I got the Saucony Ride 18 for the purpose of review directly from Saucony. However, they have no control over this review and I will try to give my honest opinion on the shoe.
Before I will write about the shoe a few facts about me, that are important for the review. I’m mostly a half marathon and marathon runner. My latest marathon time is 3.28 and my latest half marathon time 1.35. I’m a heel to mid foot striker, 186 cm high and 72 kilograms.
What does Saucony stand for
Saucony says they are the original running brand.
“1898 is where it all began. Since then, Saucony has rightfully taken its place as one of the world’s leading running companies. Built on a legacy of performance, Saucony continues to offer best-in-class running shoes, running apparel, and timeless retro footwear that has helped shape who we are today. The next great innovation has always been right at our fingertips—from speed shoes to trail running shoes and walking shoes to casual classics. ”
Let’s find out more about the Saucony Ride 18
Till today I ran about 100 kilometers in the shoe. Before I write a shoe review, I normally do quite some runs in the shoes, from easy recovery runs up to tempo runs, intervals and a long run. This shoe is considered as a do it all shoe, an everyday training shoe. Therefore I took the shoe out on some short and fast intervals, I did slow recovery runs in the shoe and everything in between.
To recap my runs in the shoe: 2 recovery runs, 1 interval session on the track with 20x 200m repeats, 3 longruns (16k, 18k and 20k), 2 easy runs and 1 run with marathon effort.
Fit of the shoe
The shoe for me fits true to size. The upper hugs the foot nicely and there is no problem with the lockdown. I have normal wide feet but I think that even runners with wider feet will have no problem with the shoe. However there is a wide option for the shoe.
The toe box is quite roomy and has enough volume that the feel is comfortable. The heal cup has quite a lot of structure to it and holds the foot. I could not feel any heel slippage and had no blisters or hot spots during y runs.
The tongue is gusseted and very plush. There is no sliding of the tongue. However, the laces are quite long and stretchy. Too stretchy for my liking and I had to adjust the laces a few times during my first two runs to find a good lockdown. It’s not a dealbreaker, just keep it in mind. On the top there is not one extra lace hole but two. So with a little bit of playing around it’s easy to find a perfect lockdown.
All in all I would say that the fit is very comfortable. I’m using the shoe now in winter conditions, so it’s hard to say, if the upper will be breathable enough in summer with warmer temperatures. But I think it should be no problem. Would say, that the upper is quite standard to uppers in other everyday running shoes.
Performance of the shoe
First a bit about the midsole. For a lot of runner the most important part of a running shoe. The Midsole of the Saucony Ride 18 is the reformulated PWRRUN+. According to Saucony the foam is lighter, softer and more responsive. During my first run I found the ride to be more on the firm side, not soft at all. But after two or three runs the foam opened up a bit and it became a bit softer.
There is quite a prominent rocker and you can feel it running at almost any pace. At slower paces it tips you forward and when I was on my recovery run I needed to hold back and check my pace. The shoe wanted me to run faster. However, it was quite different on the track session I did. At my top end speed I could not feel that the rocker was as prominent as at slower paces.
The shoe felt best at my easy run pace and at marathon / half marathon pace. I think that the midsole foam in combination with the rocker work best at these paces. The ride felt comfortable and the midsole gave back just enough. With that in mind I think, that the shoe will perform best at easy pace up to half marathon pace, maybe even 10k race pace.
As for durability: well, let me tell you, that after 100 kilometers there is no visible wear, not even on the outsole of the shoe. If you ask me, the Saucony Ride 18 is a shoe that you will be able to use for many miles.
There is enough rubber on the outsole to protect the midsole foam and to provide grip. While the forefoot has quite a lot of rubber, there is less in the heel. The grip is best described as sticky, even on wet roads. No slippage at all, not even in some tighter corners. I even took the shoe on an easy run on some trail and the grip was not an issue.
How will I use the shoe
I think that somehow I already answered this question. The shoe is build as an do it all running shoe but I will use the shoe for my easy runs and some of the marathon pace workouts that are waiting for me as soon as I start my next marathon training block.
The Saucony Ride 18 will not be my recovery run shoe. The foam is a bit too firm for that and the rocker in the shoe is better suited for faster runs than recovery pace. I will also not use the shoe on track sessions. I think, there are other shoes out there, even in the Saucony lineup, that are better suited for speed work and for recovery runs.
Would I recommend the Saucony Ride 18
It’s a modern do it all running shoe. Not the tallest or the softest. The shoe is just aggressive enough for marathon or half marathon, maybe even 10k race pace and for me personally it works. The transition from heel to toe is fast and even as a heel striker I can feel the rocker.
I would say, that the Ride 18 from Saucony is a shoe that will suite a lot of runners with different abilities. From those, who just want to start running and need a shoe they can walk / jog in, to those training for a marathon, half marathon or 10k and want a reliable running shoe with no carbon plate in the midsole.
I also wrote a comparison of the Saucony Ride 18 vs. Asics Novablast 5. Another daily trainer out there on the market. You can find the post here: Novablast 5 vs Ride 18
I am an ambassador with Top4Running, the number one online store for runners in Europe. If you want to buy a pair of Saucony Ride 18 running shoes (or any other Saucony running shoes), please use this link to support the Run and Smile community.
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