Saucony Guide 5 Running Shoe Review

Saucony’s Guide 5 is a revolution from older versions of the shoe. The Guide has changed to bridge the gap between old school stability shoes and minimalist shoes which are all the rage these days. I think this shoe creates a great, and stylish, compromise for those who want to feel a better connection to the pavement without sacrificing all of the support they are used to.

I have run in older versions of the Guide for years. This shoe has always been the bread and butter of the stability shoe world so I was a little surprised that Saucony would make such an abrupt design change. But change can be good.

So what exactly did they do? Saucony reduced the heel-to-toe drop from the standard 12 mm to 8 mm. Technically this helps to encourage a mid-foot strike. They also lightened the shoe by 1.4 oz. for a total weight of 9.1 oz. A minimalist shoe the Guide is not but it now occupies a middle ground between the classic stability shoe and the minimalist kicks that are so popular these days. I should also add that Saucony offers the guide in a wide range of snazzy colors from electric blue to bright orange.

I could feel the weight difference as soon as I pulled my new Guide 5s out of the box. Overall the shoe looks and feels lighter than any other Guide version. The semi minimalist feel continued on the road as I took my first run in the shoe. I felt much more connected to the road then I ever felt in other stability shoes.

I ended up going for 12 pain free and blissful miles on my first run in the Guide 5’s, Since then it has become my workhorse and I have relied on the shoe for everything from 3-7 mile runs. Saucony has proven that change can be a great thing!

Saucony gave New England Outside no incentive to write this review