Latest revision as of 16:03, 2 August 2017

The Saucony Nomad is intended to be a trail shoe that works well on roads, but I found myself unimpressed with it in either scenario. The Nomad has relatively little cushioning, with an almost minimalist, harsh ride. To put it in perspective, it has a little less cushioning than the New Balance RC5000v2 that weighs only 4 ounces. I found the Nomad very slightly uneven in the forefoot, but otherwise fairly neutral. It has one of the least breathable uppers I've come across, and I wondered if it was intended to be waterproof (it isn't.) I've rated it as "worth considering" as there are better shoes on the market, especially given some of the slightly odd design decisions Saucony made with the Nomad.

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  The top view

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  The outside (lateral) view

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  The sole

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  The inside (medial) view

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1 Characteristics

• Cushioning . The Nomad uses very firm foam, and a thick layer of outsole material, resulting in a shoe that has relatively little cushioning given its weight. This approach does give the Nomad some protection from stones, but it produces a rather inefficient shoe. For instance, the Nomad has about the same cushioning as the original New Balance RC5000‏‎, but weighs more than three times as much.
• Drop. The Nomad has about a 2mm drop when loaded, though something about the shoe made if feel like more. If you're after a low drop shoe, pay attention when you try the Nomad out.
• Structure. The Nomad appears to use a single density of foam, with no noticeable structure.
• Flexibility. The Nomad is rather inflexible, and is closer to a maximalist shoes flexibility than you might expect. The yellow rubber outsole has a diamond shape, and some of the rows of diamonds are actually separate from the neighbors. I think this is intended to increase flexibility, but in practice there is very little separation of the outsole areas.
• Outsole. The Nomad has a rather unusual outsole, using a diamond pattern noted above. The rubber is a little stickier than a traditional rubber outsole but I didn't find that the traction was as good as the Hoka shoes that use RMAT.
• Shape. The Nomad has the shape of most running shoes, which doesn't match a healthy human foot. (If you're on your way to bunions, then the Nomad will fit a little better while exacerbating the problem.) I found the Nomad was far better after I cut open the toe box. (I recommend cutting open the toe box of virtually all running shoes, with the exception of a few shoes like some Altra shoes. When you have some worn out shoes, you should try cutting open the toe box. I've found that it's a big improvement, allowing my toes to move naturally and engage for toe off, as well as reducing the possibility of blisters.)
• Upper. Another strange design choice is the upper, which is thick enough and so lacking in breathability that I wondered if it was intended to be waterproof (it's not.) There are quite a lot of reinforcement overlays, though they didn't cause me any problems. The Nomad has Saucony's rather annoying strap around the midfoot, which they think improves their shoes fit. This "Pro-Lock", is intended to create extra pressure around the midfoot, but it's actually fairly innocuous when you're running. However, I did find it made it trickier to get the laced tension just right. The forefoot is unpadded, with padding starting just behind the midfoot and going around the ankle opening. Ankle opening is nicely padded and comfortable. One feature that a little hard to see the photos is a small loop to attach a gaiter to, just in front of the laces.
• Tongue. The Nomad's tongue continues the somewhat unusual design decisions by having a tongue that is a continuation of the upper for its first half, then a traditional padded tongue for the top half. I think this makes the Nomad a little uncomfortable across the top of your foot, and on occasion it irritated my tendons enough to cause me pain for a few days afterwards. If you have any issues with the top of your foot, I would avoid the Nomad.
• Lacing. The Nomad uses surprisingly ordinary flat laces that stayed tied nicely.
• Heel Counter. There is a hard, unyielding heel counter, but your foot is protected and isolated from it by a good level of padding (which also renders the heel counter rather pointless.)

2 A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes

If you're looking for "the best of the best" running shoe, here are my top picks. Of course, the answer will depend a little on what you're looking for, so I have recommendations for various categories. Best All Round Shoe. The Altra Escalante is my current all-round favorite. It has plenty of cushioning for its weight, it has a very springy midsole, it lasts well, and it has a shape that's closer to the shape of a human foot than most shoes. It's a great shoe for any runner, including those Starting to run. It's also a fairly easy shoe to find due to its popularity. Best Maximalist Shoe: If you want something massively cushioned, then I'd recommend the Saucony Kinvara 8. It's remarkably light and remarkably cushioned, beating Hoka at their own game. Best Optimal Shoe: For those looking to trade cushioning for speed, the Nike Zoom Streak LT 3 was my top pick, but the latest version (LT 4) falls short of it's predecessor. There are lots of great optimal running shoes, which provide just enough cushioning with light weight and minimal frills, but all have their weak spots. Probably the best option at the moment is the Altra Vanish-R, which offers great cushioning for just over 5oz/150g. Fastest Shoe: If you really want speed, then check out the Nike Vaporfly 4%. It's light, massively cushioned, and has a carbon fiber plate. Nothing comes close, not even the now defunct New Balance RC5000‏‎ or New Balance RC5000v2‏‎. There are a number of caveats; it's really expensive, it's really hard to find, and there's a significant injury risk. Best Minimalist Shoe: Merrell Trail Glove. I recommend the trail glove for road running in spite of the 'trail' moniker. It's not a fast shoe by any means, but it's comfortable and will last well. All Terrain Shoe. For trail running, I've become a fan of Altra, and I think their best shoe is the the Altra Timp, though the Altra Lone Peak is really close. Honorable Mention: It's not really a running shoe, but the Vivobarefoot Ra is comfortable, minimalist and can more or less pass as a dress shoe. I've worn mine to weddings with a suit and they've not looked out of place. You can run in the Ra, but the leather means it doesn't breathe well.

For a more detailed on running shoes see the Recommendations for Best Running Shoes. This table lists the key attributes of What to Look for in Running Shoes. For more detailed information, on the shoes see detailed shoe comparison.

It's not a running shoe, but I love the Hoka Tor Ultra hiking boot and I've tested the Altra Lone Peak Boot, the Hoka Tor Speed 2, and the Inov-8 Roclite 325 hiking boots
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