Saucony Guide 18 Review: Soft Meets Supportive

All shoes are reviewed by the Fleet Feet tester team, which represents a wide variety of goals, foot shapes, running locations and terrains. Reviewers pound the pavement, climb the hills, tackle the trails, then come together to compare notes. Debates ensue over the feel of the cushioning, the purpose of the shoe, and how it compares to last year’s model. While each reviewer has their own individual preferences, we hope that capturing our debates will help you make an informed decision.

2011 was a great year for Green Bay Packers fans, tumblr reposts and that bizarre fake-mustache trend amongst teenage girls. It was also,according to Saucony, their “first pursuit of a better running experience for all types of runners” via the Guide 5.

Fast forward 14 years and we have the Guide 18, built with the same pursuit in mind but entirely new materials and technology. Saucony’s PWRRUN midsole foam serves up a soft ride, while Center Path Technology aims to prove that a shoe doesn’t have to feel stiff and rigid in order to provide support.

Can the Guide 18, available February 1, provide the best of both worlds? Or will it sacrifice support in the name of softness? Read on to find out.

The Guide 18 is built with Saucony’s PWRRUN midsole compound, an EVA-based foam that creates a durable, shock-absorbing platform. The foam is thick enough to cushion each stride comfortably while also using high sidewalls around your foot for added stability.

I felt like the Guide 18 was a bit softer than previous versions, which really agreed with my feet. I’m always a little nervous to test stability shoes because they typically don’t agree with my feet. I have rigid arches that feel best in flexible shoes, and the stiff, rigid midsoles of stability shoes really aggravates them. While the Guide 18 felt stiffer than what I’d normally wear, there was enough flexibility to allow my feet to go through their natural gait cycle with no issues.

Does this mean that the Guide 18 is less stable than previous versions? Our stability guru, Spencer, doesn’t think so.

“I find the Guide 18 to feel structurally less rigid with more lateral flexibility than previous models, but it certainly still stabilizes for overpronation [the excessive inward rolling of a runner’s foot upon landing] extremely well. The stability frame is not as “in your face,” for lack of a better term, as before. In my opinion, the latest Guide feels more comfortable.”

The stability frame Spencer mentions is Saucony’s Center Path Technology, made up of three key components. The first is the high sidewalls I mentioned earlier. These wrap around your feet, holding them securely inside the cushioning (imagine them as bucket seats in a car). The second is a wide, broad platform that creates a stable base for landings. The third is an asymmetrical profile that uses additional foam on the medial side of the shoe. This ensures the shoe’s foam will wear out evenly for runners who overpronate instead of wearing out more quickly on the inside of the shoe.

Plus, a gentle rocker shape helps ease you forward for ultra smooth heel-to-toe transitions.

“My heel-to-toe transitions initially felt like a sudden downhill slope in the Guide, but soon they became natural-feeling. Once I grew accustomed to the downward roll cycle, it helped my running gait flow with ease,” says Spencer.

I didn’t notice anything sudden or abrupt about the rocker shape, but perhaps I’m more accustomed to running shoes with rocker shapes.

The Guide 18 is topped off with an engineered mesh upper that’s just as supportive as it is breathable. Spencer and I noted that, while most of the shoe fits true to size, the forefoot had a bit of excessive room.

While the shoe had more room than I’m used to, it didn’t affect the security of the fit. I was able to lock down the laces and my heels, ankles and midfoot experienced no excess movement. I tied the marathon loop using the extra eyelets on either side of my ankles.

If you have slightly wider than average feet, you may find your perfect fit in the Guide 18. And if your feet are more than just slightly wide, you can opt for wide (D for women, 2E for men) or extra-wide (2E for women, 4E for men) in certain colors of the Guide 18.

If you’re unsure about the width of your feet, your best bet will be to head into your local Fleet Feet. Fleet Feet outfitters use 3D fit id® foot scanning technology to gather information about your feet and the support they need by taking precise measurements of your foot length, width and arch height, so you can learn a lot about your feet while you’re there.

The Guide 18 remains largely unchanged from the previous version, which makes sense as the Guide 17 was a major overhaul. The 17 replaced Saucony’s HOLLOW-TECH stability device, a firm plastic that sat in the medial side of the shoe between your heel and midfoot, with Center Path Technology to create a much more forgiving feel.

Both the Guide 17 and 18 feature engineered mesh uppers with plenty of toe space, but I found the Guide 18 to fit slightly wider than its predecessor.

While the Guide 18 weighs a little bit more than the 17, it had us fooled before we saw the tech specs. “I like how the Guide 18 feels less bulky,” says Spencer. “Sometimes weight can be a tradeoff when adding more cushion, but this latest model seems lighter weight and more agile. Maybe my imagination is talking, but I couldn’t deny how my body felt.”

We took a look at some comparable models to see how they stack up against the Guide 18. Here’s what we found.

The Saucony Guide 18, ASICS GT-2000 13 and HOKA Arahi 7 all fall into the same category–moderately cushioned stability shoes. They don’t offer the same amount of cushioning as their respective brands’ max-cushioned stability shoes (the Saucony Hurricane 24, ASICS GEL-Kayano 31 and HOKA Gaviota 5), which is why they’re offered at a lower price point.

The GT-2000 13 takes a similar approach to stability as the Guide 18 by focusing on holistic support rather than just medial support. ASICS’ 3D Guidance System uses many of the same components as Saucony’s Center Path Technology. The Arahi 7 uses HOKA’s J-frame technology, a J-shaped piece of rigid foam that wraps around your heel and lines the medial side of the shoe.

Thanks to plush cushioning and gentle stability technology, the Guide 18 will be a hit amongst runners who want extra support without extra rigidity.

“The Guide 18 is great for anyone wanting a stable, supportive ride that still allows you to move freely and naturally. Stability version footwear can sometimes feel too intrusive - not here,” says Spencer.

Because of the slightly roomier-than-average forefoot, it’ll be best suited to runners with medium to wide feet.