole of the Peregrine 12 is made with PWRRUN+ cushioning for increased comfort, and the midsole is made of the same PWRRUN material as its predecessor.

Technology & key features: PWRRUN cushioning for comfortable road miles coupled with a PWRTRAC grippy tread for light trails and an invisible fit GORE-TEX upper to keep your feet dry when mixing road and trail.The Peregrine 12 is a great-looking shoe. Pulling them out of the box, I was excited to show them off on my local trails at the earliest opportunity.

That should reduce some of the clogging that we experienced on our pair of the standard Peregrine 12. The ST model’s upper has a tighter-woven mesh with a debris shield and bungee-type lacing. Feel of the shoe: Soft cushioning with SPEEDROLL technology aims to push you onto your toes and help propel you forwards. Saucony Endorphin Trail MidFrom a protection standpoint, there’s a decent amount here. This is hard, from the outsole wrapping around to the front. Then there’s this extra overlay. There are a couple of layers. There’s even a little bit extra on the sides when you might be catching or scuffing something.

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. Lastly, the new outsole no longer comes with blank markers for the drainage ports and spikes. The Peregrine 11’s outsole had raised circles with ‘plus’ and ‘dot’ symbols – those were blanks for attaching aftermarket spikes and drilling drainage holes. THE RIDE EXPERIENCE The Peregrine 12 is not ideal for longer efforts. The narrow toe box would be constrictive and underfoot cushioning is insufficient for minimizing fatigue after many hours and miles. GORE-TEX® Invisible Fit technology provides best-in-class waterproof protection with a flexible, made-for-you feelBy increasing the level of step-in comfort, the Pwwrun+ insole makes a difference in how the shoe feels at slower speeds. With a 0.3 ounce (35 gram) weight difference, the 12 is also a lighter shoe than the 11. From a comfort standpoint, the Peregrine fares slightly better on flat unpaved trails, but even then, a cushier midsole does feel better. That’s been an age-old conundrum with trail running shoes – it’s hard for a fast and proprioceptive ride to co-exist with mileage-friendly cushioning. Stability: B- (not a stability shoe, for runners who can tolerate 4mm drop and do not require traditional stability features) I do think that maybe they’ve moved towards the softer ground a bit because I felt a bit of slip on some of the harder surfaces. This applies to both kinds of straps – the thinner rubber ones like what Kahtoola uses, or a flat strap used on an Outdoors Research Gore-Tex gaiter. PROS AND CONS