Leave It to a Venerated Denim Brand to Transform a Trail Sneaker into a Must-Have Style Piece

Behold the wizardry of what happens when 3sixteen gets its hands on an outdoor shoe from America’s oldest running brand.

Closeup of 3sixteen x Saucony Peregrine 15 Gesso sneaker toe

By Sean Tirman

Published July 10, 2025

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Updated July 10, 2025

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The line between style and function has increasingly blurred over the years. Thanks to the rise of trends like athleisure and gorpcore, it’s no longer taboo to wear outdoor gear in an urban setting or vice versa.

Still, some releases walk that tightrope better than others. Case in point: the 3sixteen x Saucony Peregrine 15 “Gesso.” Technically, this is a trail-running sneaker. But thanks to the beloved denim brand’s treatment, it’s so stunning that it will also probably be one of the year’s best style pieces.

3sixteen x Saucony Peregrine 15 Gesso shoe family on steel table — This sneaker comes in four distinct colors, each more stunning than the last.

Technical prowess

The core shoe, the Saucony Peregrine 15, remains largely intact from a technical standpoint. That’s a very good thing, as the Peregrine line is among the best trail runners of all time (we rated the 13 as the best everyday training trail runner).

As far as its performance goes, this sneaker boasts a chunky, treaded PWRTRAC outsole with 5-millimeter lugs for exceptional grip on any terrain. It also has a forefoot rock guard to protect your soles from impacts.

3sixteen x Saucony Peregrine 15 Gesso sneakers being washed — Those 5mm chevron lugs make quick work of even the most rugged terrain.

The midsole is made of PWRRUN foam, which offers softness and exceptional shock absorption, allowing for more comfort and protection on even the trickiest trails. The upper is made with breathable, high-strength mesh, with extra support and reinforcement where you need it most.

But what sets these shoes apart is the dying and finishing process applied by 3sixteen. While these are technically the same Peregrine 15s as you can find on Saucony’s site, their treatment elevates them to grail status by comparison.

3sixteen x Saucony Peregrine 15 Gesso sneakers being dyed — Literally every pair of these shoes is individually hand-dyed.

Denim-inspired dynamos

For the uninitiated, 3sixteen is one of the most beloved denim brands in the USA, especially among fashion gurus. While the brand has done dyed sneakers before — Chuck Taylors in 2013 and Yuketen Rocker Oxs in 2018 — this project is the “most ambitious production run of dyed shoes [it has] ever released.”

This project was borne of 3sixteen’s eight-year partnership with Green Matters Natural Dye Company. The brands spent months developing dyes that would properly absorb into the sneakers’ synthetic fabrics.

3sixteen x Saucony Peregrine 15 Gesso in denim blue on a table — Due to the nature of the dying process, no two sneakers are exactly alike.

After all that R&D, the brands settled on a quartet of colors: Indigo (using GOTS-certified natural indigo), Sunflower (dyed with weld flowers), Granite (a combination of cutch, iron and chestnut) and Rubia (madder root and chestnut). Every pair is also hand-dyed, meaning no two pairs are the same.

As you can see, the results speak for themselves. These are some of the most stunning outdoor sneakers I’ve ever seen. And that’s not all: because of the nature of the dye and the coloring process, each pair will age uniquely as it’s worn, adding to its allure.