adidas Saunster

ben brockway
Reviewed: 30 April 2002

Good on trail shoe, stable and light.

The relatively unpadded midsole leads to a greater feel of the terrain under your feet; upper supportive, upgraded traxion sole less slippy on wet rock than previously.

If you have overpronation problems there is less motion control than you may need; the sole unit remains pretty scary on wet rock. Relatively low cushioning so not for long distance road bashing.

A few tweaks have improved the Saunster considerably, noticeably the sole is now only carbon rubber not the outrageous teflon coated red/blue rubber of previous years. The sole pattern is quite aggressive making the traction good on rougher trails, but by no means a hill running shoe - go and get some Walshes if you need them! The relatively sparse cushioning means a foot closer to the ground, so less chance of twisting an ankle from such a low, stable position - a bit like walsh design - but makes them less comfortable for longer distances. This is my personal preference - thin midsole plus sorbothane inner - but it's not everyone's choice by any means. Think of a more comfortable pair of PB2s for paths and trails than a high mileage high cushion/support runner. Rated as a shortish (under 2 hour) distance trail runner rather than as a long distance shoe.