Saucony Ride 13 Intro
This shoe targets a neutral runner, while also providing cushioning in a durable package. The MSRP has been upped a bit since it’s $120 price point in past models to the now $130 which should indicate some higher quality components.
After I finished my 50 miles of testing in these shoes (more close to 150 by this review), I found they were possibly not such a great fit at $130, due to premature wear.
Just get these shoes get past 20 miles before making any final decisions if you can, since I found the shoes started to fit better after 20 miles of breaking them in and also saw what could be a one-off factory problem in the outsole.
If you need more info before grabbing this pair, keep on reading!
Saucony Ride 13 First Impressions
Saucony created their Ride series of shoes to give runners a “signature neutral running experience”. The Ride series of shoes sits on the neutral side of the support spectrum, and have a moderate amount of cushioning.
They’re a step up in cushioning, durability, and weight compared to the Kinvara 11s, but still share a lot of design compared to the Kinvara 11s. This makes the Ride 13s feel pretty peppy for a trainer.
The Ride 13s have a 32mm heel stack height and a 24mm forefoot stack height on the shoe, which gives the shoe an 8mm drop.
I think this might be one of the higher overall stack heights we’ve seen in the Ride series, and you can be certain this extra foam provides high quality cushioning through the stride.
What surprised me trying these on for the first time was the inclusion of TWO lace choices. It’s rare nowadays to find a shoe that offers choice in the box, and seemingly almost as rare for the laces to be elastic.
I welcomed this addition to my unboxing experience and stuck with the Neon Green laces over the darker blue.
Saucony Ride 13 Sole Unit
Saucony places the industry standard layout of durable carbon rubber around the toe and heel of the shoe, and high cushioning blown rubber around the midsection of the sole.
Saucony’s special blend of carbon rubber (XT-900) and blown rubber (iBR+) are the same as used in the previous Rides. Also similar to older models is their special TRIFLEX layout of rubber.
Saucony has been optimizing it over time, however. You’ll see various lateral and longitudinal grooves within the TRIFLEX design itself to provide even more traction.
I think Saucony made a mistake though in this release of the Ride 13s, or I might have received a bad production run as the blown rubber components of the outsole tore away at the corners pretty quickly.
I would attribute it to an odd accident if it was only on one shoe, but both have this problem on all corners of the TRIFLEX design.
Just walking down the stairs in these shoes to go out on my first run caused one of the corners to rip a little.
Was not much, just a millimeter tear, but this became a frequent problem until little pits would develop on the edges. I think it’s a combination of poorly mixed rubber and not enough adhesive on the outsole.
I have to keep this problem at face-value though, as I’ve never seen this on other Saucony shoes before and just can leave you with advice to pull on the corners of the rubber to see if it lifts off.
The sole materials in the Ride 13s utilize Saucony’s PWRRUN foam which is an improvement over regular EVA foam. PWRRUN introduces a softer and more responsive type of feel compared to regular EVA foam.
Don’t get confused with PWRRUN+ though, which is a separate type of foam by Saucony. The Kinvara 11 combines both PWRRUN and PWRRUN+, while the Triumph 17 goes all in with PWRRUN+.
Although just found in this shoe below the insole, I’d say it’s a worthy addition.
This foam looks like bloated beads of plastic crammed against eachother, which is the current industry method of processing TPU foam just like Adidas’ Boost Foam (they even look similar with their grid of white pellets).
Apparently, the upgrades that got us PWRRUN make this flavor of foam very similar to Adidas Boost foam with weight and durability.
Saucony uses a different foam in the midsole to keep the weight down while returning a decent amount of energy back in every stride.
My overall opinion of the sole is that it’s comfortable across basically all distances and regular training efforts I could throw at it.
Saucony Ride 13 Upper Unit
The laces on the Ride 13s are slightly different than standard laces. They’re flat, and moderately stretchy. I measured and found they can expand by up to 30% in length.
This lets you keep a snug fit on your feet, even as your feet expand during the run.
It also means the shoes can’t give you the super tight fit for a sprint unless you really stretch everything… but you shouldn’t be using these shoes for record setting workouts anyway!
The only real drawback to these laces is that they start to lose their flexibility over time and also warp in areas of high stress.
The laces on my year old Ride 8s, and Ride 11s still work, they just look a little tired and lost their springiness in some places.
Finishing out the upper is a single piece of fabric that is bound together at the back with a reflective (nice!) strap. The upper fabric is quite breathable and has decent durability.
I can see the upper lasting well beyond 250 miles with little issues for most runners. Saucony added some flair to the shoes with the addition of 3D-print overlays that scatter behind the saucony logo up the laces.
I personally wish I could remove them as I sometimes rub the sides of the shoe against my calf on trail runs and these little flat plastic squares add some unnecessary abrasion.
But that’s a minor gripe since they do add a cool look to the shoe.
The overall fit of the upper seems to be true to size, but I found my left outer pinkie toes hitting the sides of the shoe more than expected.
I came off testing some Nike shoes which I usually fit well in, so there might be a chance you feel a little restricted in these shoes if you have a wide forefoot.
The rest of the fit is wonderfully snug as it uses Saucony’s FORMFIT tech, which ultimately is just a well blended set of materials that hug your feet comfortably.
Saucony Ride 13 Conclusion
The Saucony Ride 13 is a neutral trainer, designed to be durable and perform well while running on road and track surfaces.
With the large amount of cushioning and ample use of rubber, the Ride 9s could be considered a racing shoe for distances over 10km. The use of PWRRUN foam keeps the ride to the Ride 13s very comfortable, without feeling too padded.
My possible one-off issue with the edges of the outsole coming off do detract from my overall experience, but an easy test of just pulling on them when you receive a pair can show if they’re made well or not.
I would cautiously recommend these shoes to any neutral runner that wants a responsive and long lasting shoe that isn’t ready to go all in for a shoe that has more PWRRUN foam.
We purchased a pair of Saucony Ride 13 from runningwarehouse using our own money. This did not influence the outcome of this review, written after running more than 50 miles in them.
Saucony Ride 13 Price Comparison
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