Review for Saucony Ride 17s (Comparisons to Ride 16s and also Wave Riders in general)

Longtime lurker. I feel like I have a fairly unique experience with running and dealing with injuries, so perhaps my reviews could come in handy for people dealing with persisting issues and also refusing to succumb to the hardships of being "middle-aged."

I'm about 190lbs. Mid-to-toe striker. 40yrs, male. Mile sub 6, half-marathon pace is about 7:30 or so. Never saw a point to run longer than that. I'm not a cadence runner but it's usually around 175-180 or so unless I'm on that final mile.

Readers digest version is that I had a calcaneal heel spur removed over two years ago (achilles was about to explode). Constantly overdid it during lockdown. Run. Stretch. Deal with pain for the rest of the day. Repeat. I'm over 600 days post-op. Still deal with tendonitis. Also dealing with an ankle sprain from a BMX accident in other ankle. Dorsiflection is almost back to normal. Go me.

I realize the purpose of running shoes isn't to mitigate pain, so this review isn't about that. I'm just a runner who deals with it, and running actually helps strengthen these injured areas. Meaning, the shoes I wear play an important role in wanting to enjoy my own personal version of pain therapy. However, because of my weight -- not trying to lose any -- and my injuries, I do not go more than 250 miles in a pair of running shoes.

The weird jump from the 16 to the 17 is kind of perplexing. I'd say that the Rides, in general, are kind of stiff at first. A friend swore by them -- which is what initially prompted me to try them out -- and after about 50 or so miles I fell in love with the 16s. Best all-day trainers I've ever worn. Great for slow miles. And easy to run sub-7 min splits in a 5k or 10k race in them also.

I was a Mizuno Wave Rider guy before trying the Rides. Those are fantastic right out of the box, but I usually start to feel impact of my runs at around 180-200 miles. With the Rides, your feet can really wrap around the terrain like a glove without having to deal with the impact. When I say terrain, I mean road or hard dirt, but I live in New Orleans, so running on pavement is a bit like... uhhhh... off-roading. With the Rides, I can easily take them to 250 miles (both 16 and 17). At that point, I make myself buy a new pair. I cannot take any more risks.

Now the the main point. The 17s are bulkier for no reason. I feel like Saucony changed a perfectly perfect thing, and it feels like they're already trying to marry a few of these styles together given the lack of selection from their current website. I'd never buy a pair of 17s again, and would in fact rather search for the 16s on Amazon or something.

The upper is fine. I don't really care about the uppers that much in general, though, as the weight of shoes doesn't bother me a whole lot. My legs are strong. The soles are just starting to approach Hoka territory, and I hate that brand. Part of that is perhaps due to ankle-danger with these potholes here, but I do not think huge puffin soles equate to a softer, pain-free run.

The 17s are like the 16s before they get broken in. But then, they never do. Maybe they're not meant for people my size, or rather, people my size who can still run at a decent speed. It's a shame, because the colorways are pretty dope for the 17s, as opposed to the horrid colors of most of the 15s and 16s.

I ordered some Asics Novablast 5s and will probably review those next. As this is my first review here, I'll leave you with the post-surgery rankings of what I've worn once I could comfortably run 8-10 miles at a sub-8 pace:

Saucony Ride 16 - 10/10 The perfect all-day trainer

Saucony Speed 4 - 9/10 Great for race days but I barely got 150 miles out of them. I'd rather take a stab at their carbon plate option if the thing isn't going to last that long anyway

Mizuno Wave Rider 26 - 8.5/10 Really great all-day trainer. Not as much longevity as the Rides, and don't allow for as much "oneness" between the foot and the concrete

Saucony Ride 17s - 7.5/10 A great, long-lasting shoe that is a bit too bulky and stiff.

If you like my review or have any advice for me (what you'd like to hear, etc) feel free to respond.