Saucony Ride 18 Review

The Saucony Ride 18 is a neutral daily trainer that provides solid cushioning.

Side View Cut in Half

Cushioning

The Ride 18 uses Saucony's PWRRUN+ throughout the midsole. It's a beaded TPU foam that provides a somewhat energetic ride, without being overly bouncy. The midsole gives it a pleasant ride for easy mileage.

We measured 34 mm of foam at the heel, with a 6 mm drop to the toe, which is a moderate stack height, lower than many of the shoes we've tested. This translates to an insulated ride with more ground-feel than many other daily trainers, particularly at the forefoot. Despite the shorter stack, we thought it was comfortable; this allows the Ride 18 to feel a little more precise than other cushioned shoes. This makes it an excellent option for beginners as they learn their mechanics.

The Ride 18 feels smoothest at easy paces, which is ideal for what this shoe is designed for. It thrives on providing impact protection for your legs during daily use. The transitions from midfoot to forefoot begin to feel choppy at faster paces. Overall, the Ride feels very natural, without a significant rocker or added stiffness. It's a somewhat flexible shoe compared to higher-stack options, which helps allow for natural landing motion the average casual runner will appreciate.

Upper Comfort

The upper part of the Ride 18 is well-executed, providing soft-touch, padded materials around the heel and ankle, a padded, gusseted tongue, and non-abrasive internal upper materials in the toebox. We didn't experience any rubbing, sliding, or blistering.

The Ride 18 has decent breathability but is not as breathable as Saucony's more performance-optimized shoes. While it ran a little warm on the first 65-degree day in Montana this spring, almost anything feels warm after a winter of icy runs. We suspect that in moderate climates and at easy paces, it won't be much of an issue.

Stability

The Saucony is a neutral shoe, but the flared forefoot platform provides decent lateral support as you land, and will likely work for runners who need moderate support.

For lateral stability, its relatively lower stack height allows it to feel a little more planted, nimble, and stable than many other daily runners with higher stack heights and steeper heel to toe drops. Yet again, that makes it an excellent choice for newer runners.

Responsiveness

Responsiveness isn't the Ride's strong suit. It's okay at a moderate pace, largely thanks to the PWRRUN+ formula, which gives it a slightly energetic ride. However, somewhere around threshold pace, it starts to feel like it doesn't want to go much faster. This could result from a few things, including the lack of a pronounced rocker, foam tuned for daily mileage, or the overall mass of the shoe. For many runners, this shoe will work well as a do-it-all runner. However, for those preparing for upcoming races, it will likely work best as a rotation shoe.

Weight

The Ride 18 weighs 10.13 ounces in a US Men's 10.5, which is around the middle of the pack.

It isn't a lightweight shoe, but that makes sense given the easy mileage focus of the shoe. However, it also isn't the heaviest shoe with several weighing more. It's protective and comfortable, not fast and light, but it does feel a little heavy for the stack height. However, given what it has been designed for, we suspect most new runners won't feel burdened by the ounce.

Traction

The outsole of the Ride 18 is rubber, with cutouts of exposed midsole foam. It works well on pavement and dry dirt. However, on cold and wet pavement, it could slip slightly.

The slipping was manageable, and on par with many other daily trainers, but it is not best-in-class and might be best for dry surfaces until you get your beginner bearings.

Should You Buy the Saucony Ride 18?

The highlights of the Ride 18 are comfortable and reliable cushioning, simplicity, and ease of use, making it an excellent option for new runners. On the other hand, it lacks the versatility of some other key competitors, so it may work better in a rotation rather than as a single shoe option for runners who are training for specific races. Overall, the Ride 18 is a good shoe, but whether it will work for you likely comes down to your particular training style and shoe rotation. We think it is ideal for new runners, providing plenty of protection without a pillowy and unstable feel. Plus, it's affordable.

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