Saucony - Xodus Ultra 3

Bought 2 pairs of Xodus Ultra (ver 1) from Flipkart 2 years ago. Still going strong. Also there used to be a Saucony showroom on F C road near hotel Lalit Mahal - though not sure if it's still there.

I personally prefer Xodus. It has Saucony's racing foam that's surrounded by a firmer foam. People have completed UTMB wearing that shoe so should be OK for Sahyadri trails. Fujispeed is good as well, but since it's plated, it's a little aggressive. It's designed for speed - it's even in the name. It's less than ideal for casual use. Depends entirely on your use case.

Third version is not good as the previous one. Big hope for this years 4th version with Vibram My fav ultra shoes so far

Saucony xodus ultra 2

I’m hoping to get some suggestions from other runners with wider feet. I absolutely loved the original Saucony Xodus Ultras, but I’ve finally run through my stockpile and need to find a new go-to trail shoe.  About me: I’m a heavier runner (200lbs) with wider feet, so I need a good toe box and enough room in the midfoot (too snug and I end up with pain after longer runs.)  Here’s what I’ve tried recently: * Altra Experience Wild - Good fit, enjoying these so far. * Topo Ultraventure 4 - Also a solid fit, no complaints. * Topo MNT Racer 3 - Too narrow in the midfoot, caused discomfort after a 10-miler. * Saucony Xodus Ultra 3 - Unfortunately too narrow overall for me. * Peregrine 12's (wide) - Good for technical routes and quicker paces.  I’m open to rotating a few models for different distances and terrain. I’m curious about the following shoes but am open to other suggestions. Not a big fan of zero drops. Have caused calf issues in the past. * Brooks Catamount / Caldera / Cascadia * North Face Altamesa 500 * Norda 001 * NNormal Tomir 2.0  Would love to hear from anyone with similar need, especially if you’ve found a solid Xodus Ultra alternative that works for wider feet. Bonus points for shoes that can handle longer miles or varied terrain.

Drop and stack height can depend on user preferences and training to a big extent. Shoe traction, trail surface, and how you run and place your feet also matter. I've run in 0mm to 8mm drop shoes over the years, all are fine for me. On some rocky/technical trails, I've actually been faster and more confident in Speedgoats (4mm) or the Saucony Xodus Ultra (6mm), both high stack shoes because I could stomp on whatever sharp rocks without concern vs lower stack shoes with more ground feel where eventually I'd be picking my way through sharp objects because of the repeated impacts. On the flip side, I'm slower with high stack shoes when going downhill on loose surfaces and making a lot of sharp turns. "Ideal" is kind of hard to think about for me. Generally? Specifically on certain surfaces or races or trails? It's all tradeoffs, you might be slower on the technicals but faster everywhere else in mid/high stack mid drop shoes. How much technical stuff are we talking here?

I'm on my third pair of Endorphin Edges and that's how my first pair looked after around 160 miles/257 km mainly on dry rocky US southwest trails. My second pair looked better at the same level of use on the same trails. My third pair is around 100 km and looks to be close to my second pair. I took them out to 300 miles but was more careful on traction for the last bit. Similar results on both pairs of my Xodus Ultra 2s and Peregrine 12. So normal for Saucony but on the lower end for trail shoes in general. What is particularly concerning for me was the damage and peeling from the outsole cutouts and straight up losing chunks of outsole lugs as opposed to having them wear down like in other shoes. It's a shame, because I love the fit of the Endorphin Edge and it's otherwise very durable in the upper and midsole since I retired them from harder trails but still use them for easier trails and roads. I hope Saucony addresses this and was surprised to see their trail line wane after 2020-2023.

Yes but it's not just the high stack for me. Outsole grip/traction, upper fabric security (does it stretch a lot or keep my feet directly over the sole at all times?), and how soft/firm the cushioning is matter some too. I'd still wear high stack shoes like Speedgoats, Xodus Ultra 1-2, and others over loose rocky terrain but will slow down to maintain stability. I wouldn't be running them much faster with lower stack shoes because the risk and consequences is still higher and I'd be making trade offs with foot comfort and overall pace e.g., faster and more comfy the rest of the time vs being slightly faster on rocks but overall slower because after a while my feet get punctured.

Yes I'd say it's for comfort, the high stack stuff is oriented to long runs, hikes, and ultras. The brand's sponsored athletes likely have a say too, meaning that the shoe may be oriented to particular types of trails or races. I like high stack on occasion but still prefer the shoe to be on the lighter side when possible. I liked the Saucony Xodus Ultra 1 and 2 but the 3 got a bit bloated to me.

Just my preference but the Ultra 3 had more stack height and is heavier, more than I wanted/needed. The Ultra 2 was my sweet spot and I would have been a repeat customer if Saucony kept the stack the same but got a more durable upper and maybe shaved some weight.

I had one pair of the XU1 and 2 pairs of the XU2. Durability in XU1 was acceptable, got around 300 miles overall, much of it in the mountains above treeline. Traction was fine but not stellar. Durability of the XU2 was worse, I lost several outsole lugs and the upper began fraying/tearing by 170 miles, lasted out to 250 or so before I had to retire them. No idea on the XU3 and after.

There are LOTS of shoes that could fill this need, but I'd personally go with something with deeper (4+mm) lugs that can handle mud, even if it's a mix of surfaces. Right now, I'm using my (almost ready to retire) Saucony Xodus Ultra 3 (not the new 4) to plug away on road to trail, it handles most things just fine, and the grip is good enough and it's VERY comfortable. If you want extra grip, that Agravic 3 is a good option, just know that Lighstrike is just EVA, and it is not very exciting. Other good commuter options are the Brooks Catamount 3-4, and the Hierro v8 - v9. Have fun deciding.

I am running in xodus ultra 3s (mostly) right now. They’re comfortable enough but don’t exactly make you feel like you’re getting anywhere fast. Nnormal Tomir 2.0 are probably my favorite shoes, but the toebox is a bit too narrow for me and I was getting blisters on my toes. I still wear them for runs lads than 18k-ish.

I went from speedgoats to xodus ultra 3 and prefer them, though I do feel like they are far more of a stability shoe than the sg6 are.

Looks like v4 is heavier than v3. But with Vibran rubber instead of Sacuony, that may explain it qd well as a beefed up upper. I just ordered a pair of xodus 3 for the Grand Mesa 50 in a couple weeks. I haven't run in saucony since the Peregrin, 10 years ago. I chose them over the Mafate 4 but before I just learned Rabbit just dropped their first trail shoe this month and it looks like a monster!

My wife has bunions and has found the Saucony Xodus Ultra 3 to be a fantastic choice. I also have wide feet, and am in love with my Xodus Ultra shoes.

I don't have feedback about that specific shoe, but I have wide lady feet and absolutely love the xodus ultra 3 and 4 (I have both lol).

We have very similar taste in shoes. To my foot, the xodus ultra and the endorphin edge both have “wide” feeling toeboxes. Also high stacks of good foam and in the latter case, a carbon plate. Edit: I have the xodus ultra 3s to clarify.