Saucony Nomad Pant Review

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Saucony Nomad Pants

Saucony Nomad Pants First Impressions

First of all, I was intrigued by the name, Nomad. Obviously I know what a Nomad is, but I thought I’d check what the all-knowing Wikepedia had to say on the matter. “The word nomad comes from a Greek word that means one who wanders for pasture.”  As well as “Nomads keep moving for different reasons.” I can totally relate! If I had my druthers, I would always be moving and venturing out into the mountains seeking greener pastures. Or fields of wildflowers, hidden lakes, groves of Aspen stands, and pine covered forests. Saucony is among the leaders in producing high quality running shoes. The apparel side of things has quickly become a very competitive industry to provide the latest and greatest technological advances to keep us runners warm and dry. Saucony is tackling this challenge head on! The Saucony Nomad Pants are part of a complete line of winter weather gear to protect us from the elements in the winter months. In my neck of the woods, we have entered the cooler fall temperatures and these pants have become a staple for my morning runs. The one thing that immediately caught my eye was the the front half of the Pants were a different material than the back half.  It turns out the front is more wind and water resistant. Upon closer examination, that material was also used on the lower calf portion to handle any rain or snow splatter.

Saucony Nomad – The shiny part at the bottom (front of pants) and top right (calf) is the weather wicking material

Saucony Nomad Pant features a stretch waist in the back, and drawstring in front

Technical Features for the Saucony Nomad Pant

The three key technical features that comprise the Saucony Nomad Pants are the Flexshell, the Thermal Stretch, and the Fleece Lining.  The Flexshell is a 100% polyester waterproof membrane that keeps the front of your legs (and lower back calves) protected as you face the elements head on. Here in Colorado, we are not necessarily known for our long rainy days, but the wind definitely plays a factor on many a day. I have yet to experience any discomfort from wind or rain, and I’m actually excited for a sleet or snow test run. The Thermal Stretch Fabric covers the back of your leg to conform and move as you do. It stretches and glides to allow for unencumbered movement even when traversing some technical and rocky trail runs. An ultra breathable fleece lining provides the insulation, and wicks away any sweat. It’s definitely nice and warm!

Saucony Nomad zipper for easy access and reflective white stripe

Back zippered pocket. Small but adequate.

The bottom leg zipper provides for easy access, and slid over my shoes quite easily.  The back pocket is rather small, but I didn’t use if for anything other than my house key, and some cash for a mid run refueling stop.

Trail run in the Saucony Nomad.

Field Testing and Perfomance

I would say, I’ve worn the Saucony Nomad Pants for about a dozen runs now in temperatures that were as low as 30 and as high as 50. Let me tell you, I quickly realized that these are serious winter running pants! Fifty and sunny, and I reached my limit as to being able to wear these pants. When I went for a run when temperatures hovered around the freezing point, they provided excellent warmth and comfort.  I’m sure as soon as winter really sets in that these pants can easily handle temperatures into the teens. I am used to layering up, but I have a feeling that this winter I will be running in style with my Nomad Pants to keep me warm. If I had to point out a negative albeit small. It’s that the front zippered pockets weren’t deep enough. On many occasions, I will still be wearing my pants afterwards or in the car. My phone, keys, or wallet would slide out rather easily, and end up just out of reach in between the car seat and console. Solution = zip up those pockets!

Saucony Nomad Reflective stripe around the mid section.

Final thoughts on the Saucony Nomad Pants

I am happy to report that I took it upon myself to take the Saucony Nomad Pants back out into the wild to find its roots and experience the Nomadic lifestyle. With the somewhat early season conditions that I experienced, my conclusion is that this is definitely a true winter weather running pant. I attempted a few September runs with nicer weather, and I wanted to quickly shed the pants for some shorts (see Saucony Interval shorts).  These pants are super warm, and will come in handy when hitting the snow covered trails.  I feel confident that I can brave most conditions.  The flexshell on the front half of the pants is a nice feature to tackle any ol’ blizzard or driving rainstorm.  Something I’ve noticed and really like from Saucony’s winter apparel pieces including the Nomad Pants is that they’ve been designed with very clean lines to establish a classic look. For more info on the Nomad Pants and other Saucony products visit www.saucony.com or www.amazon.com/saucony.