Saucony Guide 14 Intro

The Guide from Saucony has received high marks for consistently being a solid shoe in the brand’s stability lineup, as the mid-cushioned, firmer younger sister of the brand’s Hurricane which employs the softer PWRRUN+ midsole.

Guide to Hurricane is similar to Adrenaline to Transcend (now replaced by Glycerin) in the Brooks lineup.

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.

But, if you’re a fan of the Guide line, you’ll get the same reliable stability. Flat- feeling transition, but oh, the upper feels so cozy, even miles into the run.

Saucony’s Guide 14 is .8 oz. / 23 g. lighter than Hurricane 22 in women’s size 9.5. Both shoes have an 8 mm. drop.

Just as Hurricane is in line with Brooks’ Transcend, so Guide is compatible with Brooks Adrenaline.

New Balance’s 860 is also a comparable shoe, with a 10 mm. drop and similar weight, in the half-size larger 860 that my foot needs.

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.

List price is 30 USD lower than Kayano 27.

Kayano’s drop continues at 13mm for women and 10mm for the men’s shoe while Guide 14 is 8mm for both. Guide weighs in at 10.5 oz. / 298 g. (M sz 9) and 9.6 oz. / 272 g. (W sz 8), with Kayano hitting 11.4 and 9.7 oz. respectively.

Saucony Guide 14 First Impressions

Saucony Guide 14 – Lateral Side

Guide 14 jumped out of the box with a look that matched its later ride; “Hi, I’m a standard shoe of quality build, a bit old fashioned in technology (medial post; I’m lookin’ at you). Since you ran in 90’s Gel-Kayanos for years; I’ll feel like home.”

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.

Guide 14’s soft upper feel reminds me of the shoe’s maxed-out older sister Hurricane, with Hurricane 22 providing double-thickness of comfort around the ankle and a more bolstered feel under the arch.

However, these offerings from Saucony appear to have the same sock liner and an extra layer of cushion below the liner.

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!

Over the course of this run on a golf course access road that ran along the parking lot of a hotel I was staying at, that immediate sensation gave way to the typical ride of a stability shoe that transitions more like a cement block than a rolling ball.

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.

Guide 14 hints at being an all-around option yet may be too heavy and slow-feeling during faster runs, for some.

Saucony Guide 14 Sole Unit

Saucony Guide 14 – Closeup

Guide’s midsole PWRRUN foam is actually more flexible than it feels while running, with the medial post keeping the shoe from bending past midfoot.

This foam is an adequate, firm cushion yet not springy in the slightest. Despite the flexibility of the sole, the ride is more blocky than smooth.

Regarding midsole materials, Guide’s PWRRUN is a more firm formulation than Hurricane’s PWRRUN+, which makes it less desirable for long runs and more suited for a responsive mid-paced run, but it can go the distance for those who do not need more cushion.

Saucony Guide 14 – Grip

The TRIFLEX groove design in the outsole contributes to its flexibility, with rubber running in interspersed zig-zags under the forefoot, and a heel-strike patch in the back, with additional medial midfoot coverage to bolster high-tread areas.

The rubber improves grip and increases the shoe’s ability to rack up high mileage. Guide has an 8 mm. drop from heel to toe.

Saucony Guide 14 Upper Unit

Saucony Guide 14 – Top

The upper is really where Guide 14 shines (literally, on the reflective patches 😉 ).

For the second year, Guide’s upper employs FORMFIT technology, which includes the remnant from the ISOFIT models of an attached tongue, with mesh that hugs both sides of the midfoot and keeps the tongue from moving around.

The wide, soft tongue feels cushy and is the main driver behind the amazing feel of this shoe on your foot.

The upper’s 3D-engineered fascia supports the foot without causing pinching. It is impressive how Saucony created a shoe that feels twice as plush as it looks!.

Guide 14 shares a look with Kinvara 12 with 3D-print logo and “ray” overlays topping engineered mesh and adding a reflective element to the shoe (at least in my colorway;

Saucony Guide 14 – HeelCollar

It doesn’t seem like the black overlay will have the same reflective quality). These overlays add a light touch of structure.

The snug but not “narrow” heel is bolstered by a very firm heel counter which includes a reflective strip up the back. A light cap rounds the tip of the shoe.

Guide has a narrow-medium width, and true-to-size length. My Guide 14 is a half size smaller than I wear in Brooks, Nike, and some New Balance which require me to go half size up.

Saucony Guide 14 Conclusion

Saucony Guide 14 – Toe

Depending on your shoe preferences, this stability trainer with either be your long-run-day pick or your speed shoe—if your other shoes are heavier.

Every time I put Guide on, I am amazed by the soft hug that keeps on comforting me all through the run. Guide’s upper supports, reflects, and genuinely “works.”

Guide fails to give me a propulsive feeling forward, however, which makes it seem heavier than it is.

What is your impression of the 14? If you’ve run in this shoe in the past as well, what do you think of this latest version as compared with the previous? Let us know in the comments!

We purchased a pair of Saucony Guide 14 from runningwarehouse using our own money. This did not influence the outcome of this review, written after running more than 50 miles in them.