A few days ago, I received a text message from a friend I hadn’t heard from in a while. We actually both started running cross-country together all the way back in middle school. And, more often than not, running will be the thing that brings us together after a time away. Sometimes that means signing up for a half marathon; other times, like this most recent instance, it’s just some good shoe talk. Here’s her question, straight from my messages:
Since we’ve been in each others’ running lives for a while, I already had an idea of what sort of shoes my friend likes. (Shoes with taller stack heights often feel unstable to her, and she’s a fairly efficient and speedy runner. I suspect she could get away with much less cushioning than she thinks, but her preference is for a shoe with a decent midsole.) With that knowledge, my suggestions were a bit different than what I’d recommend to an anonymous RW+ member. Still, fellow editor Amanda Furrer and I both mentioned Saucony’s Ride 15. Super Shoes Shaped Pro Running. Are They For You Saucony-equivalent of the Ghost, as it's a moderately cushioned workhorse trainer that’s reasonably priced.
Pros
- Midsole is more responsive on toe-off
- 8mm drop feels smoother than Ghost’s 12mm
- Whether you call it bounce, spring, pop, or pep—these shoes have it
- Lighter weight
Cons
- Narrower toebox than Ghost
- Less outsole rubber coverage
- Less outsole rubber coverage
Saucony’s Ride 15 love the Ghost. She’d been running in the model for several years without any issues or injury, and it worked very well for her gait mechanics. For that reason, we decided not to fix what wasn’t broken when it came to her daily trainer. Instead, I suggested she add another shoe to her rotation—maybe something for long runs, tempo workouts, speedwork, or racing. That way, she could see what’s new while keeping the bulk of her mileage in a shoe she was comfortable with. In addition, I gave her the rundown of some of the absolute springiest shoes we’ve tested recently, and noted how they’d feel compared to the Brooks Ghost.
Whether you call it bounce, spring, pop, or pep—these shoes have it
Expensive, but bouncy as hell. Much softer and more cushioned than the Ghost—yet surprisingly featherlight.
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Very springy without a super tall stack height. Amount of cushioning and firmness is about on par with the Ghost.
Published: Apr 28, 2022 11:14 AM EDT
The Speed 2 has a nylon plate that acts like a springboard. It’s a bit softer than the shoe’s Pro version.
More energy return than the Ghost. Very nimble with an airy upper. Not a soft and squishy shoe; expect a ride on the firmer side.
She ended up going with the Published: Apr 28, 2022 11:14 AM EDT. I imagine many runners are in the same boat as my friend, curious to try something that has super bouncy and springy new foams and plates, but don’t necessarily want to leave their current daily training shoe. The best option may be to build a shoe rotation, not ditch what’s working.
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Shoes & Gear Runner’s World Health & Injuries The Warmup, a bygone version of the daily RW newsletter. Now, she tests and reviews anything you might find on runners’ feet-from crew socks and compression boots to carbon-plated super shoes.
A lifelong runner and shoe geek, Morgan has been chasing the perfect pair of kicks since she joined her grade school cross-country team. Since then, she ran as a Division I walk-on for the cross-country and track & field teams at the University of Delaware, where she studied English and Biology. She has one full marathon under her belt, and has raced more halfs and 5Ks than she can count.
