Saucony ProGrid Razor Trail Shoe Review

By Rick Morris

One of the challenges of running in my home base of Colorado is that snow, cold and your basic trail running shoe don't always go together like peaches and cream. Sure, you can find a trail shoe that has an aggressive tread for improved traction in the snow, but that doesn't keep the snow, ice and cold from taking a big bite out of your ankles. The Saucony ProGrid Razor trail shoe provides a possible solution - high top running shoes. Nope, they aren't basketball sneakers; they are dedicated trail runners with a built in gaiter. Not only does the gaiter provide some protection for your ankles, these shoes are also constructed with a water proof eVent bootie and an aggressive Vibram outsole.

Sounds like a nice, if not ideal solution for winter snow running. How do these shoes perform in the snow?  There is no lack of snow right now in our Colorado mountains, so we put the Saucony ProGrid Razor's through their paces.

First Impression

Out of the box, the Saucony ProGrid Razors make a good initial impression. They are great looking shoes with a nice, light feel. They have a high tech, futuristic look that makes you want to put them on a take them for a spin, which is just what we did. The ProGrid Razors are like a shoe within a shoe. There is an inner EVA sock liner and midsole that closes quickly with a locking pull-tab lace. This sock liners give a very comfortable and secure glove like fit. Over the sock liner is the waterproof eVent bootie and the covering gaiter that rises just above ankle bone height or about 6 inches above the ground. The outer gaiter is secured with a smoothly operating zipper. The end result is a relatively light weight, comfortable, warm and very secure feeling shoe.

Snow Test

We had a number of our coaches take the ProGrid Razors out for a snow test and the verdict, for the most part, was resoundingly positive. All of our testers agreed that Razor's kept their feet warm and cozy and the attached gaiter did a good job of shutting out snow levels of up to 6 inches. Everyone was also in agreement that the breathable eVent fabric bootie kept their feet dry from both the outside in and the inside out. But there were some disagreements.

Some of our coaches found that while the built in gaiter kept out moderate snow levels of up to 6 inches, deeper snow tended to get packed into the top of the gaiter. The gaiter doesn't seem to be quite tight enough to fully protect your feet in deeper snow. Others were able to run through even the deep stuff with no problems. While the gaiters could be a bit tighter, the problem was solved by wearing thicker running socks, which should be worn anyway in snowy and cold conditions.

There was also some disagreement on the performance of the shoes, in relation to outsole stiffness. The Vibram Trek outsole provides great traction and durability, but that comes at the comes at the expense of flexibility. While some of our testers liked the feel some others felt the sole was too stiff.

Do They Work?

Overall, our testers loved the Saucony ProGrid Razor trail shoes and thought they provided an excellent solution to running in moderate amounts of snow. While there may be a bit of snow leakage in deep snow, that problem is easily solved by wearing heavier running socks. The sole is a bit stiffer than most of us liked, but the great traction, protection from rocks and durability of the outsole more than made up for the less than optimal flexibility.

Running Planet

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