So it was my birthday recently and I seriously needed a new pair of road runners as my Asics Cumulus 21 shoes had taken me over the 300 mile mark and were visibly dieing.
Asics recently updated thier Cumulus shoe to the new Cumulus 22, and normally I would have gone straight out and bought them as I have worn this Asics model for the last 3 years based on the fact it is a stability shoe for neutral runners. However Asics update the Cumulus and removed some of the things I loved about the previous versions, which made me think twice about the purchase.
After trawling the internet for something different I decided to take a look at Saucony, especially as I already use Saucony trail shoes because they are just so damn good.
After a bit of research I settled on the Guide 13 shoe which came highly recommended for neutral runners like myself. Now this was a bit of a punt because altthough the Guide 13 is a stablility shoe it has (like many other brands) moved away from the dual-density medial post and redeveloped it's stablity technology, but the reviews still sung it's praises and I have been doing a lot of work on the strengthening of my ankles etc... more recently.
Anyway I am happy to report I have now completed 3 runs (totalling 23 miles) in the Guide 13 and it seems to perform great.
The shoes are very light, especially compared to the Asics Cumulus 21, this means I can already feel myself running quicker. The shoe is also well padded so not only are my feet snug and do not move around but they are also incredibly comfortable.
Saucony have added into this shoe the PWRRUN midsole and the FORMFIT upper which have been so successful for the brand more recently, and a move away from ISOFit.
As mentioned above the stability technology for the Guide13 was updated to the new TPU guidance, which is a piece of L shaped thermoplastic polyurethane that sits between the heel and the arch on the medial side of the foot. This took a little bit of getting used to on the first two runs that I did in the Guide 13, however the last run was fine.
The sole of the shoe is wrapped in crystal rubber which is thinner than carbon rubber but just as flexible, I did not see any problems with grip whilst running.
The upper of the shoe adopts Saucony's FORMFIT technology which I am a big fan of, it cradles and cushions the feet very well.
My personal view on the Guide 13 is that it is a very good shoe, will get you through pleanty of long runs and help you perform well, at a very affordable £70-120.
