Saucony Guide 9: The Dawn of EVERUN

by Kass Berry

For the past 118 years Saucony has been creating shoes that provide stability and comfort to its customers. This standard continues with the rise of EVERUN cushioning support and is seamlessly highlighted in the Saucony Guide 9.

Why should I care about Saucony?

Why should I try the Guide 9?

And what on earth is EVERUN cushioning?

Don’t worry guys, I’ve got your back. Even though Saucony originally opened its doors in Kutztown, PA  in 1898 (which is situated right next to the Saucony River…hmm), the headquarters has since been relocated to Lexington, Massachusetts. Do you know what that means?! It means that each and every day the Greater Boston area is swarming with Saucony shoe representatives on a mission to keep running store employees like myself apprised of all revolutionary changes made to each and every model update. In a nutshell my job is to learn about running shoes, talk about running shoes and sell shoes to runners. Oh yea, and once in a while I even get a free pair of shoes to test out. Yup, it’s a pretty sweet gig.

So what have I learned about Saucony? You mean aside from the fact that their flowing symbol with the three dots pays homage to the three rocks resting in the middle of the Saucony River near their original headquarters? Thanks to John Pierce, the Saucony Tech Rep for the northeast corridor I’ve learned quite a bit about the shoes from the big running company with a small-town feel.

Let’s focus on the bread and butter of the Saucony run line-up: The Saucony Guide. A moderate stability shoe, the Saucony Guide is intended for runners who benefit from a little bit more structure from their shoe without it feeling too stiff, bulky or heavy. The Guide has a wide toe box and is comfortably accommodating around the midfoot making it a great choice for a runner with a wider forefoot and/or bunions.

I have been happily chewing through Saucony Guides for my past three marathon training cycles so much so that I have hereby retired my once beloved Brooks Ravenna (another moderate stability model). Why? Because the Guide effortlessly supports my foot without ever feeling bulky. Because it provides a firm yet flexible ride that seems to seamlessly move with my foot on every strike. And lastly, because it’s just plain comfortable!

So now the question remains: can my beloved Saucony Guide get even better?

After carefully testing out the new Saucony Guide 9’s my answer is a resounding YESSSSS!!

The Saucony Guide 9 premiers the advent of a new type of cushioning in the Saucony line-up: EVERUN cushioning technology. For decades running shoe midsoles have been comprised of an EVA foam blend that provides a 75% energy return and breaks down relatively quickly during training; EVERUN takes that technology to a new level by utilizing a much more durable polymer bead foam (and NOT EVA) to cushion the shoes. In fact EVERUN provides an 83% energy return to the runner and maintains its properties 3x longer than EVA foam. This means that shoes with EVERUN cushioning remain softer even longer.

For years I have loved the Guide’s moderate support, light feel and a firm ride. Honestly my biggest concern about applying the EVERUN cushioning to the shoe was that it would become TOO soft. Thankfully (and miraculously) the amount of EVERUN cushioning utilized in the Guide 9 makes for a soft but not spongy ride. I’m excited (and quite relieved) to report that the changes made to the Guide 9 are true improvements to the model, so much so that the Guide 9 will be my chariot for all 26.2 miles of the 2016 Boston Marathon!

If you want to learn more about the Guide 9 or read more from Kass Berry, check out her blog The Lone Runner.