Saucony Ride 18 Review
The Saucony Ride 18 is a road running shoe designed for everyday use on most road surfaces. It is classified as a neutral shoe, meaning it provides no additional anti-pronation support. If you require extra support for pronation during your runs, you might consider the Saucony Guide 18, which offers a similar level of cushioning but with added pronation support.
One of the key updates in the Ride 18, compared to the Ride 17, is the midsole material. The Ride 18 features PWRRUN Plus, which offers a noticeably softer feel than the PWRRUN found in the Ride 17. Additionally, the forefoot of the Ride 18 is much more flexible, resulting in a more responsive feel at faster speeds. Rather than feeling restricted by the stiff curve of the previous model, I found it easier to maintain my natural gait, making the shoe feel more responsive. The added flexibility in the forefoot also provides a better feel for the ground, and despite a higher stack height (37mm in the heel and 29mm in the forefoot), they don’t feel as “stacked” as other shoes with similar specifications.
Creating a versatile everyday running shoe that works for both easy recovery runs and faster paces, as well as light fartlek sessions, can be challenging. Many shoes in this category are either too soft and unresponsive for anything beyond slow runs or too firm, making easy runs uncomfortable. The Saucony Ride 18 strikes the right balance. They feel cushioned and soft during slow-paced runs, but when you pick up the pace, they become light and bouncy.
The midsole has a slight rocker shape designed to reduce the impact when your foot hits the ground, encouraging a quick cadence and maintaining a more upright posture. This helps prevent over striding, keeping you light on your feet. However, the rocker is subtle, offering just enough assistance to encourage good form without taking over your gait, resulting in a more natural and comfortable ride.
The upper is made of a soft, stretchy engineered mesh, and the plastic heel cup ensures a snug fit around the heel. Both the heel cup and the cuff are well-padded, providing a comfortable step-in feel. The gusseted tongue prevents debris from entering the shoe and helps keep the tongue in place during runs. The laces thread through two tabs on the top of the tongue to secure it further. There is also an additional lace hole at the top, which can be used for a snugger fit or to butterfly lace the shoes.
The toe box is spacious, despite no additional width compared to other Saucony models, and the Saucony Ride 18 is available in two widths for both men and women. This is likely due to the softness and stretch of the upper in the forefoot. The straight big toe allows for a positive push-off, which is particularly helpful when picking up the pace. The outsole rubber offers adequate grip on wet tarmac, and after 100 miles of running, there is no noticeable wear.
A men’s UK 8 weighs 274 grams, which is typical for shoes with this level of cushioning. However, when running, they feel surprisingly light due to the design and ride features. Saucony’s sizing is similar to brands like Brooks, 361, Altra, and Topo. If you typically wear a smaller-fitting brand like Hoka, New Balance, Inov-8, Karhu, or La Sportiva, we recommend trying half a UK size smaller for a comparable fit (e.g., UK 11 in Saucony is equivalent to UK 11.5 in Hoka).
In conclusion, the Saucony Ride 18 is a neutral, everyday road running shoe that is versatile enough for recovery runs, long distances, and faster paces. It offers a soft cushioned feel at slower speeds and a more responsive ride when picking up the pace.
Other Considerations
361 Meraki 6: Also available in two width Men’s and Women’s. The cushioning is plusher giving more of a cruising feel to the ride. They aren’t as responsive as the Ride 18 for faster running which you might be doing in a fartlek or if using pick ups in your runs. On longer runs the Meraki will make it easier to cruise along. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/361-meraki-6-review-361-degrees/
Inov-8 Roadfly: A broad rounded toe box gives the feet more room to function inside the shoes. The midsole is soft but with more feel for the ground to stimulate the feet more which gives the Inov-8 Roadfly a much more natural feel. This means that you have to run in these shoes as there is no rocker to help carry you a long. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/inov-8-roadfly-review/
Hoka Clifton 9: The Hoka Clifton feels a lot more stacked with less feel for the ground. The rocker is slightly more noticeable than in the Ride 18. They are available in two width Men’s and two width Women’s. They have a similar soft feel but, aren’t as responsive. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-clifton-9-review/
Brooks Ghost 16: A much bouncier midsole takes away any feel for the ground. Available in three width Men’s and two width women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/brooks-ghost-16-review/
Topo Phantom 3: A broad rounded toe box gives the feet more room to spread and function in the shoes. Similar to the Inov-8 Roadfly they have a more natural ride. The midsole is former than the Roadfly which gives a bit more propulsion. This gives the Phantom 3 a similar versatility to the Saucony Ride 18 but with a firmer feel to the cushioning. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-phantom-3-review/
New Balance 880v14: A very similar shoe. The FreshFoam X has a soft initial feel but with some flex in the forefoot they are responsive enough for are variety of running paces. Available in three width Men’s and two width Women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/new-balance-880v14-review/
Altra FWD Experience: A more rounded toe box with a 4mm heel to forefoot drop and a rocker. This promotes a more midfoot landing. The ride is firmer. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-fwd-experience-review/
Karhu Fusion 4: Karhu’s fulcrum provides some propulsion. The Nitrogen infused midsole is bouncier than the Ride 18 but, you lose the feel for the ground. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/karhu-fusion-4-review/
Comments are closed here.