Ultra Glide 4 vs Peregrine 16

The Ultra Glide 4 is Salomon's soft, high-stack trail runner built for one thing above all: keeping your legs fresh over long, rolling miles. With 38.6mm of heel stack and a moderate 7.5mm drop, it sits firmly in the cushioned trail shoe camp, closer to a plush daily trail cruiser than a nimble racer. At 295g it is not the lightest option out there, but that weight buys you a genuinely comfortable, protective ride that soaks up rocky, uneven ground on the way home from a big day out. This is a shoe for runners who value comfort and easy-going stability over sharp, aggressive handling. It thrives on smoother, non-technical trails, gravel, forest paths and long ultra efforts where fatigue is the enemy. If you want a running shoe that lets you switch off and just log the distance, the Ultra Glide 4 makes a strong case at its £130 price.

The Peregrine 16 is Saucony's do-everything trail running shoe, and the version most people should start with if they want one pair for the trails. It is an aggressive all-rounder built for grip first: a full Vibram Megagrip outsole with deep lugs that bites into wet rock, mud and loose gravel with real confidence. With a 4mm drop and a moderate 32mm heel stack it sits between a nimble racer and a plush max-cushion trail shoe, so it stays quick and connected to the ground without beating up your legs on longer efforts. Saucony has made this one softer and grippier than the Peregrine 15, which nudges it toward comfort over a wider range of distances. In our view it is the natural rival to the Hoka Speedgoat and Brooks Cascadia at this price. If you run mixed, muddy UK trails and want a dependable shoe that handles almost anything, this is an easy shoe to recommend.