Note: I have added an update (>100km) at the end of this post…

I wanted a new pair of trail shoes to replace my Saucony Xodus’. I bought them mainly to use on and off road in the winter, but I planned to do more trail running this summer.  I figured I could do with something more breathable, and “flatter” for this. I basically do all my summer road running in Saucony Kinvaras so the 4mm drop of the Peregrines appealed to me. They also seemed to be a nice balance of weight and durability.  They weigh in at a couple of ounces less than my Xodus’ and feel noticeably lighter.

I have run about 50K on trails with these shoes and like them more every time I lace them up. It took a few runs to get used to the stiffer sole, but they feel good now.  The sole is definitely aggressive enough to handle everything from gravel to soft mucky stuff. They inspire confidence even on twisty, slippery single track trails. The uppers seem breathable enough to prevent overheating (although it’s only spring so we’ll see how they do in the summer heat).  They only come in 2 colors, but they’ll likely be dirty enough that the color won’t matter much anyway!

So far I am happy with these shoes. If you are a Kinvara (or other low drop, lightweight shoes) user these would be a great shoe to hit the trails with. I debated waiting until the trail version of the Kinvara was released later this summer but I think these are better suited for the running I will do on the trails around Niagara anyway.

Once I get a bunch more trail miles in over the next few months I’ll update. I am planning a trail half marathon and racing a new local trail race series (aktiv trail running series) this summer so I should have lots of time to work them in.

Update after >100km of use

June 20, 2012 – I have been using these for most of my trail running since I bought them about 6 weeks ago.  After over 100km I am still generally happy with these shoes.  I ran a trail half-marathon and lots of shorter runs and they have performed well.  They are a nice, light, fast shoe that is especially good on dry, hard trails.  Again, I am used to a low drop shoe so I didn’t have any problem adjusting to the 4mm drop in these, but I would suggest easing into them if you’re used to a bigger drop.

The durability of the Peregrine 2 is good.  There is no wear on the upper (as I would expect after only 100km) and the outsole is also wearing quite well.

The upper still looks good

And the outsole wear shows good durability

My only concern with this shoe is some rubbing on my right heel.  I encountered this on my very first run in the shoe, and was concerned since it was in the rigid heel cup and I didn’t think it would get any better.  I changed over to elastic quick laces (which I use in all my shoes) and was able to get the tension right which seemed to eliminate the problem.  I didn’t encounter this issue again until my last couple of runs in the shoe, and now there is a wear spot through the fabric in this spot.  I am hoping it was a case of not tightening them enough on a run, and that this will go away again.

No wear on the upper

I would still say this shoe is a good choice, especially for someone with a road running background who is used to a low drop shoe, but has realized the beauty of trail running!