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The lightest Guide yet features new stability tech that supports your run without weighing you down.

The RW Takeaway: The Guide 15 offers subtle guidance to provide stability. It’s also a versatile trainer that’s ideal for recovery runs to speedwork sessions.

Price: $140 Type: Road Weight: 9.5 oz (M), 8.2 oz (W) Drop: 8 mm

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Saucony’s Guide is the quintessential shoe for both base building and recovery runs. The new Guide 15 has more rebound and weighs an ounce less than its predecessor, making the shoe suited for speedwork as well.

Saucony reformulated its Pwrrun foam to deliver a softer, springier ride with less bulk; we observed this while previously testing the Ride 15, the Guide’s neutral counterpart. Replacing the TPU frame is Hollow-Tech, a lighter-weight stability feature located on the medial side of the shoe. It’s the kind of subtle guidance I look for when I’m starting to run again and my form may be a little off after zipping across a marathon finish a few days before.

As I returned to training for a second 26.2 in less than a month and a half, I looked to the Guide’s stacked midsole (35mm in the heel, 27mm in the forefoot), which provided the supportive cushioning my still-on-the-mend body needed. I laced up the shoes for an easy-paced six-miler in Central Park. That postmarathon “recovery run” became an unbidden surge fest up and down the park’s infamous hills. It’s the Guide’s rocker-like sole and flexible midfoot that urge you to power through, encouraging fast turnover. (Not the smartest postmarathon recovery run, but it was without a doubt rejuvenating.)

My only quibble with the shoe is how easily drenched my socks become while running in the rain. A tester experienced the same just moments into her run. “I found that the toe kicked up puddles and let in a lot of ground water,” she said. Rain obviously didn’t stop us—or slow us down.

Susan A. | Tester since 2021 Gait: Neutral | Footstrike: Midfoot

“I was impressed by this shoe. It seemed to have a slightly heavier and stiffer sole than what I have worn for running in the recent past, but it worked for me! My feet did not get tired, and my chronic minor aches and pains were not exacerbated. I ran mostly on the road with the exception of some gravel paths. I found the shoe’s traction surprisingly secure on slick, frost-covered wooden bridges, as well.”

Amy B. | Tester since 2019 Arch: High | Gait: Neutral | Footstrike: Forefoot

“I’ve been running solely in the Asics Gel-Nimbus 23 for almost an entire marathon training cycle; they were the only shoes that didn’t bother a persistent bursitis and another foot injury. These are the first shoes I’ve consistently worn since and they feel a bit like ruby slippers. While I prefer the Nimbus, I noticed that the aggravation of my injuries in the Guide is very minimal. They’ve felt light, speedy, and not clunky compared to other shoes I’ve worn. It feels so great to be back in a more responsive shoe that has a little firmness to it. I definitely plan to keep these in my running rotation!”