Saucony Women's Guide 14 Running Shoe

Product Information

The 860 has a more streamlined cut and seems to bring me onto my toes more readily than the Guide, with Guide 14 providing a more substantial-feeling base underfoot. My first run in the shoe actually felt refreshingly light as I had been running in Gaviota 3. I ran some fast-paced intervals amid traces of melting snow from spring! Stability shoes are not normally super plush, they tend to have hard, plastic medial posts under the arch, or stiff midsole foams, and the Guide 14 is no exception to this.

I like bright shoes though, so if you are from 1984, you may love these shoes and even request a pair of gray laces to mellow them out! Not for night runs The Saucony Guide 14 is fine. Nothing really wrong with it, but also there’s nothing really to get too excited about. It has a purpose and it does it well, period. Saucony has made their PWRrun midsole a bit softer in this update but it’s still a stiff shoe without a ton of response or pep.This shoe is lighter than Gaviota, yet I rated the latter higher as it is a pointedly solid shoe with a stand-out midsole that is soft yet supportive. The plush shoelaces (that my cat likes playing with while I put the shoe on), anticipate the padded comfort of the rest of the upper. Part of the confident fit comes from the foam padding around the heel cup and collar. Saucony added a soft, memory foam-like pad that creates a plush step-in feel but also gives you a snug, no-slip fit. To enhance the smooth ride, Saucony layered the Guide with a comfortable PWRRUN midsole. The well-rounded foam composition cushions your landings but delivers a bouncy response for a livelier ride.

I personally don’t like stiff heels, they don’t work for my foot, and the result is noticeable heel slipping.

Signs that you need a stability shoe:

The 14 has a slightly different look this year, offering a bit more cushion to the tongue yet less around the heel than in the past, with more reflective material added to a similar-looking upper. The latest version of the Guide uses a lightweight PWRRUN foam midsole which is sculpted to provide a super-smooth ride, with a HOLLOW-TECH system adding stability exactly when and where it’s needed. The holistic nature of this stability system means it’s equally suited to neutral runners needing some extra support as they tire during longer runs as it is to those runners who rely on some additional stability on a daily basis. For these very reasons the Guide is a favoured choice of a number of the Run4It team, many of whom have differing stability requirements.