Saucony Men's Xodus 4.0 Running Shoe

First, this is my second time using a shoe from the Saucony trail running line. My first was the 2.0 version of the Xodus shoe. Style that shoe was great and I often got comments on how cool the shoe looked. But it served equally well on my outdoor trail I have created on my property. The quirks with that 2.0 shoe were the tight fit round the center of the foot, and tight in the heel more than I would have liked. The shoe eventually broke in but remained snug. This time around I made sure to order .5 size larger then the 11 I typically wear.I am a little over six foot and weight 245 and tend to run about a 5k three days a week. I am not a serious runner but more of hobbyist and getting outdoors in nature. The trail I run is relatively flat, with tree roots and some rocks on compacted clay soil.Putting on the Saucony 4.0 size 11.5 of this shoe I was dismayed how tight it fit even with the larger size. However, I wore them for about 20 minutes and did some test laps and they started to break in. I loosened the shoe strings and bent the shoe a few times and I felt it loosing up to a comfortable level. I am sure with a few extended runs they will be fine.The bottom of the shoe is the most outstanding feature. There are aggressive diamond patterns in the bottom, while the exterior is rectangular "spikes." It may not be that apparent in the photo but these patterns make OUTSTANDING gripping while running. I did a quick run up and down a wet grass hillside and the traction was great. They are nearly in the realm of baseball cleats in their grip. I feel the risk of slipping is non existent. The center bottom feels very padded and has rigidity where it counts, such as running over a rocky surface. The front toe section looks to also be water resistant so going through wet grass should deflect it away from the toes.The heel is cupped well in the rear of the shoe, while the center of the foot is gripped tightly by the pro lock mid support band. It is these two point where I feel the shoe is still a bit to tight. I think it is because I had a wider foot, a size not available in this line. I won't dock a star for this as I think it will open up a bit more with running. But if you are shopping for this shoe, I recommend .5 size larger and be prepared for breaking it in.I think the 4.0 shoe is a great advancement of the popular 2.0 shoe. I don't feel the 4.0 shoe is as damn sexy as the predecessors ( I opted for the "Woad warpaint" blue color over the "Meh" black) but the advancements in grip and wear are worth it. So get outdoors and on the trails!

Saucony missed the mark with this shoe. And here's why. The nice folks over at Saucony ( and they really are nice folks) tout the Xodus 4.0 as their max cushioned, most supportive trail shoe. Which leads people to believe that it is just that; a max cushioned and very supportive trail shoe, built for the long haul runs and ultra trail racing. Maybe it is max cushioned for a Saucony. But generally speaking, it's not a max cushioned shoe. Moreover, it's not very supportive either, at least not when the miles start to pile up.Just so you have some baseline to compare yourself and your needs with, here's the kind of runner I am. I'm 40 and fairly new to any kind of distance trail running. In the past 16 months I've participated in three 25k trail races. I'm not an Ultra Marathoner. I'm not even a particularly fast or strong runner at shorter distances. But I really like running trails. I log about 20 to 24 miles a week right now, depending on how my body is holding up, with the better part of those miles being on trails. I live in Southern Oh (Cinci) along the Ohio River where the trails are very rocky, rooted single tracks with some significant elevation changes. I'm a midfoot striker. I'm also high-arched, neutral runner who suffers from an inability to generate natural shock absorption in my feet. As a result, the balls of my feet/forefoot suffer pain as the run goes on. So while I may not need cushioning for the first 8 miles or so, I do need it at mile 12-16. I have 5 runs of between 6 and 10 miles each on these shoes, and on each run, at around mile 5-6, I notice the lack of cushioning and at around mile 8-9 I really notice the lack of support. The shoes are comfortable to just wear around - or for shorter runs. And the tread and traction are very good. I also haven't had any problems with slippage on wet rocks, like some others here have had. The toe box is pretty wide, and that's nice. But the lack of cushioning in the heel - as compared to the amount in the forefoot is ridiculous, especially if your telling folks this shoe is meant for long runs on severe terrain. After my miles on rough terrain you're going to come down on your heel every now and then. I truly don't know what they were thinking when they designed the shoe. It's as if they want to intentionally punish a runner who comes down on their heel, whether it's a breakdown in form or jumping from a rock or over log, Saucony apparently could not care less, because these shoes punish you if you land on you heel. It's ridiculous. Saucony says the Xodus 4.0 is built for rough terrain over many miles, think Ultra Trail Races. But I don't think it is at all. It seemed like saucony tried to get the Salomon Crossmax or 3D, etc, tread/traction with the Brooks Adrenaline cushion into one package and couldn't pull it off at all. I can tell you this, if you're looking for a truly cushioned trail shoe for longer runs, then look at the Altra Olympus which is a true cushioned trail shoe - or even a Hoka if you absolutely have to. If you're looking for traction and support, with moderate cushion, look at the Salomon Crossmax or 3D...I'm disappointed in the Saucony Xodus 4.0 because the Peregrine 2 were nice, but they weren't sold as max cushioned so I didn't buy them for the cushioning, and that's fine with me. The Xodus 4.0 wants to be many things, and in its attempt, it's my opinion that it falls short in almost every category that really counts. I really wanted to like this shoe and to work it consistently into my rotation, but after wearing it on several runs, I wouldn't buy these again. And I wouldn't recommend them to anyone who actually needs cushioning and plans on running more than 4-5 miles a pop.

I have enjoyed these shoes. These are my first Sauconys. I live in Western North Carolina and mostly run trails. I have run roads with these shoes and they were comfortable. Typically, I am conservative on climbs and attack the downhills. These shoes give me the confidence to committee to that style of running. I have not tested the comfort level for long distances. The farthest I have run thus far is about 6 miles. I am training for a half marathon and plan to wear these shoes. I will say, as the one review commented previously, these shoes tend to slip on wet rocks. After several runs I have become accustomed to how the shoes feel and can adjust my stride when approaching wet rocks and navigate them with little to no slipping. I recommend these shoes.

I bought the Exodus after running a 50k in a pair of minimalist trail shoes, and feeling that I needed a bit more underneath me for that long of a distance. I normally wear a 9.5 in most brands, but occasionally have to go up to a 10, especially for trail shoes. The Exodus is a solid trail shoe with ample protection and adequate forefoot room, but the 9.5 was just too tight up front. I tried a 10 as well, but my smaller foot was a bit loose in it. I really liked these shoes, but I just couldn't make them work for me. I'm sticking with my Altra Lone Peaks for the long trail runs.

Sweet