Ronhill Reverence 2 Review
The Ronhill Reverence 2 is a trail running shoe designed to be used on soft ground. They are grippy enough and flexible enough to be used on the fells or mountains, but also offer enough underfoot protection for more mixed terrain such as farmers’ fields or riverside footpaths.
A lot of trail running shoes sold in the UK market are designed for use on American trails. These are a lot harder packed than the average public footpath in the UK. In the UK we are blessed with a network of little muddy paths that reach out all over the countryside, cities and towns. If you like running on this softer, more adventurous terrain then you need a trail running shoe with a bit more traction than the road running brands’ trail shoes. Brands like Inov-8, VJ and Scott already produce trail running shoes with longer lugs, and now Ronhill have joined the exclusive club.
The Ronhill Reverence 2 has a 7mm long lug pattern on its outsole. This is the same rubber and outsole pattern as on the original Reverence — an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach. The lug pattern is made up of multi-directional ‘V’ shaped lugs. These are quite large to make them durable and to make the surface area big enough to give good traction on harder surfaces. The Michelin rubber is designed to offer good traction on wet and dry surfaces and be durable enough for some hard-packed trail too.
My first outing was on a wet snowy day when I decided to run to the field that I use for my threshold-type workouts, as the road was snow covered. This involved about a mile of tarmac initially, which the Reverence 2 didn’t feel that great on, but once I got onto softer ground the experience was much more positive. I had feared that the midsole would be a bit stiff to flex to the contours of the ground and that the ‘V’ shaped lugs wouldn’t bite into the soft ground as effectively as a more pointed stud. I was wrong.
A flooded stream crossing on stepping stones that are often slippery — and on this occasion were totally submerged — was a cold experience but safely crossed. The field that I did my efforts around was under two inches of water on the drier sections and past my ankles on the corners. The traction was superb and the outsole also shed the mud well.
The tongue is a wrap-over construction which pulls the upper in around the foot. The closure around the ankle is snug, which helps to prevent debris from getting into the shoes. This was noticeably effective in making me feel that the shoes were securely on my feet and in preventing grit from the puddles getting into the shoes. The whole session took just under two hours and I didn’t need to adjust the laces at all. The upper felt secure and comfortable despite being saturated for most of that time.
The laces are thin and round. This helps them pull through the tapes, which are used instead of lace holes, and also means that when they are tied there isn’t a lot of lace on top of the foot. They also don’t seem to come undone easily, something that often happens when running through undergrowth or when laces get wet and muddy.
The heel cup is stiffened but is very pliable and pulls around the heel when the shoes are laced up. The padding in the heel cup is light, with a heel cushion running around the cuff. The wrap-over tongue has no padding to speak of, but I found that the laces didn’t put any pressure on the top of my foot.
The upper is made from Matryx Micro, which is designed not to absorb moisture and to be highly abrasion resistant. Each thread used to make the material is coated so that it doesn’t absorb water, and Kevlar threads are woven through the material to offer extra strength. An overlay runs around the base of the Reverence 2 to give further abrasion resistance. This overlay is thickened slightly at the toe to form the toe bumper of the Reverence 2.
The fit is designed to hold the foot at the heel and through the midfoot, but then allow the feet to spread and function in the forefoot. The big toe line is straight, which allows the smaller toes to spread on impact. This isn’t as roomy as an Altra or Topo running shoe but uses a similar philosophy of allowing the feet to function inside the shoes so you gain the benefit of cushioning and propulsion from the feet, and the feet get stronger the more you run. On broken ground or wet, slippery terrain, allowing foot function inside the shoes makes the runner much nimbler and it is far easier to skip over difficult terrain.
The midsole is made from a supercritical EVA. This makes it more resilient and gives it a higher rebound, making the shoes feel responsive. The midsole is designed to be flexible in all directions so that it can take the contours of the ground and help absorb tree roots or rocks. This helps maintain traction and gives a smoother ride over more broken ground.
The midsole feels firm on tarmac but cushioned, stable and comfortable on softer ground. I think that the Ronhill Reverence 2 is serviceable as a road-to-trail shoe or a shoe suitable for mixed routes, but this isn’t what it is designed for and it does feel like a fell shoe on the roads.
The midsole is 28mm in the heel and 23mm in the forefoot, which provides a good level of underfoot protection. The 5mm drop promotes more of a midfoot landing, which makes the runner nimbler on broken or wet, slippery ground.
It is noticeable that the midsole and outsole haven’t been cut away in the midfoot and instead are much broader. This helps to make the Reverence 2 a stable shoe. It doesn’t feel like a flimsy cross-country or fell racing shoe. This also helps to make the Reverence 2 more comfortable at slower, easy run paces. There isn’t a lot of toe spring, so you can happily trot along at the pace you choose.
The Ronhill Reverence 2 has a sturdy, durable look about it which can make it appear heavy. This isn’t the case. A men’s UK 8 weighs only 275 grams.
Ronhill running shoes are similar in length to Brooks, Saucony, Topo, 361 and Altra. If you use Hoka, New Balance, Karhu, La Sportiva or Inov-8 then we would suggest trying half a UK size smaller to get a similar length. For example, a UK 11 in Ronhill is a similar length to a UK 11.5 in Hoka.
In summary, the Ronhill Reverence 2 is a great trail running shoe for soft ground running. It has a snug fit but still allows room for the toes to spread and function. It has a good level of grip. The Reverence 2 is durable enough for mixed runs but doesn’t feel as smooth on tarmac as it does on softer ground.
Alternatives to Ronhill Reverence 2
OMM Fell Shoe: A similar level of good traction although the lugs clog a bit more easily. However, you don’t loose much traction when this happens. The toe box is a lot more pointed, and the fit is generally snugger through the toe box. Similar durable construction. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/omm-fell-shoe-review/
Inov-8 Trailtalon Zero: A zero drop shoe makes the Trailtalon Zero more of a midfoot striker’s shoe. The lugs offer a similar level of traction maybe a bit less when it gets really muddy. The ride is nicer on harder packed terrain. It is still firm but doesn’t feel quite as numb or unresponsive. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/inov-8-trailtalon-zero-review/
Inov-8 Trailtalon: A stiffer midsole makes the Trailtalon less able to flow over broken ground and maintain traction. A broad rounded toe box gives the feet the room to spread and function. Feels a little better on hard packed surfaces. Available in two width men’s and women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/inov-8-trailtalon-review/
Saucony Peregrine 16: More versatile in that it rides nicer on the firmer tracks and trails but lacks the traction in the mud. A straight big toe line but a bit less room in the forefoot.
VJ MaXx 2: Only a 4mm long lug makes these less effective in the mud. Although the lug pattern works better than a lot of other 4mm long lugged shoes. The toe box is rounded to give the toes the room to spread and function. The midsole is nitrogen infused. The ride is better on hard packed terrain although it is firm. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/vj-sport-maxx2-review/
La Sportiva Mutant: A similar wrap around closure but the Mutant has a built-in gaiter. Similar firm ride on tarmac. Lugs and grip isn’t as effective on muddy terrain. Toe box is more pointed. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/la-sportiva-mutant-review-new-version-for-2023/
Scarpa Spin ST: 8mm long lugs that are large but pointed bite well into soft ground. The midsole is stiff at the heel which makes the Spin ST ride OK on firmer surfaces but makes it less able to bend to the contours of the ground when compared to the Reverence 2. The gaiter is designed to keep debris out of the shoes but isn’t as snug as the wrap around fit of the Reverence 2 and so it is less effective. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/scarpa-spin-st-review/
Scott Supertrac RC 3: A more versatile shoe that rides better on hard packed trails. However, the 6mm lugs don’t offer the same level of traction in the mud. The big toe line is straight but there is less room in the forefoot so you don’t get the same feeling of freedom at the toes. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/scott-supertrac-rc-3-review/
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