THOMAS: At a certain point in your life, you start to appreciate the simpler pleasures — a well made PB&J, lounging at the pool with an umbrella, the perfect moody song on a rainy day, and one of my favorites, a hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning. As much as I like all the tech that goes into the modern running shoe, sometimes a simple design without much to get excited about turns out to be a pleasurable experience. The Saucony Ride 15 falls into that category.
On paper, the Ride 15 is thoroughly basic, with a mesh upper, EVA foam midsole, and a small amount of rubber on the outsole. There’s nothing revolutionary about the design, either. Even the royal blue color Saucony sent is a yawn. Yet, despite all of this, the shoe is one of the best daily trainers of 2022.
MEAGHAN: Last year, it felt like Saucony took a step backward. We saw a less-than-stellar upper update from the Ride 13 to the 14. So I was excited to learn the latest model has softer cushioning, more stack, and a new upper design — basically a complete overhaul.
JARRETT (WIDE FOOT): It’s been a hot minute since I’ve reviewed a wide Saucony shoe. I’ve shoved my feet in some of the Endorphin shoes, but the Ride 13 may have been the last 2E option. It was a pretty standard daily trainer. Nothing really stood out as good or bad, but I was left wanting more.
Fast forward, but not too fast like Adam Sandler in Click (which just so happens to be one of the most depressing movies ever), and here we are with the Ride 15 in 2E. As stated above, it received quite the update, so let’s get to the good stuff.
THOMAS: The last for this shoe is a thing of beauty. The fit of the upper molds over my foot for an ideal hug. Saucony’s fabric doesn’t bunch over my narrow US M10.5 foot, and there’s the perfect amount of room between my big toe and the tip of the shoe. Saucony nailed the true to size fit. The engineered mesh breathes and flexes with the foot. Overall comfort and breathability are tops. A strap near the top of the lacing throat helps you lock down the shoe’s fit, too. You have a lightly padded tongue that sits comfortably over the arch and ankle to finish the upper.
Moving down to the PWRRUN midsole, we find a broader base with a more exaggerated lateral flare than previous models. The Guide is the stability sister to the Ride 15, but I found the Saucony Ride 15 a very stable trainer. The extra stable feel could be from the new shape of the midsole, and your foot sits deeper into the bed of the shoe. It’s firm but not harsh and receives a big helping hand from the footbed insert made from the PWRRUN+ of the Endorphin Pro and Speed. The insole adds a soft, responsive feel to the foot touchdown, while the two layers of foam work together, creating a daily trainer with some kick.
Overall, the shoe is gentle enough to rack up miles while firm/responsive enough to feel fast when you need it. I didn’t notice the 8mm drop (32.5mm/24.5mm) as the shoe feels natural in the stride phase. Saucony keeps the shoe lighter by only putting on enough rubber for durability and traction on the outsole. The Ride 15 weighs in at 9.4 oz./266 grams for a US M10.5, making it one of the lighter daily trainers.
I enjoyed using the Saucony Ride 15 for my easy mileage runs. In addition, the $140 price tag feels fair for the Ride 15.
MEAGHAN: I fell in love with this shoe when I opened the box. The clean teal colorway (Saucony is calling it cool mint/acid, which feels pretty aggressive) has to be one of my all-time favorites. It fits true to size and accommodates my wider foot nicely. I typically find that New Balance and Saucony have a wider forefoot area, and this shoe is no exception.
There’s ample padding around the collar and heel, but the open mesh allows the foot to breathe well. The flat, stretchy laces paired with a gusseted tongue do a really nice job locking the foot down. I’ve had a lot of issues with shoelaces recently, but these checked out — zero problems.
The midsole is designed with a new, softer PWRRUN, and there’s more of it (35mm heel/27mm forefoot). The foot actually sits lower in the footbed, which creates a snug, secure fit. Also, there’s a PWRRUN+ cushioned sock liner that adds to the plushness of this shoe. Between the padding and the fit, it’s just an all-around comfortable trainer.
Did I mention it got lighter? My W7.5 came in at under 8 oz.
JARRETT (WIDE FOOT): The upper is an engineered mesh that works as well as the best of them. It’s airy and structured well enough to avoid excessive bunching without a ton of overlays. Saucony says, “with higher sidewalls, you sit into the shoe instead of on top of it, creating an incredible underfoot sensation and supportive fit.” My 2E is snug in the midfoot but not uncomfortable or tight and constricting. I also feel as if the forefoot has enough room. The bunion gang should be pleased that there aren’t any overlays in the forefoot. Both the heel collar and tongue are lightly padded and provide excellent comfort around the foot. On the back of the shoe is a stretchy pull tab that doesn’t hang out awkwardly like it was added last minute.
The Saucony Ride 15 features the same PWRRUN midsole, but it has been tweaked to be softer than its predecessors. That being said, it’s not that soft. I get nostalgic vibes of how shoes used to feel pre (André) 3,000 mm stack days.
I know y’all want to know how the Ride… rides. Guess what? Great! I found running a joy, and I didn’t have to really think about what was on my feet. I had no qualms on my easy day runs, and on my longer day, I even threw in some strides that felt pretty dang good for a daily trainer.
I have to shout out the PWRRUN+ insole for the luxurious and responsive feel. It works together with the midsole to create a ride that straddles the line between firm and cushioned. The outsole has enough rubber for solid traction and durability underneath the shoe but isn’t completely inundated by it. My M10.5 2E weighed in at 9.4 oz. All wide daily trainers should strive to be under 10 oz, and the Ride 15 has room to spare for seconds of dessert.
Shop Saucony Ride – Men Shop Saucony Ride – Women
THOMAS: The Ride is a top-notch bread and butter trainer, but I didn’t love the color choice for the pair I received. The royal blue adds a dull feel to the shoe. The fact that I didn’t dig the look and still give the shoe high marks is a testament to how solid the Ride 15 is. However, the Glow Orange with the creamsicle midsole looks amazing. The only other thing I want to mention is about the insole. We test shoes the way they come out of the box. We don’t modify them in any way. The top sole of PWRRUN+ makes the ride of this shoe come together. I wonder how many mediocre shoes we could fix with a good insole. It’s not a complaint, but man, companies should invest in better insoles.
MEAGHAN: While I love the direction of this PWRRUN midsole (softer and lighter), I still craved a little more bounce underfoot. It just lacks a little bit of that oomph that I can find in some of the newer foams (Nike React, Asics Flytefoam Blast+, New Balance FuelCell). This is a personal preference, so if you prefer a firmer ride, you’ll enjoy this quite a bit.
JARRETT (WIDE FOOT): As much as I like the PWRRUN+ insole, I get this weird squeaking noise as I walk around in the shoe. I’m not sure if it will eventually break in and stop, but it hasn’t yet, and it’s kind of annoying.
My only other “bad” is more of a concern for some of the #WideFootFam. With my foot sitting a little more into the shoe and a higher sidewall, my heel feels weird, like it’s being cradled. While it doesn’t affect my running, it may be a potential issue for you if you happen to need a wider heel.
Shop Saucony Ride – Men Shop Saucony Ride – Women
THOMAS: It’s hard for me to maintain my hydration needs. Plain water can be a chore to chug. But I can’t imagine anything better than a cold glass of ice water during those hot days in the summer. Unboxing the Saucony Ride 15, I thought the shoe would be a glass of tap water. However, it turned out to be as refreshing as a tall glass of ice water after a hot, humid run. The Ride 15 is a winner that I’ll be recommending to runners looking for a reliable, fun trainer with an excellent underfoot feel.
I liked the shape of the sculpted midsole better than the slab feeling of the Saucony Freedom and the thin, firm feel of the Kinvara. The Ride used to be the shoe that got lost in the shuffle for me. It was the heavier beefier big brother to the Kinvara and lacked the premium feel of the Saucony Triumph. However, the Ride 15 now shines in its spot in the lineup. The Ride 15 is the trainer I would put up against staples like the Brooks Ghost, Nike Pegasus, Puma Velocity 2, New Balance Fresh Foam 880, and the ASICS Cumulus.
MEAGHAN: The Saucony Ride 15 is a comfortable daily trainer with a firm ride. While this update was a pretty big overhaul, Saucony kept the qualities of previous models intact, and I think Ride fans will be happy with the updates. This well-cushioned daily trainer works for easy days, long runs, and even tempo days. You can snag a pair for $140.
JARRETT (WIDE FOOT): Saucony upped their game with the Ride 15 and transformed it from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. It has a great firm, but responsive ride that feels good at any pace. As much as I like the whole max cush scene, it’s nice to have a shoe that’s comfortable, versatile, and has a great 2E fit. The Ride 15 has leaped toe-first into the conversation for top daily trainer.
You can pick up the Saucony Ride 15 for $140 at Running Warehouse (featuring free 2-day shipping and 90-day returns) by using the shop link below.
Shop Saucony Ride – Men Shop Saucony Ride – Women
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