"The information provided in this review is my own opinion and experience.
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Basic Specifications
Category: Daily trainer
Stack height:
Heel: 35mm
Forefoot: 27mm
Drop: 8mm
Weight (size 46): 305 grams
True to size: Yes
Distance done at time of review: 100Km
Rating:
If you have any experience with the Ride 16, you will quickly notice that the specifications look almost identical, just the weight of the Guide 16 is 10 grams more.
It’s a neutral daily trainer suitable for those looking for some extra stability and for running on the road or treadmill.
The shoe is ideal for your easy pace daily runs up until half marathon distance, I would not recommend using these for faster runs though.
For me It’s true to size, the upper of the shoe does feel a bit warmer when running in higher temperatures, but more on that later on.
Midsole / Outsole
The midsole and outsole are identical to the guide 15.
Which is a pwrrun EVA based midsole, and yes that is still the more entry level foam from Saucony.
It’s a bit more firm and less responsive in comparison with the pwrrun+ which is a TPU based foam.
An EVA foam is also known to be a little less durable in comparison with a TPU foam.
Furthermore it also has an Hollow-Tech plastic plate that adds additional stability for those that tend to have an issue with overpronation.
The shoe felt great from the first run, for me there was no break-in needed!
The midsole is less resistant to outside temperatures, as such you might notice that the shoe becomes more stiff when the temperatures drop.
The outsole has 2 different types or rubber, a softer rubber on the forefoot which helps in providing a smoother toe off.
And a more firm rubber from the mid foot to the back to provide a better stability.
The also means that outsole at the front could be less durable because of the softer rubber.
The grip on the other hand is better than on the Ride, due to the usage of the softer rubber at the forefoot.
Upper
The outer layer has a lot of ventilation holes but I do notice a difference if I compare it to the Ride 16.
The ventilation when running in higher temperatures is not optimal.
Which is mainly due to that the upper is a bit more thicker causing the ventilation to not be sufficient when it’s really hot.
They are definitely not suited for running in the rain!
When they get wet, your feet get soaked and they could start to feel a bit mushy.
They also take a while to get dry.
The upper isn’t too stretchy, but still sits pretty good, as mentioned for me the shoe is true to size, and on a longer run the upper still feels great.
Around the heel there is a good amount of padding to keep your feet in place.
They are also very easy to put on, the heel tab is a bit less cushioned though.
The heel area itself is reenforced and goes around your complete heel.
This is something which I also liked as this gives an additional stability feeling, one thing that I noticed is that around the heel tab it’s more flexible than with the Ride.
For the Guide being more directed towards stability, I would have found it more logical that they would have done this on the Guide instead of the Ride.
For the rest It also has a gusseted tongue which has a good amount of padding.
It feels really great, you do notice that the material of the tongue is a bit different or lets say of better quality than on the Ride, I have the impression that it has a bit better breathability.
Since it’s a gusseted tongue, it also remains very good in place.
Not really a fan of the laces as they are pretty stiff but that’s just my preference.
The length is also sufficient even if you need to do the runners know and didn’t had any issues with my laces coming loose.
Durability
Currently the outsole still looks very good, I do notice a little bit more wear and tear at the front of the outsole than at the back.
But that is to be expected since the outsole rubber isn’t the same.
The exposed midsole also still looks great, which was something I was afraid of, even more than on the Ride.
In the end I do see more wear and tear on the Ride than on the guide.
I have great expectations of the upper, the quality of the upper seems to be a lot better than on the ride.
There is also a protective line at the front of the upper, which will protect it a bit more..
Even when the shoe would get wet frequently then i don’t think that this will play a big role in the durability of the upper.
As goes with the laces, they feel and look a bit more premium than on the Ride.
In the end I’m estimating that the shoe could last for around 7 to 800km.
Which is a better expectation than I have for the ride but this is mainly due to the higher quality of the upper and laces.
The current state of the exposed midsole also still looks very good.
One possible downside could be off course the front outsole rubber, but after 100km the wear and tear is definitely acceptable.
Summary
To wrap up, the Saucony Guide 16 is a decent daily trainer which will provide you a good run at your easy pace up until a half marathon.
The weight of the shoe is also pretty good, it won’t be a problem on longer runs!
Do take into account that the midsole is a bit stiff, more stiff in comparison with the Ride due to the Hollow-Tech plastic plate for extra stability.
The shoe also has a lower responsiveness.
The grip is pretty good and there is less chance of slipping due to the softer rubber at the forefoot.
The upper feels great and is comfortable but it’s a bit less ventilated so not really advised to run in higher temperatures.
Running in the rain is also not really advised, unless if you like the feeling of running on a sponge, yeah baby!
The shoe costs around 150 euro.
With the durability, quality and especially stability that this shoe provides I find this a reasonable price.
If you would like to check out the video of this review, then you can do this at the top of this page or by going to my YouTube channel!
https://www.youtube.com/@gofora_run/
If you have any questions or remarks, drop a comment down below or send me a DM on instagram!
