The Saucony Ride 17 has been completely overhauled from the 16, with the main update seeing the addition of the stellar PWRRUN+ in the midsole—the same great TPU foam found in the Saucony Triumph. Since the Triumph 20/21 is one of my all-time favorite shoes, I had a pretty good feeling I’d enjoy this shoe. But, I’m often wrong…about everything. So, was I right? Find out in my Saucony Ride 17 review.
Introduction
I’ve had a strange relationship with the Saucony Ride over the years. My first foray with the neutral daily trainer came back in 2019, with the Ride ISO 2. Yes, many ages ago, the shoe went by a different naming format. ISO referred to the now extinct ISOFIT mesh upper. I absolutely loved the ride (pun intended), and it fit in nicely as a go-to shoe right alongside the Saucony Triumph 17—my first Triumph. These two shoes were my initial introduction to Saucony, and the brand left a great first impression on my ride (no pun intended this time).
In 2020 came the arrival of Saucony’s two greatest shoes: (at the time) the original Endorphin Speed and Endorphin Pro. Oh, and the Endorphin Shift was also released, but judging by the reception, it seemed like no one really liked that shoe. Don’t blame me, I never ran it. Recently, Saucony pivoted, or, should I say shifted and made the decision to discontinue the Shift. Ok, maybe you should blame me. Perhaps if I had bought it and sung its praises, they would still be making the shoe. Hey, you never know; the butterfly effect is a hell of a drug.
Of course, I didn’t have my blog, podcast, or social media back in 2020, so it’s not like anyone would have known my opinion on the shoe. Even if they had, who am I to critique shoes? For that matter, who is any shoe reviewer to critique a shoe? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll step down off my soapbox.
Ride evolution
The following year after the Ride ISO 2, I eagerly purchased the Ride 13. Despite being an upgrade from the previous edition, I found the 13 to be too firm of a ride (pun intended?). With just a minor upgrade to the 14, I skipped the shoe and waited until a more substantial update came with the Ride 15. Alas, with the firm PWRRUN foam, this Ride was also not to my liking. A couple editions later, the Ride 17 arrives with big changes from the 15 and 16. But are they for the better?
Saucony Ride 17 Review
Weight: 9.9 oz|282 g (US M9) 8.4 oz|238 g (US W8)
Stack height: 35/27 mm (8 mm drop)
Price: $140
Ride
With the addition of PWRRUN+ foam, this feels like a completely different shoe than the Ride 15. It’s no longer such a firm ride—it’s soft, bouncy, and responsive, AKA the “running shoe trifecta,” in my running book. It’s also an extremely comfortable, stable shoe. While not a tempo/speed shoe, I often find myself running faster than expected and I have to force myself to slow down. Is there a better compliment for a shoe than that?!
I took the shoe for a 15-mile long run right out of the box and it served my feet well for the long haul. I’ve found it’s also an excellent choice for daily runs, strides, and even recovery runs. It’s a shoe I’ve been relying on heavily during my spring marathon training.
Midsole
I’ve already mentioned the outstanding PWRRUN+ foam two times now—oops, now I’m up to three—so it’d be redundant to mention the PWRRUN+ foam again (fourth time). And with a 35/27 mm stack height, there’s plenty of PWRRUN+ (fifth time) to go around, or rather, under the feet.
Upper
Speaking of “around the feet,” Saucony produces yet another luxurious upper. Along with Brooks, they’ve got the comfiest uppers in the shoe game. They’re like the Splash Brothers of uppers—except, instead of repeatedly nailing 3-pointers like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, they consistently nail their uppers and never miss. Oh, plus the brands are competitors, not teammates. Is that basketball reference too much of a stretch? Possibly, but I don’t have an editor, so it’ll stay in here. Sorry. Where was I?
Oh yeah, the Ride 17 has a very breathable engineered mesh upper with a gusseted tongue and just the right amount of heel padding. While Curry and Thompson aren’t “lockdown defenders,” the Ride 17 has got quite the secure lockdown.
Outsole
On the bottom, there’s a new, strategically blown rubber outsole, offering up great traction and durability. I didn’t have any grip issues in wet conditions. And while there’s some exposed foam in the midfoot, it’s a small enough area that the durability won’t be impacted. I expect to get at least 400 miles or so from this shoe.
Weight
Now, for the negative: The Ride 17 gained a whole 1.1 ounces from the 16. The one ounce would have been acceptable, but then Saucony went and added on a whole other tenth of an ounce. But the good news is, the shoe doesn’t feel heavy. Plus, any shoe under 10 ounces for a men’s size 9 (9.9 oz) has my blessing. You’re welcome, Saucony; I know you were highly coveting my blessing.
Naturally, wearing my size 15, the weight of my shoe is much more than 9.9 ounces. But that’s true for every shoe. Anyway, this shoe won’t weigh you down and, as I mentioned, the responsive PWRRUN+ foam (sixth time) will make up for the weight gain. I’ll always take a better foam over a lighter shoe.
Looks
Despite a simple, straightforward appearance, I’m really digging the look of the shoe. As a sucker for dark colorways mixed with either red, orange, or yellow, I’m very happy with the “Shadow | Pepper” colorway. This shoe won’t stick out on the roads, but as someone who avoids very colorful shoes, that’s perfectly fine with me. Don’t worry, for those who crave obnoxious loud colors, the yellow “Canary | Bough” colorway will suit you well.
Price
At $140, the Ride 17 really is a great value. Even if I hadn’t received this shoe for free, paying $140 is essentially a steal with the way shoe prices have ballooned over the past couple years. It’s the same price as the ASICS Novablast 4, but the Ride 17’s got a much livelier, well, ride, in my opinion. The Ride 17 is available for purchase at Running Warehouse.
Ride Conclusion
Despite a significant weight gain, the addition of PWRRUN+ (seventh time), yet another dreamy upper, and a softer, bouncier ride make the Ride 17 one of my early favorite shoes of 2024. With the same foam, wide platform, and a similar stack height, the Ride 17 is quite similar to the beloved Triumph 21, just a tad bit firmer. But it’s certainly not a firm shoe—Saucony wisely softened up the shoe and made it more suitable for a greater variety of runners. This is one Ride you don’t want to miss out on (pun intended).
Saucony provided the Ride 17 to me at no charge for review purposes. I was not compensated for this Saucony Ride 17 review and Saucony had no input or influence on what I wrote. Saucony did not get a chance to see this review before I published.
