tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10529476.post4091407752390958255..comments2024-03-28T21:52:44.835-06:00Comments on Road Trail Run: Saucony Xodus Ultra RunShield Review: All Weather, All Trails (and Road) All ArounderSam Winebaumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969086391170473784noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10529476.post-74020335233724972992022-12-29T15:05:09.499-07:002022-12-29T15:05:09.499-07:00In reply to Anonymous: the Xodus Ultra Runshield a...In reply to Anonymous: the Xodus Ultra Runshield actually <b>do have</b> a wide reflective strip on the back of the heel counter, almost full height, which is quite bright. It works for me.<br /><br />I've done 130km in these shoes and they are a really good choice for European Alps low-altitude trails, any terrain, any pace, any weather, as accurately described in the article by Sam, but I've found some not-so-minor issues I feel compelled to share as we are talking about a 175€ (in Europe) shoe: <br />- first: the <b>creasing</b>. The outer PWRRUN frame creased immediately and got worse with mileage. Mine already have deep creases and have gained some extra flexibility as a result, which is not necessarily good. I'm not a light runner, at 76kg, but this is not something I like, especially since the exact same thing has already happened with my Tempus (a 190€ shoe), which shares a similar construction; I think Saucony should take notice.<br />- second: the <b>lacing</b>. The lacing system is kept unchanged from the regular Ultra, so is the fiddling needed to get a good initial lacing, albeit I must agree the Ultra retain laces tension way better than the regular ones during the run.<br />- third: the <b>heel</b>. I agree it is better than the regular ones, still the heel hold feels significantly looser than in the Xodus 11 or 10. As a result, I can feel heel slippages here and there, even after lacing using the recessed hole and having a strip of cotton inside the heel cup. I really wish they hadn't changed the heel cup from the 10, that one was perfect!<br />- fourth: <b>durability</b>. After 130km (significantly less than 100 miles) my right foot outsole, which is the one I tend to wear the most, has a couple of lugs severely worn out. This does not compare favorably to my Xodus 10 outsole which has 670km on the same trails and road to trails routes and it is still in better conditions.<br /><br />Other than that, the shoe is extremely fun to run in, but I would not have minded at all a 20-30 grams weight penalty if it could have prevented these issues. Weight isn't *everything*. Just saying...<br /><br />Happy new year and happy running to everybody!<br />Cheers,<br />V <br /><br />Valerionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10529476.post-12623848313228822212022-12-20T13:14:19.266-07:002022-12-20T13:14:19.266-07:00How did the Kahtoola gaiters fit and perform on th...How did the Kahtoola gaiters fit and perform on these shoes?Bilalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11274738655988184942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10529476.post-34019186012075374602022-12-19T13:06:04.678-07:002022-12-19T13:06:04.678-07:00Given that the sloppy fit and very thin upper on t...Given that the sloppy fit and very thin upper on the original made it completely unsuitable for house-to-trail runs in a European winter, having a Runshield version seems a good idea, but Saucony has really missed a trick by not adding reflective strips (on the heel, especially) for the dark winter evenings.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com