Our reviews are 100% organic. We do not accept payment for reviews or bundle with advertising budgets. In most cases, the brand is providing the product to our reviewers free of charge. While their trail running shoe lineup is not extensive, Saucony has strong representation in three key categories. The Peregrine line is their most well known and well established series, excelling in lightweight minimalist design. The Ride is the most recent addition, designed for hybrid road to trail use. And the Xodus Ultra series, now in its fourth iteration, is a high-cushioned model built for long distances. The Xodus Ultra 4 sports an updated upper and modified midsole composition, but the key update is the addition of a full coverage Vibram Megagrip outsole. The shoe has a more rugged and durable overall feel, and comes in heavier than the previous versions by about a half ounce, but still manages to retain the Saucony penchant for a sleek fit and enjoyable overall ride quality.
Uppers on the Xodus Ultra 4 consist of a new high strength engineered mesh that has very high tensile strength and abrasion resistance, but still feels soft and flexible against the foot. A robust toe bumper covers the perimeter of the toe box for added durability, and a synthetic leather overlay around the heel cup adds rigidity to the rearfoot. Saucony is known for lasts that trend to the narrow side, and this is true here as well, and the toe bumper limits the amount of expansion available in the forefoot with higher mileage. A gusseted tongue and secure lacing system hold the foot in place well, and an innovative off-center loop option in the midfoot allows you to lock the foot down even more securely on technical terrain. The new uppers are great at keeping out dust and debris, although they run warmer than many other mesh uppers on hot outings. One nice development here is the use of non-traditional but still very stylish color schemes for both men and women—although there’s orange for men or cream for women if you really love them.
Women’s colorway
In the midsole, the Xodus Ultra 4 carries over the same stack heights and geometry from the previous model (which had increased compared to version 2), but reconstitutes the dual-density composition, and adds some midsole volume around the perimeter for added stability. Saucony increased the amount of highly responsive PWRRUN PB Pebax compound directly underfoot to improve the energy return and responsiveness. This layer sits within a chassis of standard PWRRUN EVA to add cushioning as well as stability. Our experience with version 3 of this shoe was that it had a firm overall ride quality, and version 4 is noticeably softer, but retains strong rebound and energy return that makes it easy to turn our legs over quickly when we want to. There is a very slight rocker geometry to the Xodus Ultra 4, which is perceptible for midfoot strikers but perhaps not for consistent heel strikers.
Men’s colorway
We found the midsole volume of these shoes to provide a great combination of generous cushioning with just enough lateral support to help us feel stable on irregular terrain. The footprint isn’t excessively wide to significantly limit our agility when quick-stepping through rocks or roots, and this shoe handles those conditions as well as any max cushion shoe we’ve tested this year. Agility is further enhanced by the new outsole compound that inspires confidence in all kinds of terrain.
Full coverage Vibram outsole
The big change for this update is the introduction of a new Vibram Megagrip outsole which replaces the previous Saucony proprietary compound. Megagrip is the gold standard in trail running shoes for a reason, and all those benefits are on display here. Angled 4mm lugs with microlug technology provide excellent traction on dry gravel, sloppy mud, and on steep technical trails. Coverage on the bottom of the foot is full length on this model, which is an increase from the previous version which had a substantial midfoot cutout; this is the primary source for the increased weight of this shoe, but the improvement in traction and control seems to justify it. Full length coverage also increases the overall durability and lifespan of this shoe, which maintains a relatively modest price point in a category where costs have risen dramatically in the past couple of years.
Saucony Xodus Ultra 4 shoes are available in men’s and women’s versions at www.saucony.com.
Features and Specs:
- Weight: 10.9oz men’s / 9.9oz women’s
- Steck Height (heel/toe, in mm): 36/30
- Heel-Toe Drop (mm): 6mm
- Upper: High strength engineered mesh
- Midsole: Dual density, PWRRUN and PWRRUN PB
- Outsole: Full coverage Vibram Megagrip
- Three colorway options for men and women
- MSRP: $170