Saucony Peregrine 14 Trail Running Shoe Review
An in-depth review of the Saucony Peregrine 14 shoe for trail runners
September 16, 2024
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After long-term testing, we’ve deemed the Saucony Peregrine 14 one of the best shoes for your dollar. The latest in Saucony’s long run of making this shoe, the Saucony Peregrine 14, maintains the hallmark lightweight design we enjoy, with an even more cushioned midsole than previous versions.
This Peregrine’s updated midsole is responsive while still cushioning our feet for long days. This latest version has Saucony’s PWRRUN cushioning and PWRRUN+ sock liner.
We tested the Peregrines on rocky Colorado, muddy Indiana, and dusty Southwest desert trails. The grip, durability, and stability of these shoes, along with their general comfort, impressed us on all varying terrains and conditions.
While we like most things about these shoes, they aren’t best for wide feet. The Peregrine 14, like most Saucony shoes, run on the narrower side and don’t have quite enough room in the toe box to be our go-tos for long runs. But if you have narrower feet or prefer a tighter fit for technical running, these shoes are an excellent option.
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Our verdict
We’ve deemed the Saucony Peregrine 14 the Best Affordable Trail Runners in our Best Women’s Trail Running Shoe guide. For cushion, support, traction, and use as an everyday trainer, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better bang-for-the-buck trail running shoe.
Men's
Women's
In a time when trail running shoes can run nearly $200 (or more), the Saucony Peregrine 14 costs $140, and can often be found on sale. While a few other trail running shoes we’ve tested cost about the same — like the Altra Lone Peak 8 and the Brooks Cascadia 18 — the Saucony Peregrine 14 offer more cushion and a glove-like fit. So unless you prefer the zero-drop and bigger toe box of the Altras, or the better road-to-trail crossover capabilities of the Brooks, we think the Saucony Peregrine is the best value for a trail running shoe that will work for a lot of different kinds of runners with different kinds of feet.
Specs
Price: $140
Weight (per shoe): 9.4 oz (men’s) 8.5 oz (women’s)
Heel Drop: 4 mm
Stack Height: 28 mm / 24 mm (heel/toe)
Cushioning: Moderate
Ideal use: All-around trail runners
Best For
The Saucony Peregrine 14 performs well on muddy, rolling trails and even rocky terrain, though we wouldn’t recommend them for folks who regularly run on steep, rocky, technical trails. Rather, these are best for folks who run primarily on dirt paths. They’re also great if you’re looking for a more affordable trail running shoe with middle-of-the-road specs (e.g., mid-drop, some stack height but not a lot, moderate cushioning, and average-to-light weight relative to most trail running shoes).
Comparison table
| TRAIL RUNNING SHOE | WEIGHT MEN'S | WEIGHT WOMEN'S | CUSHION | HEEL DROP | STACK HEIGHT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoka Speedgoat 6 Men's Women's |
9.8 oz | 8.2 oz | maximum | 5 mm | 35 - 40 mm |
| Altra Lone Peak 8 Men's Women's |
10.7 oz | 9.15 oz | moderate | 0 mm | 25 mm |
| Salomon Speedcross 6 Men's Women's |
10.5 oz | 9.2 oz | moderate | 10 mm | 32 - 22 mm |
| La Sportiva Bushido III Men's Women's |
10.5 oz | 8.8 oz | moderate | 6 mm | 13 - 19 mm |
| Hoka Challenger 7 Men's Women's |
8.9 oz | 7.3 oz | maximum | 4 mm | 24 - 26 mm |
What we liked:
Value for price
Cushion
Support
Excellent as an everyday trainer
Traction
What could be better:
Mesh feels thin (though seems durable)
Not the best option for wide feet
Author Becca was impressed by the grip on the Saucony Peregrine tackling rockier terrain. Photo by Becca Downs.
PEREGRINE 13 VS PEREGRINE 14
The updated Peregrine 14s aren’t much different than the 13s – Saucony “revamped” the upper to increase durability and comfort, and increased and adjusted the cushioning.
Despite media and customer reviews reporting the last model had a wider foot box, we found it to be a bit narrow after over 100 miles of testing. One of our women’s testers, Becca Downs, has narrow feet and found them comfortable, but acknowledged they’d likely be uncomfortable for wider feet, especially over long runs.
The uppers of the Saucony Peregrine 14 were updated to be more durable. Photo by Sara Kruglinski.
Another tester, Sara Kruglinski, found there haven't been changes to the width in the updated model. The Peregrine 14 runs narrower than most running shoes out there. Sara even found she found them a half size small, though Becca found them true to size. We recommend trying on both options if possible, to see which is best for you.
Features
Comfort
We’ve found the Saucony Peregrines are comfortable trail shoes for shorter trail runs (under 90 minutes) mostly due to the narrow fit. Although the toe box and general fit is narrower, our testers’ feet felt supported and stable with the uppers. The added cushion to the 14s also helps, so if you have narrow feet you may enjoy these shoes for longer days on the trail.
The lugs on this shoe offer great traction and have done well on muddy terrain, though it can be a struggle in fine, loose gravel, particularly on declines. This added to our comfort on more technical trails.
Close up on the Saucony Peregrine 13 trail running shoes on slippery leafy terrain. The Peregrine 14s perform just as well as the 13s.
Although reviewers report the Peregrines are a nice balance between minimal and cushion, our testers did not have comfortable experiences in these shoes on runs over 10 miles. One noted her feet aching by the end, though admittedly, she prefers running in HOKA Speedgoats, which have more cushion and support. If you’re accustomed to running in more moderately-cushioned shoes, you may feel differently after a long run.
Updated Upper
The Peregrine 14 has an updated upper that is comfortable, offering plentiful cushioning around the heel and ankles, and more durable than the previous iterations.
Fit
The tongue attaches to the footbed, so it wraps around your entire foot like a bootie, which offers more protection from dirt, dust, and debris and is comfortable. When you tightly lace these shoes, you get a glove-like fit.
The well-fitting upper, while on the narrow side, creates a super stable feel for average-to-narrow feet, and we love how stable these shoes feel on technical descents.
As previously mentioned, our testers had mixed experiences regarding the true-to-size nature of these shoes. One them true to size while another found they run a half size small.
Durability
After 100s of miles of wear, the mesh of the Peregrine 13s held up fine, despite our early concerns they wouldn’t be durable enough. The uppers of the 14s were updated to be even more durable. We found they are more durable than the Altra Lone Peaks, which cost the same.
Grippy Outsole
The grippy outsole features 5-millimeter multi-directional lugs that work well in most conditions. Their PWRTRAC rubber is sticky enough to grip on slick rock surfaces, though it doesn’t grip quite as well as other shoes we’ve tested, like the Vibram Megagrip rubber on the Hoka Speedgoat 6 and Merrell Long Sky 2 or the Frixion® XT 2.0 rubber on the La Sportiva Jackal II.
The rock plate isn’t noticeable on the trail, though is noticeable on cement or asphalt. This is truly a trail shoe and not a crossover shoe, as they are far more comfortable on the trail than they are on the roads.
Other media and customer reviewers noticed the outsole collected rocks and debris. One of our testers noticed this too, though said it wasn’t as bad as other shoes with this issue, like the On Cloudvista.
The Saucony Peregrine is an ideal all around trail running shoe for all seasons.
Traction
We tested the Peregrines in various conditions and terrains—muddy and slick hilly trails in Indiana, rocky and steep trails in Colorado—and found they handled most surfaces surprisingly well. In particular, they performed well on muddy trails.
According to tester Sara Kruglinski, “these do well on lots of types of trail, from dry flour dirt, to sand and hard pack mud and wet rocks. The rubber is super grippy and holds well on slippery wet rocks and in rain conditions.”
However, according to a couple other testers, the traction was disappointing on loose gravel and rock.
The bottom line
The Peregrine 14s are a great shoe to put in the rotation for medium to short trail runs this season. They handle most technical trails quite well, and shine in muddy, slick conditions. They offer a balance of lightweight cushion, responsiveness, support, and traction at a good price, making them one of the best trail shoes for your dollar.
The biggest drawback is their narrower fit, which may be uncomfortable for many runners. Also, if most of your runs are on steep rocky terrain, we recommend shoes with bigger lugs, such as the Scarpa Spin Ultras or the Salomon Speedcrosses. If your trail runs cross over to the roads a lot, we like the Brooks Cascadia 18, the HOKA Challenger 7, or the HOKA Torrent 4. However, the Peregrines will absolutely get the job done for most other terrains — and for the same or lower price.
Other shoes to consider
Brooks Cascadia 18
Price: $140
Weight: 11.1 oz (men’s), 10.1 oz (women’s)
Heel-to-toe drop: 8 mm
Stack height: 20 / 12 (heel/toe)
Closure type: Lace-up
Rock plate? Yes
Cushioning: Moderate
Ideal use: Trail-to-road running, basic trail running
What we liked: Versatility, quality for price
What we didn't like: Not many features
Winner of our Best Crossover Trail Running Shoe in our Best Women’s Trail Running Shoe guide, the Brooks Cascadia 18 handles most trails quite well and is comfortable when you have to switch to the road. We particularly appreciate this shoe’s durability, especially at the soles, and for its excellent value. It costs the same as the Saucony Peregrine at $140.
In comparison to the Peregrines, the Cascadia has more heel-to-toe drop (8 mm to the Peregrine’s 4 mm) but far less overall stack height. In fact, the 20mm/12mm stack of the Cascadias is one of the lowest stack heights we’ve tested. They also weigh about 1.5 oz more per shoe.
Brooks Cascadia 18
Men's
Women's
Altra Lone Peak 8
Price: $140
Weight: 10.7 oz (men’s), 9.2 oz (women’s)
Heel-to-toe drop: 0 mm
Stack height: 25 mm / 25 mm (heel/toe)
Closure type: Lace-up
Cushioning: Moderate
Rock plate? Yes
Cushioning: Moderate
Ideal use: Long, technical trail runs
What we liked: Comfort, no blisters, toe box
What we didn't like: Durability
The Altra Lone Peak is one of our favorite trail running shoes for long distances, especially for fans of zero-drop shoes. In fact, it won Best Trail Running Shoe for Long Distance Running in our Best Women’s Trail Running Shoe guide.
The patented Toe Shaped toe box is spacious, allowing for feet to spread naturally during long days on the trail. This design also decreases the chance of blisters or injuries, and is more comfortable for folks with wider feet. This makes it a favorite for hikers, backpackers, thru-hikers, and anyone out for a long trail run.
If you’re looking for a more minimalist trail running shoe with a wider toe box, and prefer zero-drop, this shoe costs the same as the Saucony Peregrine and is a great option.
Altra Lone Peak 8
Men's
Women's
Salomon Sense Ride 5
Price: $140
Weight: 10.1 oz (men’s), 8.7 oz (women’s)
Heel-to-toe drop: 8.3 mm
Stack height: 29.6 mm / 21.3 mm (heel/toe)
Closure type: Single-pull Lace
Cushioning: Moderate
Rock plate? No
What we liked: Comfort, versatility, price, great for day-to-day use, lightweight, no break in, traction
What we didn't like: Sizing can be tricky, laces are divisive, narrow fit can be limiting for folks
The Salomon Sense Rides have been a tried-and-true trail running shoe for our testers for years. They offer excellent cushioning and traction over a variety of terrains, from technical mountain trails to rolling, smooth trails.
This shoe offers more heel-to-toe drop than the Saucony Peregrine and weighs over an ounce less per shoe. It costs the same, and is an excellent value. Both shoes are ideal for feet on the more narrow side.
Read our in-depth review of the Salomon Sense Ride 5 for more details.
Salomon Sense Ride 5
Men's
Women's
Topo Athletic Ultraventure 3
Price: $150
Weight: 10.2 oz (men’s), 8.3 oz (women’s)
Heel-to-toe drop: 5 mm
Stack height: 35 mm / 30 mm (heel/toe)
Closure type: Laces
Cushioning: Maximum
Rock plate? No
What we liked: Wide toe box, comfortable, well-cushioned, stable feel
What we didn’t like: Not the best on technical terrain
If you’re looking for an option for wider feet, the Topo Athletic Ultraventure 3 is the winner of our Best Wide Trail Shoes in our Best Men’s Trail Running Shoes guide. With more stack height and cushion, this shoe is also very comfortable. The downside, however, is that it doesn’t offer as much traction as the Saucony Peregrines.
We recommend this shoe for folks building up to longer trail runs, as they are roomy, comfortable, and handle a variety of terrains (thru-hikers tend to like these shoes for the same reasons). They crossover to the roads well, too.
Topo Athletic Ultraventure 3
Men's
Women's
How we tested
Between the two authors, Becca Downs and Sam Schild, and other Treeline Review testers who love to trail run, we put in hundreds of miles and hours in the Saucony Peregrines. These shoes saw highly technical and rocky Colorado trails, muddy rolling trails in Indiana, varied terrain around Lake Tahoe, and more.
We compared the 14s to our testing notes from the 13s in order to assess the effectiveness of the updates, and ensured these shoes saw as many different weather and trail conditions as possible. We also compared notes with other media reviews to make sure we didn’t miss any quirks or features.
About the authors / Why you should trust us
Becca Downs
Becca Downs ran D1 cross country and track for Indiana University—Purdue University of Indianapolis (IUPUI) and continued racing everything from elite miles to an ultramarathon in her post-collegiate years. She earned a USATF Level 1 certification and coached boys and girls high school cross country and track in Indianapolis for four years. Becca then joined the IUPUI women’s distance coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach in 2020-2021.
She geeks out on trail running, track and field, and cries every time she watches a marathon (they’re just so beautiful!). After notching a few small FKTs under her belt in 2020, she was diagnosed with hip arthritis and now channels her passion for running into coaching, writing, creating training plans for her friends, hiking, and running when her hip allows it.
You can read more of Becca's work at her website or on her author page.
Sam Schild
Sam Schild is a thru-hiker, trail runner, cyclist, and mountain athlete based in Colorado. He’s been a runner since he was a child when he ran 5 days a week as cardiovascular training for soccer. As he grew older, he stopped playing team sports and focused on running and cycling.
After moving to Colorado a decade ago, he started trail running on the local trails. Since then, he has completed countless ultra-distance self-supported trail runs on trails throughout the American Southwest. He has thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Grand Enchantment Trail, and the Colorado Trail twice, always in trail runners.
You can read more about Sam on his author page or his website.
