The Little Engine That Does, A Sneak Peek at the Ride 7

The Ride 6 has been a strong shoe for so many runners, so we took a very thoughtful/deliberate approach to updating the 7th edition. Very early on in the process we established clear goals for how the Ride 7 should fit, feel and perform compared to other options in the neutral training category. There tend to be two options for runners seeking this type of shoe. Some neutral trainers are extremely light, but for many runners, they can feel too firm and/or fail to provide enough support under the foot. At the other end of the spectrum, there are many options that do offer great cushioning, but most are well over 10 oz. and have a clunkier feel than what we intended for the Ride. Our goal was to create a supremely cushioned shoe that transitioned exceptionally well, but was still super light.

The updates to the Ride 7 outsole illustrate our approach to achieving our goal. The plastic shank is gone from the midfoot, replaced by an additional pod of cushioned rubber (on the outside edge of the foot) and a carbon rubber pod (on the inside edge). The new construction provides a more supportive feel and reduces weight (the shank is heavier than the materials that replaced it). The forefoot platform has been made slightly broader, and the outsole configuration is flatter and provides more points of contact with the ground than previously (a similar design update was made from Guide 6 to Guide 7). Overall, the Ride 7 outsole provides roughly 20% more ground contact than Ride 6, which will make the shoe more durable, cushioned and supportive for the runner. Check out the images below for more key updates to the Ride 7!

Men’s weight: 9.4oz | 266g

Women’s weight: 8.5oz | 241g

Heel-to-toe offset: 8mm

Release date: Mid Q3 2014

* source - Saucony blog @ http://blog.saucony.com/saucony-lab/ride-7/