Midpack Gear: Saucony Ride 10 review

Saucony is a brand I keep coming back to but don't stay with for that long. Occasionally they have a winning shoe like the Mirage 3 and then end up modifying it or discontinuing it or both. Generally they get it just right, but not for consecutive models.

I loved the Mirage 3 - it was lightweight, a little stable, and firm - a great shoe to race in. The original Zealot was a great cushioned low drop shoe. And I liked the Triumph 3 - a real tank of a cushioned trainer. But I moved on, mostly in search of shoes that had more splay in the forefoot and less tightness in the midfoot area.

I have had excellent experiences with the Peregrine 8 - it seems to have gotten the right balance between forefoot room and midfoot lock with a nice heel, not too much weight, and great grip on the trail. That shoe gave me some desire to try out the Saucony Ride 10, a shoe that is about to get upgraded to an ISO bootie in the next version.

The 10 is a fine shoe. It checks a lot of boxes for me:

- 8 mm drop. I prefer somewhere in the 4-6 range, but honestly I think my heel and achilles tendon prefer a little more here.
- 9.5 oz weight. They feel pretty light to me - it would be great to get down to the 8.9 oz of the Mirage 3s - but really that's a quibble.
- The nice roomy forefoot. My toes have space, nary a blister or black toenail, and no foot discomfort that comes with tight shoes for me.
- A great upper with a secure lockdown. No hotspots or rubbing for me over the metatarsals like Sam from Road Trail Run experienced. A little tight right out of the box, but they loosened up nicely after a few runs.
- A cushioned yet not too much midsole. Goldilocks for me - not too firm, just soft enough. Some disagree and find it harsh, but I don't.
- And a durable and grippy Tri-Flex outsole. No slipping on wet roads, and excellent wear (really, no wear that's visible) through 75 miles.

These seem to be a winning shoe for me for both training and racing in the 10M-13.1 distance. I'd wear them for a marathon as well, I think.

Hope they don't fuck up the updated Ride ISO - due to drop in June.

This post would suck even more without photos!