Saucony Ride 15 TR: All Terrain Gem
By David Salas and Andrea Myers
Many people find themselves in interesting situations when it comes to grabbing a pair of shoes. A lot of people find that they like the ride of many traditional daily trainers, but find trail shoes to be a little too aggressive on design. When in need for a shoe to blaze trails it puts them in a weird spot. Saucony fills this void by providing the fan favorite Ride 15 with a few trail specific updates to provide a balanced ride on the trails.
Price: $139.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 9.2oz, 261g (men's size 9), 8.5oz, 241g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 35mm/27mm
Drop: 8mm
Classification: Trail daily trainer
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
David: The Saucony Ride 15 TR is an all terrain training shoe that gives some trail specific updates. The Ride 15 TR differs from the Ride 15 by having the addition of a PWRTRAC outsole with multi-directional lugs as well as a more reinforced trail friendly upper. The update works really well for me as an all terrain running shoe for daily miles.
Andrea: The Saucony Ride 15 TR is the off-road companion to the Saucony Ride 15. With less aggressive 3.5mm lugs and a thick PWRRUN midsole, it is an ideal daily trainer for dirt roads and light trails. The lack of a rock plate, shallower lugs, and more flexible sole make it a great option for runs that include both pavement and dirt.
SIMILAR SHOES: Reebok Floatride Energy 4 Adventure
FIT
David: The fit of the Ride 15 is pretty dialed in. The shoe does run a little more snug throughout than the normal Ride 15, but provides great lockdown throughout. The engineered mesh is a little thicker all around and has less stretch to help with creating more resilience to the shoe on the trails. The shoe has a couple of additions to the lacing system to help with locking the material down and I think it does a great job. The tongue is mild to moderately padded and integrates well with the lacing system. The volume in the forefoot could be a tiny bit low for some, but I think it is pretty congruent with the rest of the fit. As a whole, the upper is dialed in well and provides good lockdown for me when running in unstable terrain.
Andrea: The length of the Ride 15 TR fit true to size for me, but I did find the toe box to be narrower and lower in volume than any of Saucony's other trail shoes (Endorphin Edge, Peregrine 12, or Xodus Ultra). I found the fit of the rearfoot and midfoot to be normal and comfortable. The engineered mesh upper is on the thicker side, but the shoe does not feel hot when running, even on an unseasonably warm 75 degree November day. While the upper is not waterproof, I did find it kept my socks from getting wet while running on wet grass. The lacing system is reinforced with what Saucony calls supportive webbing at the midfoot. I had no issues with lockdown in the Ride 15 TR and my foot felt secure even when making quick lateral movements on the trails. The partially gusseted tongue is lightly padded and adds to the overall security and comfort of the upper. There is a semi-rigid heel counter and the heel collar has a moderate amount of padding, neither of which caused any heel irritation for me. Overall, the fit and lockdown of the shoe are good, but I would like the toe box to be opened up a little bit.
PERFORMANCE
David: The Saucony Ride 15 TR in a lot of ways is what I wanted the Ride 15 to be. Not a trail runner per se, but something that locks in well and can tackle a little bit of everything. The midsole is still PWRUN and maintains good balanced cushioning. Because of the full contact outsole the ride is firmed up a little bit with a little less flexibility as well. The rocker profile is a little more pronounced because of this. The foam is still soft enough to where this shoe does not feel too firm on road. This genuinely feels like a solid road-to-trail or multi-terrain shoe for me. The transition through the heel is gradually rounded and blends with the midfoot well. The increase in rigidity in the forefoot due to the outsole feels nice from a transition standpoint. The shoe keeps you feel like you are gently rolling through the whole gait cycle. None of the regions in the heel or forefoot feel overly rounded or quick transitioning. The mesh is a little thicker and can crease up at the forefoot sometimes providing some pressure to top of the toes but otherwise performs really well. It is not the fastest shoe, but a solid shoe to just log mile after mile.
Andrea: I tested the Saucony Ride 15 TR on pavement, dirt roads, grass, and very technical singletrack. The shoe performs best on less technical terrain due to the shallower lugs and reduced ground feel from the thicker midsole. Traction is not great on leaves or on wet rocks and roots. When running on technical singletrack, I found myself landing further back on the shoe in an effort to get better grip and stability. The narrower toe box does not allow for any toe splay, which I find is particularly important for me on technical terrain. I also noticed reduced ground feel in the shoe, which I attributed to its thicker PWRRUN midsole. Interestingly, I have found much better ground feel in the Endorphin Edge, which has nearly the same stack height, a PWRRUN PB midsole, and a flexible carbon plate designed for trail running. The difference in ground feel may come down to the difference in properties of the two midsole foams and the interaction of PWRRUN PB with the plate in the Endorphin Edge.
The shoe really shines on dirt roads, grass, and pavement. Many trail shoes are uncomfortable on pavement due to rock plates or stiff soles, but the Ride 15 TR feels perfectly comfortable on the tarmac. The toe spring feels gradual and gives a light forward rolling sensation. The PWRRUN midsole provides moderate cushion without feeling soft and it feels like its stated 8mm drop. The shoe feels lighter than its stated weight and is a nice daily trainer option for those looking for a mixed terrain shoe.
STABILITY
David: The stability of the Ride 15 TR is pretty good throughout. The shoe still runs neutral but has some nice additions to help with keeping you feel centered and grounded. The upper locks down well throughout with minimal stretch or translation of the foot. The shoe has some well integrated sidewalls and sole flaring throughout the midsole to give you good cross sectional area under foot. The PWRTRAC adds a good amount of traction and some inherent rigidity to the platform. The traction underfoot is really good and keeps you feeling confident in trail situations. There is no rock plate but this seems to have enough foam that it will do okay in most situations. A stable neutral shoe overall.
Andrea: The Ride 15 TR is a neutral shoe, but it has some stable neutral elements. The supportive webbing in the upper contributes greatly to overall lace lockdown, keeping the foot secure inside the shoe. The shoe has a wider base in the rearfoot and forefoot (although it does narrow in the midfoot), which also serve to help center and somewhat stabilize the foot on uneven terrain. The sole flaring in the rearfoot and forefoot also help to center the foot without forcing motion in a particular direction. The 3.5mm lugs provide sufficient grip on less technical terrain, but I would choose a shoe with deeper lugs and a rock plate for very technical trails.
Thoughts as DPT | What do we mean when we talk about proprioception?
By Andrea Myers
Proprioception was originally defined by neurophysiologist Charles Sherrington as “the perception of joint and body movement as well as position of the body, or body segments, in space.”. Put more simply, proprioception is the body's joint position sense. A person with normal proprioception does not need to look at their hand to know that their fingers are bent; the sensory receptors in our muscles, tendons, and joints give the brain this information without any effort on our part. When running, we subconsciously rely on our lower extremity proprioceptors to relay information about any irregularity in the surface we are running on. Proprioceptive input is even more important when trail running due to the constant changes in surface as we run over rocks, roots, loose dirt, and other uneven terrain.
The term proprioceptor refers to any of the sensory receptors that communicate joint or muscle position information. These receptors are called mechanoreceptors and are found in muscle, tendons, and in joints themselves. The receptors found in muscle tissue are called muscle spindles, which are bundles of muscle fibers surrounded by connective tissue. The muscle spindle provides the spinal cord and brain information about muscle length. Muscle spindle density varies throughout the body, and is greatest in muscles that produce precise movements (such as the intrinsic muscles of the hand).
The proprioceptors found in tendons are called Golgi tendon organs. They are located at the interface between muscle and tendon and relay information regarding changes in muscle tension to the spinal cord and brain. When a muscle is in a relaxed, shortened state, the Golgi tendon organ is silent. As tension increases in the muscle, the Golgi tendon organs increase their firing rate.
The proprioceptors found in joints are located in the connective tissue that surrounds the joint called the joint capsule, as well as in the ligaments that stabilize the joint. These receptors provide information about motion at the extremes of joint range of motion - for example, when the knee joint is fully bent or fully straight.
When trail running, if we step on a rock or root that we didn't see first, the proprioceptors in our feet and ankles (and to a lesser extent our knees) report the sudden change in foot, ankle, and knee position to our spinal cord and brain, which then send a message to our muscles to fire in such a way to keep us from rolling an ankle or falling. A good trail shoe should strike a balance between protecting our feet from the terrain and allowing sufficient ground feel for us to sense changes in the running surface.
Sources
Han, J., Waddington, G., Adams, R., Anson, J., & Liu, Y. (2016). Assessing proprioception: A critical review of methods. Journal of sport and health science, 5(1), 80–90.
Tuthill, J and Azim, E. (2018). Proprioception. Current Biology, 28(5), 194-203.
RECOMMENDATIONS
David: My main recommendation for Saucony Ride 15 TR would be to loosen up the volume in the forefoot a tad. It is snug and locks down great but it does create a creasing point at times. Otherwise I am really happy with the finished product.
Andrea: The fit of the shoe is excellent except for the narrow toe box. I would recommend that Saucony both increase the width and volume of the toe box to provide a more accommodating fit. Otherwise, I think Saucony has made a great mixed surface shoe that runners can take from the road to light trails.
WHO THIS SHOE IS FOR
David: The Saucony Ride 15 TR is a trail running shoe for those that want something a little less intense. The Ride 15 TR essentially is a trail adapted version of the neutral flagship shoe from Saucony. The upper locks down better with a more trail friendly upper and features a full length trail outsole with multi-directional lugs. There is no rock plate but the shoe seems to handle itself pretty well in most situations. For those that want a daily trainer that feels good on both road and trail this can be a great option for an all-terrain shoe.
Andrea: The Saucony Ride 15 TR is a neutral trail running shoe that performs best on less technical terrain and even on pavement. This shoe will work best for runners with a narrow forefoot due to the low volume and taper of the toe box. Those who like to run from home to their local trail system will find a great option in the Ride 15 TR, as it can adeptly handle pavement and light trails.
GRADING
David
Fit: A- (Good lockdown throughout, slightly decreased volume in the forefoot)
Performance: A- (A swiss army knife all terrain shoe. Still not quite as reliable as a traditional trail shoe, but pretty darn close)
Stability: A- (Still neutral mechanics throughout, but solid integration of sole flaring, outsole, and sidewalls)
DPT/Footwear Science: B+ (Solid upper and outsole switches to integrate a more trail friendly model, though nothing that hasn't been done before)
Personal: A- (A solid shoe for daily miles especially when I am out in trail or multi terrain situations)
Overall: A- (A well executed progression of the Ride 15 to be more trail friendly)
Andrea
Fit: B+ (Excellent lockdown thanks to supportive webbing, but narrow and low volume toe box reduces usage for me)
Performance: B+ (The shoe excels on dirt and light trails, but shallow lugs do not provide sufficient traction on wet rocks, roots, or leaves)
Stability: B+ (Stable Neutral) (wider base, sole flare, and well integrated upper provide nice neutral stability elements)
DPT/Footwear Science: A- (Saucony has successfully turned a popular road shoe into a light trail shoe)
Personal: B+ (Great for mixed terrain runs that include pavement and light trails, but narrow toe box limits duration of runs)
Overall: B+ (Nice mixed terrain shoe, but fit of toe box could be improved)
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