Bought these based on other reviews. They are the best fitting most comfortable shoes straight out of the box that I have ever owned. I am 6'3" 325lbs and they have enough support for me. Couldn't be happier
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After training in Saucony Kinvara for 3 months, i decided one week before a 25k trail race that i needed a heavier shoe. I ordered the Xodus 4. The new shoes came Wednesday, i put them on and went for a 6 mile road run. They fit good and felt good, so 4 days later i raced in them. 25k of some of the toughest trails in northern Pa. with no sore feet. I love these shoes. They are just right for bad trails. I will still use my Kinvaras for smoother, easier trails, but it's the Xodus for the tough ones.
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Very comfortable shoes right from the box. The size is precise and they are very durable. Did I mention they are very comfortable? :)
Honest reviews on 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!
