One of the first reviews that I wrote here on Runblogger was for the Saucony Ride 6. I liked that shoe because it gave me a tool to use in training that I didn’t have to think much about. It was basic in almost every way – basic cushion, basic ride, basic fit. This good experience led me to take a special interest in the newer Saucony Ride 7 model, and I was excited when Runningshoes.com sent me a review sample to try out.

(Disclosure: the shoe reviewed here was provided free-of-charge for review purposes).

Specs

We’ll start with the specs (via Saucony):
Weight: 9.4oz (Based on men’s size 9)
Stack heights: 26mm (heel); 18mm (toe)
Heel-to-toe drop: 8mm

Appearance

My first impression of the Ride 7 was that it was a great looking shoe. Some traditional trainers are so plain-jane that they’re just boring. Shoes don’t have to look fancy – I barely look at my feet when running – but there’s something special about slipping on an attractive shoe and lacing them up before heading out the door. The Ride 6 model in the blue colorway looked good, but these Ride 7s in a deep orange are awesome!

Fit

Upon first slip on of the Ride 7, I thought that they ran a little small. I’m typically a 10.5 in nearly all shoes that I wear (minus things like the Adidas Energy Boost), including the Ride 6, so I was surprised that my toes couldn’t wiggle much in the Ride 7s of the same size. I wasn’t terribly concerned with this matter, as I had a similar experience with the Virrata 2, and the stretchy inner “bootie” seemed to break in with more wear. To support this notion, the Ride 7 did seem to break in a little bit as I put more miles on, but I still found that there wasn’t a lot of room for my toes to move up and down, though they did tend to splay just fine. However, each time I put on the Ride 7, my feet felt cramped and somewhat claustrophobic, hurting my overall experience going into each run. Going up a half size in the Ride 7 might be warranted.

Cushioning and Durability

The cushioning was something that did not disappoint me in these shoes. Like the Ride 6, they were well-cushioned without being squishy. Durability also appears to be excellent. The outsole on the shoe has been changed up to incorporate more rubber (much like the Saucony Type A series), yet the weight has not increased from version 6 to version 7. I wore these shoes on several longer (read: 18+ miles) runs and my feet felt great. Furthermore, they showed almost no wear and tear on the outside. Some people are looking for shoes that can really handle the test of time and mileage, and it seems that these are really appropriate for lots of miles, both for the body and the shoe.

Sockliner Issue

One of my major complaints about this shoe (and I almost never judge a shoe by this) was the insole (or sockliner). I found myself heading into a hot, humid 20 miler with the stock insole and having some terrible foot cramps halfway into it. I understand that my feet probably sweat more than most people and I did them no favors by running in Texas weather, but the insole completely slipped around inside the shoe and even folded on itself. This left my feet in pain for a couple days after the run and I had to pull the insoles out of the Ride 5 for all future runs because the original was completely shot. See the attached photo for evidence.

Conclusion

Overall, the Ride 7 is a great traditional, neutral trainer that seems to be well built. It did a nice job of keeping my foot locked down while giving lots of cushion and holding up well to lots of miles. Unfortunately, I did not like the way that the shoe fit in the toes (likely solved by sizing up) and didn’t appreciate the way the sockliner was completely shot after one humid run. I’m pretty disappointed in the shoe since I liked the Ride 6 so much, but I will definitely find myself spending some easy miles in them going forward since this is certainly their forte.

The Saucony Ride 7 is available for purchase from Runningshoes.com.

My first pair of Skechers Performance running shoes was the GoRun 2. I loved those shoes. They gave me a breath of fresh air from the stuffy, typical norms that I found in most running footwear, so I was very excited when the opportunity arose to do some reviews for Skechers. I received the GoRun Ride 3 shoes as review samples from Skechers, free-of-charge. (Full disclosure: since receiving these shoes I’ve accepted a Brand Ambassador position with Skechers Performance Division)

I’ve never owned any of the Ride series of the Skechers GoRun shoes, so I came into this review with no real expectations. As it’s sometimes hard for those new to Skechers running shoes to keep track of all the different names and versions, I’ll place them on a general spectrum – starting at most “minimal” to most “maximal” shoe in the line:

GoBionic > GoMeb Speed > GoRun > GoRun Ride > GoRun Ultra

Skechers have really stepped up their game when it comes to aesthetics. Previous iterations have come in neon greens, pinks, and various other cartoonish colorways which seem to have passed out of favor a bit lately. It was cute for a little while, but we’re back to business now with more conservative colorways.

Slipping into these shoes for the first time was a real delight, and reminded me of why I became a fan of Skechers in the first place. These shoes, although considered a more cushioned and supportive shoe, are very light and very soft. The upper has a sock-like fit with no heel counter (the rigid backing that goes behind your heel in many traditional running shoes), so it really is like putting on a pair of slippers. Skechers provides the option of running with or without the insoles, allowing a runner to choose their own adventure. I chose to run with the inserts in (perhaps a residual effect to being prescribed orthotics by a doctor years ago), but found them to still be very comfortable without them. The toe box has tons of room with absolutely no toe crowding, but I believe this would prove to feel a bit sloppy if you were trying to do some uptempo running. For easy running, this is a non-issue.

Another non-traditional aspect of these shoes is the outsole. It is primarily a foam construction with what Skechers calls “GOimpulse sensors and pillars”, which I believe to be the rubber lugs that are dotted around the outsole. This allows the shoe to be extremely flexible and allows you to have full range of motion to bend and flex your toes naturally. Initially, I assumed that the durability would suffer due the materials used, but they still look to be in great shape after about 100 miles.

Outsole of the GRR3 after 100 miles

I will say that the GoRun Ride 3 seems to be the most “traditional” shoe within the line, while being anything but traditional. They are comfortable and cushioned, while still allowing the foot to function naturally without forcing them to sit put like many shoes in the same class. The low heel-to-toe offset was also nice, as I typically feel most natural between 0-4mm. Compared to the other trainers I’ve worn recently, this was very refreshing. I enjoyed using these shoes for long and easy runs that didn’t require a lot of responsiveness or ground feel. They seem to hold up surprisingly well, making them a great value shoe at $80.

Conclusion: The Skechers GoRun Ride 3 is a comfortable, well-cushioned, affordable shoe perfect for long, easy miles.

Skechers GoRun Ride 3 Specs:

Weight: 8.4 oz;

Heel-to-toe drop: 4mm w/o insoles, 8mm with insoles

Stack Heights: 13.5mm Forefoot, 20mm Midfoot, 17.5mm Heel

Purchasing Info

The Skechers GoRun Ride 3 is available for purchase at Skechers.com, Amazon.com, and at Shoebuy.com (get 20% off with code 20MARCH through 4/1/2014).

The Women’s GoRun Ride 3 can be purchased at 6pm.com for under $60.

I have had a pair of the Wave Rider 16s for a while, but only logged a handful of miles in them as I was spending more time in other shoes that I found more interesting. The 16s seemed heavy and underwhelming, so I was only slightly excited about trying these new 17s. What I did not realize was how dramatic of a change Mizuno had made in this update. Let’s compare the two models on a few key metrics:

Wave Rider 16 
Weight – 10 oz
Stack Height – 28mm heel, 16mm forefoot
Heel-to-toe drop – 12 mm

Wave Rider 17
Weight – 8.6 oz
Stack Height – 31mm heel, 18mm forefoot
Heel-to-toe drop – 13 mm

You’re reading that correctly, Mizuno dropped the weight considerably in the Rider 17. Out of the box, I immediately noticed the 1.4 ounces of weight that Mizuno managed to shave off of these shoes. This was apparently made possible by Mizuno’s new U4ic midsole material (something they are incorporating in several of their new models), which Mizuno claims is lighter and just as cushioned as their previous midsole compounds.

Based on the specs, the new midsole does add a very slightly steeper offset, and makes for a somewhat taller shoe all around, so don’t expect to feel more ground contact. Although the heel-to-toe drop is one of the largest of all my shoes, I did not feel that it caused me to break form throughout my easy runs. More than likely (I have not had my stride analyzed), I have a slight heel strike when I’m running slow and easy, so it’s useful to have a heavier duty rubber outsole on the heel. Like most traditional trainers, these shoes do not have much torsional flexibility in the midfoot (I cannot twist them by hand).

One concern I had with this shoe was how stiff the forefoot felt with its rubber outsole. This left the balls of my feet feeling beat up after the first couple of runs. Thankfully, I stuck it out and found that the more I wore the shoes, the more flexible the forefoot became. I asked a Mizuno rep about this, and they agreed that there seems to be a “sweet spot” of about 50 miles when the shoes break-in.  The Wave Rider 17s now give my toes the ability to bend backwards as they like. I’m happy to report that I have had no pain in my feet in over a week while running in these shoes almost exclusively.

Model comparison – Wave Rider 17 on left (blue), Wave Rider 16 on right (yellow)

The upper of the Wave Rider 17 is a soft mesh construction that is very breathable and very comfortable. I felt that there was plenty of room in the forefoot for my toes to move freely.

Pros:

Much lighter than most traditional trainers

Very soft, breathable mesh upper

Shoe becomes increasingly flexible with continued wear

Cons:

Large heel-to-toe offset could cause issues for those sensitive to a high-drop shoe

More shoe than some runners prefer

Long break-in period to achieve desired flexibility (took ~70 miles until they started becoming comfortable for me)

Conclusion:

Overall, I’m very happy with the Wave Rider 17. I believe that Mizuno has done a great job in maintaining the aspects that people have come to love about this classic shoe (cushioning, solid construction, comfortable fit), while making a tremendous update with the new midsole. Many shoe enthusiasts describe the perfect running shoe as one that disappears on your foot while running. While the Wave Rider 17 is still a traditional, cushioned trainer, it is a certainly a good step toward this. These are now on my short list for favorite traditional trainers.

The Mizuno Wave Rider 17 is available for purchase at Runningshoes.com.

Note From Pete: This is a guest review by Tyler Mathews. Tyler is a runner from Austin, TX, and a fellow member of Team Wicked Bonkproof. He is currently training for his first marathon, and is logging 70+ miles per week. To learn more about Tyler, check out his blog Running Toward Dreams. 

I wear a lot of running shoes. Some of them are considered more minimal, some more traditional, and I believe that using varying shoe types is critical to my training. In the same way that your body needs recovery days between hard workouts, I believe that my feet, legs, and core need a recovery day on days between runs in more minimal shoes. This is why I continue to use more traditional style shoes in my training – the Saucony Ride 6 would fit in this category.

I received the new Ride 6 after having done many miles in the earlier Ride 5 (Disclosure: these shoes were review samples provided free of charge by Runningshoes.com). The first thing I noticed was the upgraded aesthetics on this model. The shoe is sleek, shiny, and has a great colorway which I don’t find myself having to apologize for, as I did with the Ride 5 (got my 5’s in an ugly colorway on clearance).

The profile of the shoe is largely unchanged from the previous version. The outsole, though a bit different in construction, even maintained the mini triangle design. The upper mesh appears to be more breathable on the newer model, which may reduce its durability as the shoe gets older.

Saucony Ride 6

The Ride 6 is a shoe that has many of the properties you’ll find in a traditional lightweight neutral trainer. It weighs in at 9.6 oz in men’s size 9, with an 8mm drop (28mm heel, 20mm forefoot). Saucony differs from a lot of other manufacturers in having moved all of their traditional shoes to 8mm drop (most traditional trainers are 10-12mm drop), so keep that in mind if you are considering this shoe. It has almost no flexibility in the forefoot, very little torsional flexibilty in the midfoot (it’s not easy to twist the forefoot relative to the heel), and a lot of heel cushioning. I did notice that the cushion on the outer edge of the heel seemed to be much more solid than that of the Ride 5.

This shoe was clearly designed to be a high mileage trainer, as the outsole has very little exposed foam and is mostly covered by fairly thick rubber, something that is quite contrary to a shoe like the Saucony Kinvara. This has the added benefit of increased durability, but may cause the shoe to feel a bit stiff at first, as rubber takes longer to break in than foam.

Saucoiny Ride 5 (left) vs. Ride 6 (right) Outsole Comparison

I first took these shoes out for a Friday morning easy run and felt no foreign sensations when slipping them on. They didn’t feel overly different from the Ride 5, no dramatic changes in fit, motion, or cushion. This might sound boring, but when you put in between 70 and 80 miles a week and are 2 months out from your first marathon, you tend to look for a certain level of continuity, a shoe to welcome you home with a hot cup of coffee and some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Can you tell it’s almost Christmas?

I did feel the normal tingly numbness in my forefoot, something that I’ve learned to be unconcerned about in a new pair of shoes. I get these tinglies every time I put on a new shoe, between Skechers, Saucony, Brooks, Adidas, whatever. I don’t know why it happens, but it goes away after I put a few miles in.

Now this next bit is to work on the feels of you minimalist types who think that traditional shoes kill your form. They don’t. Bad form kills your form, and you can run with good form in a more traditional style training shoe. While wearing these Ride 6s I still managed to land around my midfoot and my form felt smooth. I had no premature heel contact which would cause any rolling, and I also didn’t feel overly coddled. My feet felt cushioned and comfortable. Something I’ve noticed lately in a more minimal shoe is that I have become somewhat susceptible to some minor tweaks from the extra flexibility which occasionally causes some discomfort in different areas of my foot. The Saucony Ride 6 helped me to recover from those by keeping my foot in a solid position without risk of weird twists and turns.

I took these shoes out for an 18 mile long run yesterday, and followed that up with a 7 mile run with some middle school kids (see Marathon High). I had expected to feel some soreness in my feet and legs after 25 miles and over 3 hours on the road, but I felt pleasantly fresh, beyond just feeling zapped from all the calories burnt. These are definitely some shoes that I will continue to go to for these easier, longer, slower miles.

Pros:
Stable shoe that can protect a bum foot
Modest heel
Breathable upper
Soft and cushioned for high mileage training
Lighter than most traditional trainers

Cons:
Will not appease die-hard minimalist runners
Slightly heavier than most of my trainers (9.6oz)
Not much ground feel

Conclusion:
These trainers are an excellent choice for people who are looking for a traditional, high mileage, neutral trainer without too much motion control and a modest heel. When I just want to run some miles without thinking too much about my footwear, these will be one of my go-to pairs.

The Saucony Ride 6 is available for purchase at Runningshoes.com.