Saucony Ride 19 Introduction

If you’re reading this review, chances are high that you’re already a seasoned marathoner who buys the Ride every year and you want to know what’s new with the Ride 19.

The new generation of runners aren’t interested in traditional, mid-range daily trainers like the Ride.

The new runners want the flashy trainers like the Saucony Endorphin Speed or the brand new Saucony Azura. These trainers are lighter and have more exciting rides. Why would you buy the Ride 19 when you can get the Azura for only $5 more?

While some might view it as boring, the Ride is still a great all-rounder; consistent and adaptable, without any flashy stats. A comfortable and reliable trainer for eating up mileage.

The Ride 18 which I tested last year was an excellent, no-frills daily trainer that excelled in simplicity. My favourite feature was the thick PWRRUN+ insole that provided a premium level of plushness right below my feet.

This year’s Ride is a substantial update. Not only do we get an upper and outsole update but the PWRRUN+ in the midsole has also been tweaked. Saucony says that this new PWRUN+ delivers plush cushioning with increased energy return.

Saucony has the Ride 19 listed as 8.9 oz (255 g) for a men’s US 9 but my pair weighs 9.2 oz (261 g). The Ride 18 weighed 0.1 oz (3 g) less. The Ride 19 costs $145, a $5 increase from last year.

Testing Details

• Easy 12 km at 5:33 per km.
• Recovery 10 km at 7:15 per km.
• Easy 10 km at 6:02 per km.
• Warm up and cool down 4 km at 7:45 per km.
• 13 km easy run at 5:43 per km.
• Easy 12 km at 5:52 per km.
• Easy 12 km at 6:22 per km.
• Recovery 10 km at 6:55 per km.

Saucony Ride 19 First Impressions

My first run was a 12 kilometre easy run. The Ride 19 felt very different to the Ride 18 and the Ride 17: it felt like a bigger, bulkier shoe. The midsole was noticeably wider so the ride felt more stable.

I didn’t notice a huge difference in the new PWRRUN+ formulation but I did notice that the ride was softer and more cushioned. The forefoot was also stiffer than predecessors.

The Ride 19 reminded me of the Saucony Triumph 17. The softer, wider midsole made it feel more like a Triumph than a Ride.

Saucony Ride 19 Upper

The Ride 19 feels thicker and more padded than the Ride 18. The extra tongue padding and collar padding makes the Ride 19 feel more comfortable and more like a max-cushioned trainer.

There are ventilation holes in the toe box of the 19 but it still feels like a warm shoe because of the thick collar and tongue padding. The tongue is semi-gusseted so there’s no tongue slide and the heel lockdown is excellent.

The Ride 19 fits true to size however, it’s less accommodating than previous versions of the Ride due to the extra padding. If you have high volume or wide feet, you will probably need the wide version.

Reflectivity is excellent. On this colourway, the logos, eyestay reinforcements and the patch on the back of the heel counter are all reflective.

Saucony Ride 19 Sole Unit

The Ride 19 feels slower and not as versatile as the Ride 18. Even though it has a stiffer forefoot and a new foam formulation, it feels chunkier than its predecessor. The Ride 18 felt more agile and more nimble with more ground feel in comparison.

I only enjoy using the Ride 19 for easy or recovery runs that are slower than 6 minutes per km (9:39 per mile). I find it difficult to pick up the pace in it. There also isn’t much of a forefoot rocker so the ride feels a bit flat.

PWRRUN+ is a dense, beaded eTPU foam that doesn’t compress much and it doesn’t feel bouncy or lively. The ride of the Ride 19 doesn’t feel as modern as other daily trainers with PEBA or A-TPU midsoles.

There’s a new insole that’s not made of PWRRUN+ like in previous versions. The new insole is not beaded and it’s slightly thinner so the step in feel isn’t as plush.

Stability is the biggest improvement. The forefoot and rearfoot are noticeably wider than the Ride 18 so the 19 feels like a very stable trainer. It’s supportive enough for light over pronators.

The outsole traction is a also big improvement. Even though there’s less rubber coverage, there are now protruding triangles that bite into the ground. This design is much more effective than the flat outsole design of predecessors.

On my pair, there’s some outsole wear on the outer lateral heel as there’s no rubber coverage on that area- a strange design choice from the Saucony developers.

Saucony Ride 19 Conclusions

The Saucony Ride 19 isn’t a bad daily trainer but it’s a disappointment for me. It doesn’t feel like an improvement over the Ride 18: it’s a bit slower and it’s less versatile.

There are other mid-range daily trainers such as the ASICS Novablast 5 and the Adidas Adistar 4 that are so much more energetic and more engaging than the Ride 19.

There’s also the Saucony Azura which was mentioned earlier. It costs only $5 more and it’s lighter, has a thicker midsole, and is made of PWRRUN PB, a PEBA midsole foam that provides substantially more energy return than the PWRRUN+ in the Ride 19. The Azura is much better value for money.

I think it’s time that Saucony puts a better foam in the Ride 19- it’s been PWRRUN+ for 3 years now. A layer of PWRRUN HG or PWRRUN PB would make it lighter and more energetic.