The Saucony Xodus Ultra 2 is a trail-running shoe built for the long haul, but it’s not just ultra runners who will enjoy it, because it’s a versatile option well-suited to a variety of runs on a variety of surfaces. Run Tester Nick has been trying out the Xodus Ultra 2 of late, and it’s his favourite trail-running shoe of 2023 so far.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:12 – Design & Key Stats
02:12 – How’s The Fit
02:51 – The Run Test
07:18 – Verdict & Alternatives
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Hello and welcome to run testers my Name's Nick and this is our review of The Saucony Exodus Ultra 2. So it's not going to Exodus Ultra 2 is a Trail running shoe from Saucony Obviously built for the longer distances And designed almost to work in Conjunction with more racy training Shoes like the Endorphin Edge but also As an ultra racing shoe in its own right It costs 145 pounds in the UK or 150 in The US it weighs in at 298 grams or 10.5 Ounces in my UK size 9 and it's got a Six millimeter drop with a heel stack Height of 32.5 millimeters that drops to 26.5 millimeters for the forefoot so I Didn't test The Exodus Ultra one myself But I was very keen to get hold of the Two even generally an ultra Runner I am Going to run an ultra maybe this year But it's a shoe I did really want to Test because of the midsole design Mainly which is it's got a power run Foam frame around the power run PB core Which is similar to the setup you get on A sockney Tempest Rose shoe which Basically provides some stability from That firmer foam that acts as the frame But the bouncy Lively ride from the Power run PB foam in the middle that's The foam that you see in things like the Endorphin speed endorphin Pro and Endorphin Edge shoes from Saucony so Really nice setup in the midsole there
Actually with the power run plus insole Above that which save all the power runs In there except for HG the new super Foam in the Endorphin Elite but yeah Really interesting midsole setup and That's the same as on the extras Ultra One according to suck honey the Differences between two shoes are really All in the upper you've got still got a Mesh upper with a big debris shield and A little bit of a toe bumper going on But something is tweaked it to improve The fit around the mid foot in Particular a bit more padding going on Generally make the shoe slightly lighter Whilst having a more comfortable snug Fit then like I say the midsole is meant To be the same on the first shoe and the Outsole is as well it's a three-piece Power track outsole which has got 4.5 Millimeter Chevron lugs it's really Built to be able to handle a big variety Of terrariums you haven't got the really Big widely spaced lugs that you'd use For Mardi or fell running you've got but They are still quite deep and bite well In soft growl whilst being comfortable And gripping well on harder stuff as Well Foreign My normal running shoe size that's Across the board it's my normal UK EU And US running shoe size same size I Really wear across all the sockony shoes
It's not quite as roomy I found as the Endorphin Edge in the same size if you Use that shoe but I still have a nice Amount of room in the toe box that meant I had no concerns about running down Hills hard I wasn't getting my feet Bumping into the toe section of the shoe At all at midfoot and heel hold the foot Really well it's a nice bit of padding Around the Achilles in particular which I do like it does create a secure and Comfortable hold it's got really nice Step in comfort for a trail shoe and Enough room in a toy box that even Though the longer run you shouldn't have Any concerns about your feet swelling And hitting the edges or getting a lot Of rubbing So like I said at the top I'm not an Ultra Runner myself although I do have My first one lined up later this summer Where I'll probably do a 50 miler in my Local Forest but I really like the sound Of the excess Ultra just for any kind of Trail running with that power on frame And Power on PB setup it has which is Like I say similar to The Tempest Road Shoe one of my favorite road running Shoes a really good cushion shoe that Has stability but is also quite Lively And fast if you want it to be and that's What I was really looking for from The Exodus Ultra 2 just a very versatile Trail running shoe both in terms of the
Paces it can handle and also the grip it Has because of that sucking these Outsoles generally are very good I think There's power truck outsole and things Like the Peregrine and other shoes I've Always found grips very reliably for me On the train I'm on which in this shoe And for the most part is a variety of Different Forest pass so that's some Nice very well groomed paths that ends Up quite hard packed once the sun's been Out for a while usually muddy sections Or indeed very swampy sections on my Runs there's some single track I've been On as well plus the canal telepath and The road to and from my Forest which Obviously is a road and then there's Also been a little bit Forest Road Action as well in the shoe so a nice Variety of soft and hard ground in the Shoe but nothing too mountainous or Anything like that because I don't have That kind of option available to me in a Chingford in North London so I've done 50k in the shoe most of that's been in Two longer runs of around 20K most often Are easy Pace but I did do a 5k pickup In my first longer run in the shoe Running it around just under six minute Mile in for around 5K and across the Board I really enjoyed running the shoe The ride feels really nice really well Balanced it's not overly squishy or soft At all but you do get a little bit of
Sinking comfort and a little bit of Bounce from it I'm a heel strike and I Certainly think you get a slightly Softer ride from the shoe if you are a Heel Striker I found when I was going Uphill was actually the ride firmed up a Little bit when I moved more onto my mid Foot four foot and I was trying to power Up a hill or something like that the Rifle's a bit firm which is good nice a Nice stable firm platform when you are Trying to go up a hill but when I'm Going downhill I maybe a bit more on my Heels or just cruising around in general It's got that soft ride from the power On PB foam but it's not at all unstable Or squishy like um you're not they're Getting lost in the shoe at all you're Getting a good platform that then gives You a little bit of bounce back from That midsole it's not quite as soft and Lively and bouncy or soft it hasn't got The speed raw Technologies some of other Sockony shoes that use the PB foam but All in all it's got a really good Balanced ride I'd say when I did do that 5K pickup uh it was the end of a run I Wasn't really sure about the pace I'd Spit out I was just going to try and Write a nice steady pace around a little Loop with kind of undulations along the Way but nothing too major in terms of Uphill or downhill but she felt very Comfortable to run fast at it does
Remind me a little bit of the Tempest in That regard it's not a shoe that you Necessarily expect to be great in fast Paces because you're when you're running Around at easy Paces it just feels Cushioned and comfortable not big or Heavy but it doesn't feel like it's Going to be very Nimble or anything like That but then when you do push the pace It works well like it hasn't got the Really aggressive rocker you get from Summer soccer issues but it's got a Pretty smooth ride it's not that Aggressively Snappy or Slappy or Anything like that you just roll through And get a decent amount of punch from The midsole foam so all in all I really Have liked it in terms of the paces I've Run out everything I've done this year Is either felt very comfortable very Relaxed and when I want to push the pace Either trying to get up a hill quickly Or pound down one or just run at a good Pace on runnable terrain it's worked Really well it certainly feels lighter Than its weight which isn't that heavy Either considering the lugs on the Outsole there you can all those lugs I've had no concerns on grip either like Apart from very deep mud where again you Might want a more grippy shoe or even Something like the Peregrine that has Slightly longer lugs like you can go Into deep muddy patches though with
Pretty feeling pretty confident you're Not going to fall over straight away It's only really if you're in mud for Extended periods it starts to cake to The midsole a little bit and then you Get you do start to lose purchase but The ones I've done the mud on most of The time I've gone for a big muddy patch Confident I can just power through it And then hit some hard stuff and the Shoe shakes it off pretty quickly so and Then when you're on any other kind of Trail I've had no worries about grip at All right these power track outsoles From something have always been very Good and reliable in terms of the mix of Terrain they can handle I think this one Is well judged for the road sections as Well like sometimes the Peregrine I Think isn't the most comfortable on the Road for me but this feels this has felt Really good on longer hard sections on The run so yeah no concerns about grip Or the outsole in general it's not one Built for very deep mode or anything Like that on anything else others no Worries about grip overall really have Enjoyed the ride of the shoe all round Has been caught from the longer rounds I Enjoyed running a bit quicker and air Times and maybe you know I look at Something lighter if I was looking at a Racing shoe in particular for shorter Races but as a general Trail shoe in
Terms of the comfort and the kind of Versatility it has I think it's really Impressive it's certainly a very Comfortable shoe but it can move through The gears if you want to do that on your Trail runs Foreign Shoes I've tested for a long time I Didn't test the first one I have seen Some reviews suggesting that they don't Like the second as much as the first in Which case I should try and find the First because I really do like the Second a lot and the first is even Better than that's great news but I just Think it's a really well balanced you All around it's not too heavy but it is Well cushioned the balance of foam to The midsole gives you a nice Lively ride When you want it but it is stable and a Very secure feeling on the foot upper Holds the foot well in every area and is Reasonably well padded and the outsole Grips well with a nice variety of Terrain so not really anything major I Thought with it like if you create this Exact same shoe and make it 30 40 grams Lighter then brilliant I'd like that as Well but I think you would trade off Some of the Comfort especially around The upper and the protection you get From the upper as well because it does Do a good job of that one I have kicks And roots and gone through some dusty
Gravelly ground and nothing's really Penetrated the upper to get through and Hurt my feet or you know money up my Socks so I think it's just a really good Shoe all round certainly right up there With my favorite priority shoes things Like the hokuspico 5 that's got a Slightly more rockered ride a little bit More cruisy feel to it but they are Pretty similar in terms of the trail Running I enjoy doing in them which is To say pretty much everything I maybe Feel that The Exodus Ultra has a little Bit more of an edge in terms of being Nimble on very narrow tracks or twisty Tracks that kind of thing but broadly Speaking they are quite similar overall But I do think you maybe get a little Bit more punch from the extras Ultra if You are trying to run a bit faster it's Because the Foams in the midsole are a Bit livelier than the stuff on the speed Go 5. if you're looking at the other Shoes in Socrates range like I prefer The shoe to the parent which has been a Long-standing all-round favorite Trail Shoot for me like I'm testing the Peregrine 13 at the moment I still like It a lot but I actually think I probably Slightly prefer the Nexus Ultra just Again because the midsole is slightly More impressive enjoyable than the Midsole on the Peregrine which is uh all A power run plus I think it's well it's
Not power on TV it's the other power Runs I think the Peregrine's a fair bit Lighter uh although I can't test it Because I've got the Gore-Tex version Which is actually a little bit heavier Than the Exodus Ultra too but yeah I Think the Peregrine does give you a bit More bite on soft ground but actually I'm on top ground a lot of the time even At this time of year what I've been Testing the shoes and Not been in many occasions when I've Wished I was in the Peregrine instead of The exos ultra 2. another sure tested Recently if you want a cheaper option is The evidect Mt cushion 2 which is a Great Trail shoe all round again and it Comes in under 100 pounds it's not as Comfortable as the XS Ultra the midsole Fine just isn't as impressive as Comfortable as Lively as the um Exodus Ultra too but just looking for a general Trail shoe to cruise through shorter Stuff in particular then that uh Eva Dixie from decathlon will serve you very Well that's a very good shoe and then We've been looking at where it fits Compared to the Saucony endorphin Edge Which obviously has a power run PB Midsole as well with more of Saucony Speed roll technology I think for the Most part that speed raw technology and Indeed the clay in the edge doesn't come Into play that much during runs unless
Until you hit some nice runnable Stretches of a run when you do enjoy That rocker a bit more and get a bit More punch from the plate for the most Part I found the XS Ultra pretty much is Good for everything but the Endorphin Edge is a fair bit lighter and that will Obviously tell when it comes to racing In particular so you could look at them As a very nice one-two pairing for the Trails with the Exodus Ultra tubing a Very good trail training shoe and long Distance Trail racing shoe and the Endorphin Edge more as the Speedster of The two but yeah I you know as someone Who's not engaged in very serious racing On the trails yet uh over long distances And particularly most of my trail races Are quite short muddy Affairs um but if I was just looking for a general Trail Cruiser the excess Ultra hits the bill Very well compared to the dolphin age I Think I prefer the fit of the axis Ultra As well so yeah all in all great shoot Probably my favorite troubleshoot at the Moment all round uh just comfortable Versatile it looks okay until you get Covered in mud like I did uh yeah really Good shoe So that's our view of the Saucony Exodus Ultra 2. let us know what you think in The comments below are you really Keen To hear people who have tested both the Original and the second version of the
Shooting if they did notice a big Difference I've only tested the two Really like it if the first one is Better then I'd be quite Keen to check That out as well so yeah dive in the Comments below if that's you otherwise Please like subscribe ring the little Bell and we'll see you next time