Best Saucony Running Shoes: Ride, Triumph or Endorphin?

The best Saucony running shoe for most runners is the Saucony Ride 19: reformulated PWRRUN+ foam on a 37.6 mm lab-measured heel, 9.09 oz on a men's US 9, and Wide sizes in both genders. It is the one Saucony that fits every tier from Couch to 5K to marathon training. For long runs, the Triumph 24. If you overpronate, the Guide 19. For tempo days, the Endorphin Speed 5. For race day, the Endorphin Pro 5.

The short answer

Decoding the Saucony range

• Ride — the balanced daily trainer. Start here.
• Triumph — the Ride with much more foam, for long and recovery runs.
• Guide — the Ride with CENTERPATH sidewall guidance, in three widths.
• Hurricane — the Triumph with guidance: max cushion, mild support.
• Endorphin Speed — nylon-plated workout shoe.
• Endorphin Azura — super foam, no plate.
• Endorphin Pro / Elite — carbon-plated race shoes.
• Kinvara — low, light, plateless. Strides and short intervals.

Which Saucony for your weekly mileage

• Couch to 5K. The NHS Couch to 5K plan is three short run/walk sessions a week for nine weeks. One shoe: the Ride 19, or the Guide 19 if your arches collapse inward when you stand.
• 10K training. Still the Ride 19. If you are adding a weekly faster session, the Kinvara 16 is the cheap, simple way to do strides.
• Half marathon. Higdon's Novice 1 Half peaks at a 10-mile long run. Ride 19 plus Endorphin Speed 5 is the classic two-shoe rotation at this level, and it is the point where a rotation starts to earn its keep.
• Marathon. Novice 1 Marathon runs 18 weeks and four runs a week to a 20-mile peak. Triumph 24 for long runs, Ride 19 for easy miles, Endorphin Speed 5 for the workout, and the Endorphin Pro 5 on race day if you want a plate.

The range, side by side

One honest note on the spec sheets. RTINGS measured the Ride 19's drop at 9.8 mm against the 8 mm Saucony lists, which is worth knowing if you are sensitive to heel height. Saucony's listed weights are also flattering compared with lab weights across the industry, so compare like with like: the Ride 19's 9.09 oz here is a lab measurement, while the Triumph 24's 8.8 oz is Saucony's own figure.

Which Endorphin, and in what order

The mistake we see most often is buying a carbon racer first. The order that works for almost everyone is: daily trainer, then a plated workout shoe, then a race shoe — and plenty of runners never need the third.

1. Endorphin Speed 5 first. Believe in the Run's review covers the nylon plate and PWRRUN PB build; at 8.4 oz on a 36 / 28 mm stack it is light enough for intervals and cushioned enough for a long tempo.
2. Endorphin Azura if you want super foam without stiffness. Believe in the Run's Azura review describes a plateless 40 / 32 mm shoe for peppy daily running.
3. Endorphin Pro 5 for race day. RunRepeat's lab review calls it the best super shoe for beginners and heel strikers, which is unusual praise for a carbon shoe and the reason it is our race pick over the lighter Elite.

All of these clear the World Athletics 40 mm road stack limit, so none of them will get a result disallowed at a road race. Whether a plate is worth the money at your pace is a separate question, answered in are carbon-plated shoes worth it.

Widths and fit

Saucony is the quiet second choice after New Balance on width. The Ride 19 comes in Regular and Wide for men and women; the Guide 19 adds an Extra Wide in both. The Endorphin line is standard width only, which is normal for fast shoes and worth knowing before you order one online. If width is your binding constraint, read best running shoes for wide feet — and note that the Kinvara 16's low stack and slim upper make it the least forgiving shoe on this page.

How to choose

1. Decide trainer or support first. Ride and Triumph are neutral; Guide and Hurricane add guidance. If you are unsure, read neutral vs stability running shoes before you spend.
2. Then pick your stack. Ride and Guide sit in the high 30s at the heel; Triumph and Hurricane are in the 40s. More foam is better for long runs and worse for everything quick.
3. Buy the Wide if you are between widths. Saucony's Regular is not generous, particularly in the Endorphin line.
4. Add the Endorphin Speed 5 before any carbon shoe. It covers 90% of what a plate gives you at a fraction of the price, and you can train in it every week.
5. Check the drop if you have calf or Achilles history. The Guide and Triumph sit at 6 to 10 mm listed; the Kinvara is 4 mm, which is a real change if you are coming from a high-drop trainer.

Common mistakes

• Buying the Endorphin Pro as a first running shoe. A carbon plate does nothing useful on a run/walk session and wears out fast at easy pace.
• Treating the Kinvara as a daily trainer. It is 29 mm at the heel. Run to the Finish's review is clear that it is a lightweight shoe for faster, shorter running.
• Reading Saucony's listed drops as measured drops. RTINGS found nearly 2 mm more drop on the Ride 19 than the spec sheet claims.
• Buying the Hurricane because it says support. It is a soft max-cushion shoe with light guidance. For firm, structured support, the Guide 19 or a Brooks GuideRails shoe is closer to what you want.
• Skipping the Wide because it is not listed on Amazon's first page. It exists on the Ride 19 and Guide 19 in both genders; search the specific width.