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Coach production editor Marc Gadian (not pictured above) was thrown in at the deep end in May when we asked him to try out Joe Wicks’s 90-day Shift, Shape and Sustain plan. That spark has caught fire and now he’s added running to his fitness routine. If you’re looking for an expert review, look elsewhere (no offence, Gadders), but if you’re taking your first strides in running and looking to invest in the right shoes, Marc’s experience with Saucony’s latest pair of running shoes may prove useful.
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As a relative newbie to all things health and fitness, and having recently signed up for a 10K (in a moment of madness), I was delighted with the striking blue design of the Saucony Ride 9 shoe. It was a welcome relief from the neon orange and luminous lime greens that grace London’s running routes – colour schemes more suited to Premier League football boots and nightclub dancefloors. (Although admittedly the Ride 9 also comes in neon orange and luminous lime green.)
My previous pair of running shoes hadn’t seen the light of day since before I was married (the best part of ten years), so I was unprepared for the technology that trainers now employ. The added spring in my step I experienced on my first run in the Ride 9 was almost a big a shock as the fact that I’ve signed up for the 10K itself.
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The Ride 9 boasts Saucony’s EVERUN cushioning, which Saucony says gives runners their smoothest ride yet thanks to the energy return-enhancing topsole construction. An impressive boast to be sure, and during my early morning three-miler I found the fit snug, the feel lightweight and the heel superbly supportive. The journey continued to be smooth and continuously cushioned, even as I went off-piste and left the Tarmac for the undulating grassy knolls of my local park.
Half an hour and 550 calories later I returned home tired, but without the usual ache in my legs or blisters on my feet, meaning I would be running again the next day.
On the next day’s rainy lunchtime constitutional I experienced the full benefit of the Ride 9’s FlexFilm technology, which makes the uppers thinner and lighter and meant I never felt the shoes were getting waterlogged, while the breathable open-air mesh kept my feet ventilated.
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As for the 10K, you can found out how I fared here, but to say I exceeded all expectations is an understatement. With 200m left I kicked for home and it wasn’t just the roar of the crowd in the Olympic stadium that saw me cross the line in a PB time – with Saucony’s Ride 9 shoes at the end of my legs, I knew I was in safe hands.
Saucony Ride 9 running shoes, £115, buy on saucony.co.uk
