At over 125 years old Saucony has a long history in footwear. They also have a long history in triathlon through sponsorship of numerous legends of the sport and at one time even owned bike brand Quintana Roo. Needless to say, they know how to make some good running shoes and they remain a strong player in multisport.

Ride 17 is version 17 of the good old daily trainer from Saucony. Really it could be considered even older as it has DNA from the Trigon Series from the 90’s and you could go so far as say a bit of Jazz 3000 bloodline as a nicely cushioned, do a bit of everything for a moderately priced shoe.

Ride 17 updates

The biggest update is to the midsole as it now features PWRRUN+ foam, same as the current Triumph 21 (though with 2mm lower stack in the rearfoot). PWRRUN+ is a low-density PU based foam that allows for lower weight, softer feel and a bit more responsiveness than previously used foams. It doesn’t have the pop and rebound of say the Endorphin Speed but as an every day log some mileage shoe it has a very nice, lively ride to it.

Saucony is also gradually moving back to their traditional fit of a narrower heel and a slightly roomier toebox. For decades this is what made the brand so popular, especially with women, as the heel and midfoot was nice and secure and the forefoot gave the toes just a little extra space to wiggle. It's good to see this move from what has been a bit of a sloppy rearfoot fit.

The engineered mesh upper is soft and accommodating and as mentioned above the toes have some breathing room. Those with really narrow feet or those that like a snug fit would do better to look elsewhere as the front may feel too roomy.

Another highlight for me is that there is a nice amount of rubber on the outsole. A lot of shoes try to reduce weight by leaving the midsole foam exposed, resulting in a lighter shoe that will wear out faster. The Ride 17 has a nice nearly full outsole, which provides plenty of grip and will help the shoe last for many miles.

With my high instep I do feel a slight amount of pressure over the very top of my foot where the laces are tied. Some of that is the attached tongue but mostly is just my foot; the majority of people won’t have an issue and I can easily log miles with no issues. It’s just something I slightly felt if I had them on for a long time.

To me one thing that makes a really good shoe is when you don’t think about it at all during a run, it just works and does its job, that’s the Ride 17. It isn’t flashy, it doesn’t make you super excited. I could log miles and never really think about what was on my feet. I didn’t have to figure out lacing, or deal with any issues, you can just run.

Specs and Availability

$140.00
Men: 9.9 oz (282g)
Women: 8.4 oz (238g)
Stack: 35/27mm
Drop: 8mm
Standard and wide width options available
*My 10.5 US weighed 10.6 oz (300g)