As someone who was fiercely loyal to ASICS shoes for a long time, Saucony is really growing on me. Their robust line of stability shoes has something for everyone, and the Guide 9 is nothing short of that.

I have experience running in the Guide line before. I picked up a pair of the Guide 7s at a race expo and wasn’t really that all impressed besides scoring a sweet deal.

It was a standard, middle of the line stability shoe, but it didn’t really offer much. When I saw the 8s, I chose to pass because it just looked the same as before.

The 9 is the complete opposite of that. It’s been completely redone and is lighter than ever. Thankfully the offset is the same so while the shoe had a complete rebuff, the foundation remains the same.

Saucony Guide 9 General Info

Saucony Guide 9 – Medial Side

This is the 9th edition of the guide line which is a middle range stability shoe that Saucony offers. In terms of support, it is comparable to the Omni, and sits below the Mirage.

This has a higher offset than the Omni though, so it is more true to being a stability class.

In terms of competition, it would go against the GT-2000 line of ASICS or the Ravenna line from Brooks. The price is the same compared to the rest, which in my opinion is a little steep.

I roll my eyes whenever I have to pay over the 100 dollar mark for shoes, but it is what is.

I have run in Guide 7s before, so I had a broad idea of what to expect. When the shoe came, the first thing I noticed was how different upper material was.

The puffy mesh was replaced with something a little more seamless and the shoe looked like it had a complete face-lift.

Style wise, I liked it. It was a nice touch on a classic scheme. The orange had a nice pop to it and wasn’t overbearing. If it’s like previous versions, there will be plenty of color options for all runners.

When I laced them up, the fit was comfy and I had plenty of room in the toe box. Walking around in them for day by day activities was as smooth as when I ran in them.

Saucony Guide 9 Sole Unit

The bottom part of the shoe has been completely overhauled, but still stays true to previous models. I first received these shoes after one of the worst blizzards to hit the east coast and I never had any traction issues when running through questionable areas.

The sole unit brings in a new Saucony technology called EVERUN. This replaced the previous Power Grid technology. This tech adds one extra layer of cushioning that is closer to the foot.

This gives a more stable ride throughout as opposed to only being concentrated one part of the foot; like the heel that many stability shoes suffer from.

The ride also does not wear down throughout the run, so it will be as strong as it was in the later miles than it is in the beginning. this is HUGE for people doing long distances.

The heel offset is pretty standard with an 8mm offset. During running, my natural striking was hitting right in the middle of the foot, allowing me to launch off from the ball of the foot.

Saucony Guide 9 Upper Info

The material in the upper has been replaced with a smoother material called flexfilm. Originally introduced in their racing line of shoes, Saucony has been rolling this out in their other models with very positive results.

Previous editions had a plush mesh material. This is more breathable than previous models. It forms to my foot nicely and like the name suggests, is very flexible.

Fit wise, there is a ton of room so you will not have to buy a size up. There’s plenty of space in the toe box and I never felt like I was falling out of the shoe from the sides.

I have a fairly wide foot, so the fact that I didn’t feel like I would go a different way when I was making a hard turn was a nice feeling.

The heel kept me locked in at all times as well. There was a mixture of a hard shell and an extra layer of material with reflective accents on it. This combined with the lacing system provided for a tight, yet comfortable feel.

Saucony Guide 9 Conclusions

Saucony Guide 9 – Heel

I like to think I am a tough critic of shoes when I get them to review. I make sure to find and identify flaws and see how they compare against what the shoe offers. I have never given a shoe a perfect rating until now.

Besides the higher price point, I had zero issues with this shoe and absolutely loved testing them. They are fast if they need to be, but can also take a beating and rack up the volume.

Saucony’s overhaul of the Guide makes this sit above the rest and makes me excited to see what other tricks they have up their sleeves this season.

We thank the nice people at Saucony for sending us a pair of Guide 9 to test. This did not influence the outcome of the review, written after running more than 50 miles in them.