Saucony Xodus Ultra 4 review: Robust and comfortable after full mountain days

The Saucony Xodus Ultra is back with its fourth edition, and it's the most significant redesign these much-lauded trail running shoes have undergone since their inception.

The toe box is slightly narrower, the upper feels tougher than ever, and the outsole has been upgraded from Saucony’s proprietary PWRTRAC rubber to a full-length Vibram MegaGrip, giving it technical bite from toe to heel.

Despite losing the rock plate, the shoe is heavier than it has ever been at 309g (10.9oz). But the weight feels justified – the name of the game with the Xodus Ultra 4 is durability, foot protection, and cushioning that can carry you for miles (if not at break-neck speeds, then certainly in reliable comfort).

Upper

At first glance, the upper looks robust, thick, maybe even a bit overbuilt. But once you start running in it, the surprising breathability comes through. Saucony has gone for a slightly all-or-nothing approach here. Large ventilation holes over the forefoot and midfoot sides let air and water move freely, helping drainage after stream crossings, while the rest of the mesh is very tightly woven.

There's also plenty of reinforcements. At the toe, you get a TPU coating layered with extra Vibram rubber that creeps up from the outsole to make sure you can kick rocks in this thing.

Around the heel, there's a stiff collar made from what I assume is faux suede or leather. The shoe has vegan credentials, and also claims to use recycled materials, though Saucony stays pretty vague about exactly how much recycled material is used, and where.

Inside, the sock liner hugs the foot and feels snug. This, combined with extra-long laces and the option to tie a runner’s knot through the final eyelet, makes for a very secure lockdown. The fit is fairly narrow and precise, and that won’t be for everyone.

Personally, I love how close to the foot it feels. On tricky rock sections or steep descents, I felt totally confident placing each step.

The laces themselves are a small quirk. They’re soft to the touch and seem strong, but they do feel slightly slick – I suspect there’s a decent amount of nylon in them. After 15–20k runs I noticed them loosening, and once they even came undone when brambles hooked and tugged at my feet.

There are also neat touches for long-haul use. A metal D-ring and reinforced overlays allow gaiters to be attached securely. Combined with the multi-layered mesh, this makes the Xodus Ultra 4 feel built for serious endurance outings.

Midsole

The midsole design is where Saucony has made subtle but important changes. You still get the familiar PWRRUN PB foam, but this time there’s 8% more of it compared to previous editions. A PWRRUN frame has also been added around the core, giving extra stiffness and stability to balance out the soft cushioning. A PWRRUN+ sockliner sits on top, rounding out what’s now a taller and more protective platform.

On paper, the stack is 36mm in the heel and 30mm in the forefoot, giving a 6mm drop. That puts it in the “max cushioning” category, at least according to Saucony. But visually it doesn’t look like a massive, bulbous Hoka Stinson 7 style midsole. It looks relatively understated, but the feel is where it's at.

Straight out of the box, the shoe is plush and comfortable. After a 20k run, my feet still felt fresh, which is one of the biggest compliments I can give. Consistency is the word here. Some shoes feel great for the first hour and then tail off, but the Xodus Ultra 4 keeps the same level of comfort mile after mile.

It doesn’t have the spring or energy return you’d expect from a carbon-plated racer like the North Face Vectiv Pro 3, nor is it trying to. This is not a speed shoe. It’s clearly for long, consistent distance, and it leans into that identity with confidence. You can rack up dozens of miles and still feel supported.

What surprised me most was how much ground feel remained. Despite the big stack, I could still read the trail beneath me. That balance – soft protection without turning everything into a numb platform – makes this one of the best ultra trail running shoes I’ve tested recently. It gives control without sacrificing comfort, which is exactly what you need on long days.

Outsole

The outsole is perhaps the biggest – and certainly the most obvious – upgrade. Saucony has ditched their PWRTRAC rubber and gone with full-coverage Vibram MegaGrip. It’s a proven compound, and here it’s paired with 4mm chevron-shaped lugs. These point forward in the forefoot for climbing and backward under the heel for braking.

The lug design looks similar to older models, but Saucony has extended them full-length across the outsole. Previously, they got shorter at the toe and heel. That change makes a nice difference. Hairpin turns and choppy downhills feel more controlled, and braking on loose ground feels secure.

Grip on rock is superb. The tackiness of MegaGrip is obviously ideal on wet rock, but the trade-off is mud performance. With lugs placed fairly close together, the outsole can get clogged in thick woodland bogs, and it's not great for shedding. Still, durability is outstanding, and for most mixed-terrain running the outsole feels bombproof.

Price and competition

The Saucony Xodus Ultra 4 sits at the pricier end of the trail running shoe spectrum, but you get a lot of shoe for the money. With its 36/30mm stack and 4mm lugs, the natural comparison is the Hoka Speedgoat 6.

Both are designed for distance, but the Saucony feels stiffer and more protective, while the Hoka feels lighter and more cushioned. Which you prefer depends on whether your priority is soft comfort or rugged durability.

I also found parallels with the ASICS Gel-Trabuco 13. That shoe comes in cheaper and also aims for all-terrain versatility, but in direct comparison it lacks the Xodus Ultra 4’s toughness and outsole grip.

The Xodus Ultra 4 doesn’t use a waterproof membrane, instead relying on its drainage and ventilation holes to clear water quickly. That means wet feet are inevitable in heavy rain or river crossings, but the upside is that it dries out far faster than a Gore-Tex shoe.

If waterproofing is non-negotiable, you might want to look at something like the Inov8 Trailtalon GTX, which offers deeper lugs and a Gore-Tex lining.

Verdict

The Saucony Xodus Ultra 4 is an unassuming shoe that delivers more than it promises at first glance. It has a bombproof upper, reliable cushioning and a Vibram outsole that performs excellently across most surfaces.

It’s not the fastest shoe, and it doesn’t try to be. If you want something for racing short distances, there are better options. But if you’re heading out for long training runs, ultras, or big mountain days where reliability trumps speed, the Xodus Ultra 4 is a superb choice.

About the author

Milo Wilson is our full-time trail running tester and, coincidentally, the person in our office voted most likely to usurp Paul Mescal as king of the heartthrobs.

He's based in the Surrey hills and loves nothing more than a long, ploddy run through the undulating trails of his home on a sunny Sunday. He also runs our #Run1000Mileschallenge.