Saucony Peregrine 14 review

We highly recommend the Saucony Peregrine 14 for:

• Runners seeking the comfort and balance of a road daily trainer, yet tailored for the trails.
• Fans of the Peregrine series, as the latest version maintains its DNA while smoothing out previous imperfections.
• Those looking for a versatile, low-drop trail shoe that offers exceptional value.

The Saucony Peregrine 14 stands as a competent jack-of-all-trails, yet it's not without its drawbacks. From our testing, we've concluded it falls short for long distance training or competitions—if you love ultras, we recommend options like the Hoka Mafate Speed 4 or the Brooks Caldera 6 for their superior cushioning.

Moreover, for those targeting race day, we believe the Peregrine 14 might not be the optimal choice. Within Saucony's own lineup, the Endorphin Edge, with its Carbitex plate, offers a more dynamic performance, much like the Nike Ultrafly. However, be prepared to invest a bit more for that extra energy return!

With 27.3 mm at the heel, the Peregrine remains out of the maximalist fever that's getting all over running shoes, including those destined to trails.

In fact, if you want something more substantial and cushioned, this is not your shoe at all, get the ASICS Trabuco Max 3 instead.

The forefoot thickness came in the lab at 25.1 mm, nearly mirroring the heel's dimension.

In our analysis, this thickness aligns more closely with the average trail running shoe. However, considering the substantial outsole and lugs, the actual cushioning it's still not that much.

The Peregrine 14 offers a natural ride, primarily due to its minimal 2.2-mm heel-to-toe drop. We think that this feature is going to be a hit among fans of low-drop shoes or those transitioning to zero-drop footwear like Altra's offerings.

However, this characteristic might not suit extreme heel strikers, who typically prefer trail shoes with a higher drop, such as the ASICS Gel Venture 9.

In our Shore A durometer testing, the PWRRUN midsole scored a high 26.0 HA, though it was 3.1 HA softer than its predecessor.

However, coupled with the plush PWRRUN+ sockliner we revealed earlier, the midsole feel is noticeably softer underfoot. Of course, swapping the insole for a standard one shifts the experience significantly, so we encourage you to keep the included one in place unless there's no choice.

Mixing EVA with TPU, PWRRUN creates a great combo for cold weather. EVA typically stiffens in low temperatures, while TPU keeps its properties.

Our test showed a minor 13.5% firmness increase after putting the shoe for 20 minutes in the freezer, a figure we find fairly reasonable.

In our tests, the insole of the Peregrine 14 really stood out for its incredible comfort.

With an eye-popping thickness of 6.9 mm, combined with the top-tier, TPU-based PWRRUN+ foam used by Saucony, it even outshines the shoe's own PWRRUN midsole in terms of energy return.

As previously demonstrated, the Peregrine 14 doesn't boast a ton of cushioning, making the inclusion of a rock plate a wise decision.

This shoe might surprise you. Despite its average or slightly narrow heel, we were delighted to find a generously roomy toebox in the standard D width, with a 2E option available in select markets—a rare find in trail shoes.

Measuring at 101.1 mm, it offers an additional 2.2 mm over the v13. Keep this in mind when choosing between models. Those with wider feet will find the latest version more comfortable, but if you have narrower feet, the previous one might be the better choice for you!

We appreciated that the upper doesn't taper much at 78.0 mm in the big toe area, providing a just-right fit. However, don't expect extra space for toe splay. Yet, considering this shoe isn't designed for ultra-long distances, this fit might be exactly what you, like us, prefer.

We've dubbed the Peregrine 14 a go-to daily trainer for trails, and when it comes to stability, it just hits the mark for neutral runners. We've also found it suitable for those with really subtle stability needs, similar to what you might experience with a shoe like the Nike Pegasus 40.

One thing became clear during our review: Saucony aimed to strike a balance, steering clear of any extremes—and they nailed it!

The Peregrine truly embodies the essence of a versatile trail shoe, leading us to award it a 3/5 in our torsional rigidity evaluation.

Heel counter stiffness? Absolutely, it earned just another 3/5 from us.

Essentially, we encountered a counter akin to what you'd find in a daily road trainer—effective in enveloping the foot and providing a robust sense of stability, yet without causing any irritation or discomfort.

Exploring the midsole of the Peregrine 14, we measured a balanced width of 112.3 mm.

The Peregrine aims for being good (not great) in every aspect, including agility around corners, making this sizing spot-on for its versatile intentions.

The heel turned out to be slightly narrower than anticipated at 85.9 mm, but we soon understood the rationale.

Given its low drop and design catering to midfoot and forefoot strikers, opting for a narrower heel contributes to a more agile and lightweight shoe.

We've mentioned the balanced design of this shoe numerous times, and here's yet another example. In our 90-degree bend test, the Peregrine 14 registered at 28.5N, landing it squarely in the average range.

This was a deliberate choice by Saucony. As evident in the photo above, they made eight cutouts in the forefoot to enhance flexibility, preventing the shoe from feeling too stiff.

Following a 20-minute chill in the freezer, we retested the Peregrine 14 and it impressed us with only a 3.3% increase in hardness!

We've always ranked the Peregrine as a great pick for daily trail running, largely due to its versatile, sub-10-oz weight.

The v13 impressed us at 9.5 oz or 271g, and we're thrilled to see a further reduction to 9.4 oz or 266g in this latest version.

Our initial assessment of the 14th edition of the Peregrine focused on its breathability. Given that this shoe is designed for year-round use and might be the only trail shoe in some runners' collections, we hoped for at least average ventilation.

To our relief, we discovered that Saucony incorporated sufficient ventilation into the design, earning it a solid 3/5 in our books. This rating signifies a well-balanced upper, capable of handle both winter chills and summer heat.

Placing the upper under a light and moving our hand underneath, we pinpointed the toebox as the area with enhanced airflow.

Curious about the toebox ventilation, we delved deeper using our microscope.

Our findings revealed a lack of traditional ventilation holes; however, the engineered mesh construction provides ample space for air to circulate, which we believe bodes well for the shoe's longevity.

The mesh is not only stretchy and comfortable but, at least in our view, also aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, the upper is well-cushioned, reflecting the quality one would expect from a $140 shoe.

The toebox, lacking typical weak spots like ventilation holes, promised at least decent durability in our Dremel test. So, we proceeded to the real test.

Applying the tool with a force of 3.2N and at a speed of 5000 revolutions per minute, we observed impressive results. The reinforced mesh with the TPU overlay held remarkably well, earning a score of 3/5 from us.

Next, we turned our attention to the heel padding area. While it might not seem crucial to everyone, we consider it a key component in any trail shoe.

Using the same test parameters, we discovered a score of 3/5 for the heel padding—once again, a reasonable outcome for us, though not exceptional by any means.

After examining the toebox and heel, we turned the Peregrine over to inspect the PWRTRAC outsole, particularly its hardness.

Our tests showed that the rubber on the Peregrine 14 is significantly harder than its predecessor's, registering at 92.4 HC compared to the 85.5 HC of the Peregrine 13. This increase clearly signals a shift towards enhanced durability.

In our most brutal Dremel test, we put the outsole under intense pressure. After assessing the toll taken by our tool, we observed a 0.9-mm indentation.

For a trail shoe, this might seem acceptable, but for such hard rubber, it's underwhelming. If we're compromising on grip, we at least expect stellar durability in return, and unfortunately, this is not the case here.

We clocked the base thickness of the outsole, excluding the lugs, at 1.9 mm, which is more than adequate for the Peregrine series. Adding any more to it would simply be a mistake.

Although Saucony advertised the lugs as being 5-mm, our meticulous measurements consistently showed them to be 4.7 mm. From our standpoint, this adjustment actually enhances the shoe's versatility, making it a welcomed change!

The Peregrine 14 includes reflective accents for enhanced visibility and safety.

A common gripe with the Peregrine 13 was its thinly padded tongue, causing discomfort at the instep of some runners.

Delightfully, the new model boasts a plush 6.9 mm padding in the tongue, effectively resolving this issue while barely affecting the shoe's weight.

The semi-gusseted tongue, a standout feature in previous models for a reasonably-priced shoe, has been retained by Saucony, much to our delight.

We agree with this decision—it's a winner!

At the rear, we found a sleek finger-loop heel tab that looks really cool.

The insole is designed to be removable, allowing for the insertion of custom orthotics if needed. Yet, we suggest keeping it in place, as the PWRRUN+ foam it's made from is truly one of the shoe's standout features!