Ronhill Reverence SL Review: A Lightweight Fell Trail Shoe Built for Mud

Introduction

Ronhill has been quietly rebuilding its running shoe line since its 2024 comeback, and the Reverence SL feels like the moment it all comes together. After testing a couple of the brand’s earlier trail shoes and enjoying the fit and feel, one question lingered: when would Ronhill produce something lighter and more performance-driven? The Reverence SL is the answer. It is a good-looking, lightweight, responsive shoe with serious lugs, and it has clearly been designed for wet, muddy, slippery and technical ground.

To put it through its paces, we took the shoe to a demanding section of coastal path with compacted gravel, muddy trails, grassy fields, wet rock and some steep technical climbs and descents, clocking up seven miles in strong winds. Here is how it performed.

At a Glance: Specs and Pricing

The Reverence SL should be available on the Ronhill website soon at an RRP of around 150 pounds. Our pair in a UK 10 came in at a very light 258g. Stack height sits at 25mm at the heel and 20mm under the forefoot, giving a 5mm heel offset, which is a genuinely sensible sweet spot for a trail shoe.

Flip the shoe over and you find a chunky, aggressive 7mm lug pattern set into Michelin rubber. On paper, this is a shoe aimed squarely at soft ground, and the spec backs that up.

Upper: Durable Matrix Fabric with a Plusher Liner

Ronhill carried over the full matrix upper from the original Reverence trail shoe, and that is good news because this fabric is highly durable, exactly what you want on a trail shoe. The brand has also added a softer liner this time round, and the difference is noticeable: the upper feels more comfortable straight away.

There is a very thin gusseted tongue, which is not usually our favourite design choice, but Ronhill has added extra protection at the top of the tongue where you pull the laces tight. Overlays wrap all the way around the shoe for added durability, and the ankle collar and heel cup use a moderate amount of padding with a very soft, faux-suede-like fabric internally that adds a genuine level of plushness.

The notched laces deserve a mention too. They work similarly to the laces on a performance road racing shoe: once you pull them tight and lock your foot in, the notches stop the laces coming loose mid-run. No stopping to re-tie, which is a small but real quality-of-life win. A substantial toe bumper up front rounds out the protection.

Midsole and Outsole: Michelin Collaboration

Ronhill worked closely with Michelin on both the midsole foam and the outsole rubber. The midsole uses supercritical EVA, designed to deliver a lightweight, comfortable and responsive ride that still feels stable and planted on technical terrain. Underneath, the OCX3 Michelin rubber is paired with that 7mm lug pattern, with reverse-facing chevrons on the heel to bite in on fast descents and forward-facing chevrons under the forefoot for grip on climbs and flat pushes.

Grip and Traction: The Michelin Outsole Delivers

This is where the shoe genuinely shines. The test route covered compacted gravel, boggy sections, grass, wet rock and dry rock, and the outsole passed everything. The 7mm lugs dig in hard, and just as importantly, they are well spaced: sticky mud did not clog the outsole and cleared itself immediately, a common failure point on other trail shoes.

On wet slatey sections, which are as sketchy as they sound, the Michelin rubber felt sticky and secure, and there was never a moment of doubt about footing. It is a confidence-boosting shoe, and it ranks among the best-performing luggy outsoles we have tested on any trail shoe.

Fit and Feel: A Precision Upper That Disappears on Foot

The Reverence SL has a more precision fit than the original Reverence, with an average-width toe box that is neither narrow nor wide, leaving plenty of wiggle room up front. One sizing note: it runs a touch small. A UK 9.5 felt short, and stepping up half a size to a UK 10 delivered the perfect toe box length.

With the plusher internal liner, the shoe wraps the midfoot securely and holds the heel comfortably, to the point where it feels super secure yet barely noticeable on foot. The thin gusseted tongue turned out to be a non-issue: it felt plush across the top of the foot with no lace bite. The soft collar material grips and holds the heel well too. Durability should also be strong, given the full matrix upper.

Ride and Comfort: Supercritical EVA Underfoot

The midsole was the pleasant surprise of the test. This is not a deeply cushioned trail shoe, but the supercritical EVA offered solid comfort, absorbing hard compacted gravel paths without trouble, then delivering a connected and stable ride on the technical stuff.

One quirk worth knowing: the shoe does not come with insoles, which is unusual these days. It caused no comfort problems, but if you can find an insole that fits, it could add another layer of plushness close to the foot.

Buying Advice

If you are shopping for a luggy winter trail shoe for wet, slippery, muddy conditions, the Reverence SL deserves a close look when it launches on the Ronhill website. Try it half a size up from your usual trail shoe, and keep in mind the 5mm offset and 258g weight place it firmly in the lightweight, performance-driven end of the soft-ground category rather than the max-cushion camp.

Conclusion

The Reverence SL exceeded expectations on a genuinely challenging coastal test run. The Michelin outsole is a standout, the matrix upper fits and performs beautifully, and the supercritical EVA midsole balances comfort with a stable, connected feel on technical ground. Ronhill has delivered exactly the lighter, more performance-focused trail shoe its earlier models hinted at, and it may well become a go-to for muddy winter runs.