- Weight 277g (M) 244g (W)
- Heel-To-Toe-Drop: 8mm
- Type: Road
- Price: £125
Unobtrusive comfort and competence in a fairly priced package.
- Demo run: On Cloudboom Strike
- Fantastic durability
- Demo run: On Cloudboom Strike.
General Comments
Take on board the words of tester Brandon Dewar who nailed it when he said: ‘This is a lightweight and very comfortable high mileage shoe. Equally great for a tempo run or a long run. There’s a generous toe box and a good fit with no tight areas or rubbing – and the upper is very comfortable. For me, this shoe replaces the Nike Pegasus as my main mileage shoe. A must-buy to be frank.’
All things to most people
There aren’t too many shoes these days which have modest ambitions. Increasingly, brands like to style the shoes in their range as being specific for some particular type of run or other. The Ride is the shoe that stubbornly refuses to go down that road and it remains what it has always been: a quietly reliable everyday shoe with middle of the road cushioning, weight, and responsiveness; a fit that will suit most; a smooth ride, and the adaptability of a good butler.
Well fit
Saucony has ditched its ISOfit upper, which proved a bit of a Marmite innovation. It was essentially an additional cage structure around the midfoot to lock the foot down better but not everyone loved it, or the extra heft it brought to the shoe. With its demise has come a return to a more traditional lacing system and classic mesh and, to be frank, sometimes simple is best with the upper feeling plush and soft the moment you out it on, and your foot melding snugly to the inside of the shoe.
Stick to the middle
The 8mm heel drop is itself middle of the road. Many runners tend to favour a higher heel drop (10mm or more) for their long training runs, and something a little more low-slung (6mm or lower) for faster stuff. The 8mm here means the Ride 13 is a bit of a jack of all trades, which is cost effective and useful but be warned: we received reports from testers of sore feet and calves on really long runs (22 miles +) and disappointment at the shoe’s lack of speed when interval sessions were attempted.
Conclusion
Casual and mid pack runners will love using this for everything except really long runs and speedwork.