Buying good quality running shoes that are fitted properly and are fit for the type of running you will be doing is absolutely essential. Not only are you ensuring peak running performance and comfort, but you are also minimising the risk of injury. It’s that important. With that in mind, join us in this Saucony Guide running shoe review as we put this popular trainer through its paces.
Disclaimer – I purchased these shoes with my own money and have not been paid by anyone to make this review, this is my honest independent opinion.
WHO IS SAUCONY?
Saucony is an American manufacturer of athletic shoes founded back in 1898. They manufacture an extensive portfolio of shoes in categories such as running, trail running, racing and casual.
Quite a few elite athletes have used their products over the years, they have a long history and a lot of experience in producing top quality, high-end shoes for the running community.
WHAT IS THE ‘GUIDE’ SERIES RUNNING SHOE?
The ‘Guide’ series running shoe from Saucony is in its 14th iteration. This is an everyday trainer and is classed as a stability shoe, giving the runner a very sure-footed experience on all surfaces. Guiding every step as Saucony would say.
Here’s what the company has to say about it’s Guide shoe on its website – ‘The Guide 14 has been streamlined to achieve a lighter weight, more comfortable run. This has created an enhanced heel fit and a lighter feel on the foot. Newly formulated PWRRUN™ foam packs in more responsiveness with a softer feel, delivering a livelier sensation for stability-seeking runners.’
Click these links to check out the new Guide 14 on the Saucony website – women’s, men’s.
SPECS.
Here are the specs from Saucony for the newly released Guide 14.
Overview
New PWRRUN cushioning provides just-right softness that’s responsive enough to tackle as many km’s as you wish.
The new medial TPU guidance frame quickly and quietly guides each foot through its natural gait cycle for the smoothest feel yet.
FORMFIT surrounds the foot with a made-for-me feel that can accommodate a wide range of foot shapes comfortably.
Specs
Shoe Category: Stability
Offset: 8mm (32.5/24.5)
Weight: 264g
WHO IS IT FOR?
The Guide series shoes are a great all-purpose running shoe. With a very comfortable, foot-moulding fit they can be used in long-distance running as well as shorter track work.
Essentially a neutral running shoe but with added stability structure, the Guide will suit the vast majority of runners. A neutral running shoe is designed for the 50-60% of runners with a normal, correct running gait. However, this shoe will also support the 30-40% of runners who over-pronate. Over-pronation means that the foot rolls inward a little too far when striking the ground and is never really flat on the ground. The Guide series stability shoe compensates for this over-pronation more than a standard neutral shoe would.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS.
HOW DOES IT FEEL OUT OF THE BOX?
Unboxing any Saucony product is a simple affair, no over-the-top wasteful plastic packaging here, kudos to the company for that. Pulling the shoes out of the box you can immediately see that these are a quality product, light in weight but well constructed.
HOW DOES IT FEEL?
Putting them on for the first time, the shoes provide a snug fit and a pleasing amount of cushioning. Lacing them up locks them in place and the overall fit is secure and comfortable. As with the Triumph series shoes, which are Saucony’s most highly cushioned shoes, the Guide gives a very impressive foot moulding fit, wrapping around the feet like a secure glove.
I have used many versions of the aforementioned Triumph series shoes from Saucony and have never once experienced any blisters, rubbing or chaffing from these products.
CUSHIONING.
Particularly impressive is the plushness of the cushioning around potential rubbing areas such as the heel
Never too soft to allow sloppy movement which can cause blisters, these areas are supportive but also well padded. Saucony has found a way to lock the heel in place thus preventing any movement but do it in a way that also provides a very comfortable fit.
Another potential problem area in running shoes is the tongue under the laces. Saucony has managed to integrate a plush but still thin tongue component which allows you to tie the laces tight enough to lock the shoes snugly on the feet without any resultant discomfort whatsoever.
COMFORT IMPRESSIONS.
The rest of the shoe feels comfortable and are a great fit. Good design allows enough room in the mid-foot area and toe box for normal running movement, most people won’t experience any uncomfortable cramping here. These shoes are also available in a wide variant for those runners who require a wider fit.
The upper of the shoe is constructed in a material that imparts a durable feel but with just enough give in it to once again, mould snugly around the feet.
Using Saucony’s excellent PWRRUN midsole in the Guide series delivers a comfortably cushioned experience. Constructed from a durable foam material, your ground-strike is not only suitably cushioned from the shock but it also provides a lively rebound.
Overall, these are shoes that you can take out of the box and run in immediately.
DURABILITY.
I have always found Saucony products to wear well in the outsole.
Constructed from a compliant but firm, grippy rubber material, these shoes will deliver a durable long-lasting life, way beyond the recommended 800 to 1000k usage for running shoes.
FIRST RUN.
My first run in these shoes was a light and easy weekday recovery run of 7.5 kilometres.
Stepping out of the Hoka Bondi 7 shoes that I had been using I immediately noticed the lighter and less bulky characteristics of the Guides. With a much lower stack height than the Hoka’s, I felt more connected with the track surface.
Hoka’s Bondi series shoes are designed for maximum cushioning, thus the extraordinarily high foam stack height. I noticed a slightly less cushioned feel to the Guides but I felt that they were nonetheless more than adequate in this area. You can read our review of the Hoka Bondi 7 running shoe here.
CHANGING FROM ONE BRAND TO ANOTHER
Swapping running shoes always requires a little time to adjust, especially going from one brand to another or one category of shoe to another.
In this case, I was going from a max cushioned shoe to a stability shoe. For the first kilometre or so, these shoes felt a little strange but were comfortable and my feet felt snug and well supported. By the end of the run, I had completely gotten used to these shoes and there were no odd or annoying characteristics to report
I appreciated the sensation of greater road surface proprioception.
The Guides definitely felt very stable, sure-footed and were quite light.
They also had excellent grip on the various surfaces I tried them on such as grass, gravel, dirt and pavement.
First run with the Guides receives a big 👍
SECOND RUN.
With the easy recovery run done and the shoes ‘broken in’ it was time to give them a solid workout.
Our running group Thursday evenings training session was the next run. These are always solid sessions. During the course of the one-hour workout, we performed sprints, hill repeats, time trials and stair runs, with steady consistent running in between each location.
Surfaces included bitumen roads, concrete pavements, dirt trails and grass.
A SOLID WORKOUT.
My over-riding impression of the Guide trainers in these scenarios was one of speed and comfort. I felt a sense of being propelled forward during the launch phase of every ground contact. The shoes were light and held their snug secure fit in all of the aforementioned exercises.
Especially appreciated was the sense that these shoes wrapped around your feet in a non-obtrusive way and let you run naturally. They weren’t bulky, didn’t move around, didn’t rub or chafe and felt well-cushioned and responsive.
As mentioned previously, I had been using Hoka’s Bondi 7 shoe before trying out these new Saucony’s. The most obvious difference between these two is the bigger size, bulk and weight of the Hoka’s compared to the Guides. That is not a criticism of the Bondi’s, they are designed for max cushioning and as such have much more foam in the construction. I will probably still use these for long-distance running. For shorter distance, sprints, stairs etc I believe the Saucony’s will be the better option.
The second run with the Guides also gets a big 👍
STYLES, COLOURS AND PRICING.
Saucony shoes have a distinctive style, they are instantly recognisable. The company overlays its striking logo in large form across the flanks of the shoes. There are usually a few different colour combinations available with every release in both women and men’s. If you prefer understated or bright colours, they generally have you covered.
Styling is clearly a subjective matter but what is great about Saucony are the special editions they often release of their shoes. For example, they recently released a ‘Bright Future Collection’ of some of their shoes, see the pic. These look amazing, the colours really pop. I don’t think anyone would have too much trouble finding something in the range that suits their taste.
Pricing for the new Saucony Guide 14 shoes in Australia is $219.99
Did you know? The Saucony logo was derived from the company’s original location on the Saucony Creek in Pennsylvania and represents a running river with three boulders. The word saucony comes from a Native American word ‘saconk’ which means where two rivers run together.
HOW IS THE QUALITY? ARE THEY VALUE FOR MONEY? ARE THEY WORTH BUYING?
These are undoubtedly a quality shoe. Saucony has been around for a long time and is renowned for manufacturing a quality product. If reputation counts for anything, you can confidently shop Saucony.
I have never experienced any manufacturing flaws with any of the Saucony shoes I have purchased in the past, and I have purchased a great many. Never once have I had to send back a pair for any reason. They always last for the running lifetime of 800 -1000 kilometres that I use them for without any abnormal signs of wear. Sizing is also very consistent, I order the size US 8.5 and they always fit perfectly.
With top-end running shoes from various manufacturers now over the $300 mark, including Saucony, I would say that the Guide series represents good value for money. At $219.99 in Australia direct from Saucony, they are by no means overly expensive.
You can also often pick up the previous years model from Saucony in one of their clearance sales, often for less than half price.
Are they worth buying? In a word, definitely. But as with all things in shoes of any kind, everyone is going to be different in terms of fit and comfort and may have varying experiences. I would recommend buying your first pair of Saucony’s from a specialist running shoe store so that you can be fitted properly. That way you can experience the fit of the product before committing to buying and decide if they are for you.
WHERE CAN YOU BUY IT?
Saucony directly here
Athletes Foot here
Amazon.com.au here
PRO’S AND CON’S.
PRO’S
- Great ‘all-rounder’ running shoe.
- Excellent cushioning notwithstanding the fact that this is not a max-cushioning shoe.
- Snug and secure fit. Moulds to the feet.
- Helps off-set mild over-pronation.
- Designed as a stability shoe, it largely nails the brief.
- Grippy tread on most surfaces.
- Excellent quality.
- Not as expensive as some high-end shoes.
- Fairly lightweight.
- Secure fit inhibits movement of the foot in the shoe in areas that might cause blisters such as the heel.
- Having a relatively low stack-height imparts a more connected feel with the running surface.
CON’S
- Upper doesn’t allow much heat diffusion, needs better ventilation.
- Other than that, there are no other real drawbacks with this shoe that I have detected thus far.
FINAL VERDICT.
As I write this final summation I have now taken this shoe out for five different runs. At all times I was very impressed with the glove-like fit and the responsive performance.
Serving as an all-rounder trainer, this shoe won’t disappoint. Given Saucony’s vast experience in producing quality, fit-for-purpose and durable products, it’s not hard for me to recommend this shoe.
As mentioned previously, it’s essential to get fitted properly for any running shoe. Everyone’s feet are different and there may be circumstances where this shoe isn’t the right choice.
The RMWA Rating for the Saucony Guide Series Shoe is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I hope you found this review informative and useful, if you have any questions, hit me up in the comments.
Steve.
