I personally don’t like stiff heels, they don’t work for my foot, and the result is noticeable heel slipping. The outsole consists of different densities of rubber—one firm for support, the other softer in the front. The grip is good on dry roads and less technical and wet terrain. The durability seems good, according to the testers. The pronation control, provided by the Hollow Tech support frame positioned along the sidewalls at the heel and forefoot, is excellent. Essentially, this is a lighter and less intrusive version of a medial post, and although I could sometimes notice it preventing the excessive inward rolling of my feet – particularly during the latter part of my runs where my gait tends to worsen due to fatigue – I didn't find it invasive. I was somewhat let down at how the ride didn’t match the weight and profile. This was very apparent when I tried taking these out on faster efforts. I can appreciate a shoe with a firm ride, but this just didn’t have any pep to get me moving off my feet. I did not run in the 14s, but I can’t imagine how heavy feeling these used to be.

The 860 has a more streamlined cut and seems to bring me onto my toes more readily than the Guide, with Guide 14 providing a more substantial-feeling base underfoot. Beneath the shoe the outsole appears unchanged. It has the same tread pattern – comprising two types of rubber – a softer blown rubber on the forefoot and a firmer rubber at the midfoot and heel for added durability. This provided excellent traction and, so far, is showing no signs of wear. What is the fit like? My first run in the shoe actually felt refreshingly light as I had been running in Gaviota 3. I ran some fast-paced intervals amid traces of melting snow from spring!David: The Saucony Guide 14 is a daily training moderate stability shoe for those who like a consistent and protective ride that isn't overly soft. The geometry of the shoe does a good job of moving through transition points throughout the gait cycle smooth without being "slappy" or awkward anywhere. There is forefoot flexibility and flex grooves integrated and the shoe feels best at consistent controlled daily training efforts. Stability shoes are not normally super plush, they tend to have hard, plastic medial posts under the arch, or stiff midsole foams, and the Guide 14 is no exception to this.

The Saucony Guide 14 is fine. Nothing really wrong with it, but also there’s nothing really to get too excited about. It has a purpose and it does it well, period. New Balance’s 860 is also a comparable shoe, with a 10 mm. drop and similar weight, in the half-size larger 860 that my foot needs. On top of the mesh, Saucony added lightweight overlays to provide extra structure. The minimal overlays fan out across the midfoot, which helps the mesh maintain its shape and improves the shoe’s overall secure feeling when you tighten the laces. I only had this issue in the heel though, midfoot and forefoot fit well, and I was able to run no problem in the shoe other than the small annoyance of my heel slipping. Boring looks

Just as Hurricane is in line with Brooks’ Transcend, so Guide is compatible with Brooks Adrenaline. It’s got more PWRRUN midsole foam than the Guide 15 and a softer and more flexible duel-layered mesh upper. It's also a smidge lighter, shedding 12g on the Guide 15.

Personally I’d prefer a dual-density foam design over a TUP medial post, but I’m not a stability runner most of the time so the need for rigid support is not at the top of my list.The best part about Saucony’s guidance frame in the Guide 14 is that you barely notice it’s there. One Fleet Feet reviewer says the shoe delivers a smooth transition from heel to toe. The Guide 14 gets its stability from a traditional medial post. Anyone who overpronates or who regularly wears stability running shoes will be familiar with the idea behind Saucony’s TPU guidance frame. To enhance the smooth ride, Saucony layered the Guide with a comfortable PWRRUN midsole. The well-rounded foam composition cushions your landings but delivers a bouncy response for a livelier ride. The Guide from Saucony has received high marks for consistently being a solid shoe in the brand’s stability lineup, as the mid-cushioned, firmer younger sister of the brand’s Hurricane which employs the softer PWRRUN+ midsole.

The 14 has a slightly different look this year, offering a bit more cushion to the tongue yet less around the heel than in the past, with more reflective material added to a similar-looking upper. Guide 14 jumped out of the box with a look that matched its later ride; “Hi, I’m a standard shoe of quality build, a bit old fashioned in technology (medial post; I’m lookin’ at you). Since you ran in 90’s Gel-Kayanos for years; I’ll feel like home.” The sidewalls of the midsole feature discreet cutouts. Hollow-Tech TPU technology adds to stability. As a runner who overpronates, I tend to wear support/stability shoes for the bulk of my miles, and have found the Guide 16 suits me really well. I've run around 60km in the shoe so far during a range of sessions, including long runs, recovery runs, interval sessions and a few tempo runs. Overall, I would still recommend this shoe if you are looking for an everyday trainer with moderate support. It is quite durable and I can see myself running it into the ground and easily getting a few hundred miles out of it. That said, If you are looking for something for race day I’d steer clear.Part of the confident fit comes from the foam padding around the heel cup and collar. Saucony added a soft, memory foam-like pad that creates a plush step-in feel but also gives you a snug, no-slip fit. Pronation is the natural inward roll of your foot as you land and begin the transition to your forefoot, but it can become a problem if you pronate too much. This excessive pronation can prematurely wear out the inside edge (called the medial side) of your shoes, which over time creates an unstable platform to run on. Covering the Guide is a standard engineered mesh upper. The soft and smooth mesh breathes well, which will keep you cooler on warm days, and it molds around the unique shape of your foot for a better fit. Guide to Hurricane is similar to Adrenaline to Transcend (now replaced by Glycerin) in the Brooks lineup.