Saucony’s Guide 13 Keeps It Simple and Stable

Why Trust Us: The Guide 13 delivers moderate support for overpronators—with a more flexible ride, greater energy return, and a slightly narrower fit than the average stability shoe.

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• ISOfit upper reverts to traditional lacing with more durable mesh
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Price: $120
Type: Road
Weight: 10.5 oz (M), 8.9 oz (W)

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The Guide is a refreshingly uncomplicated daily trainer that does exactly what its name implies—helps steer your gait a little closer to neutral. To do it, the 13th version uses a flexible TPU frame that beefs up support on the inner arch and right along the outside of the heel. It’s a design that best serves moderate overpronators, but unlike Saucony’s more aggressive medial-posted Omni, Arch: Medium | Gait: Neutral | Footstrike: Heel.

Previous versions of the Guide have dabbled in Saucony’s “ISO” technologies like free-floating eyelets and adjustable inner fit sleeves, but it’s back to basics in this version. The upper is just as comfy—although much simpler—with traditional lacing, generous tongue padding, and a plush ankle collar that fit even our narrow-footed testers snugly. While three layers of foam provide plenty of cushioning underfoot, they’re designed to dial in a custom-feel fit rather than offer pillowy softness; a cushy topsole conforms to your foot, the contoured bottom helps return energy, and bouncy fused TPU beads in the middle absorb shock. That triple-decker foam will set you back a few ounces compared to a lightweight trainer, but our testers found that the shoe didn’t lag on daily runs or even tempos—it’s just not the shoe you’ll grab for speedwork.

Sturdy and Smooth

Like Brooks’s Very soft upper with cushioned heel collar and New Balance’s 860v10, the Guide 13 sheds the clunky stability shoe stigma: The ride is smooth, and the appearance sleek enough that you’ll likely not realize you’re in a support shoe until you feel it on the run. On par with the Adrenaline in terms of stability—neither is quite as supportive as the 860v10—the Guide also feels much more flexible. (Our RW lab scores show that while the Adrenaline is very stiff, the Guide lands in the flexible range.) That’s not to say a flexible midsole is necessarily better than a stiff one; the Adrenaline will serve runners best who like a snappier ride and softer heel cushioning. But, if you’d prefer a little more energy return and a lower drop, you’ll likely fare better in the Guide. “The Guide 13 feels surprisingly light, but stable,” one tester said. “This shoe hits the sweet spot of support without feeling rigid.”

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Thinner, More Flexible Outsole

Part of what gives the Guide more flexibility than most stability shoes is that it now uses lighter and more supple crystal rubber on the outsole. Saucony claims that it’s also slightly more durable than traditional carbon rubber varieties. (In testing, we found that it does feel more resilient, although the difference is subtle.) Our longtime testers in various models of the Guide noticed that the new material also makes the outsole tread much thinner than that of earlier versions, but remarked that it did not seem to impair the shoe’s grip. “In comparing the 13 to previous models, I think over time the Guide 13 will prove more durable,” one tester said. “I ran and raced on roads and over very hilly terrain and did not encounter any issues with traction. Very clear channels on the tread move water outward to avoid slippage.”

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Adios, ISOfit

Lightweight Running Shoes 13’s predecessor used the brand’s ISOfit system, which places a flexible support cage over an internal sock-like sleeve. Some testers thought the design effectively eliminated the hot spots and bunching that sometimes occur with a traditional tongue, but others just couldn’t get a snug fit and found the setup unnecessarily complicated. So, in the 13, Saucony opted to keep it simple and revert to traditional lacing without a separate inner fit sleeve. The upper also gets more durable engineered mesh—in truth, it’s slightly less breathable, but our testers didn’t mind the trade-off. They did, however, note that the shoe had a slightly narrow fit overall that didn’t accommodate wide feet as well as they would have liked.

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What Our Wear Testers Said

Crystal rubber outsole is thinner and more durable
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“I wore the Saucony Guide 13 leading up to my wedding last weekend and I have it with me on my honeymoon right now. I really enjoyed running in this shoe. I sized up, and I was nervous, but because the shoe is a bit narrow, I feel like this was the right move. Also, the shoe felt a little on the heavier end, but incredibly stable and durable—important during winter running. It’s less cushioned than the Saucony Hurricane; it has a practical amount of cushioning for daily runs. I had been running on the Lehigh XC course to get ready for Club Nationals and I was very happy with the shoe’s traction and cushioning on mostly frozen grass.”

Arch: Medium | Gait: Neutral | Footstrike: Heel
Very soft upper with cushioned heel collar

“This shoe is definitely very sturdy and well built for the long haul—best for a runner who is heavier or who puts in plenty of miles. The interior just felt really plush and I was super impressed by the wear. After several weeks I see very little signs of wear on the outsole and the upper is in great shape. It reminds me a bit of the Asics Gel-Kayano in terms of durability and high-mileage potential. While the Guide 13 was too much on the stability side for me, I did like the shoe for long runs in terms of the overall comfort and cushioning. It has plenty of firm cushioning both in the forefoot and heel.”