Saucony Ride 18 vs Saucony Ride 19:
Which to Choose
Verdict
It depends on whether you run for comfort or for feel. If you want the plushest, most protective long-mileage cushioning and you cruise at easy-to-steady paces, the Ride 19 is a genuine upgrade; if you prefer a firmer, lighter, more responsive shoe — or you sometimes push the pace — the Ride 18 remains the sharper tool and isn't worth trading away just for the newer badge. For an existing Ride 18 owner, upgrade only if you specifically want softer and taller; if the 18's firm, planted ride already suits you, there's no urgent reason to switch.
Pace
3 of 6
Cushioning
4 of 6
Responsiveness
3 of 6
Stability
4 of 6
Drop
8 mm
Support
Neutral
Plate
None
Distances
10KHalfMarathon
Pace
3 of 6
Cushioning
5 of 6
Responsiveness
4 of 6
Stability
4 of 6
Drop
8 mm
Support
Neutral
Plate
None
Distances
10KHalfMarathon
At a Glance
Saucony Ride 18Saucony Ride 19
Who Should Choose Each Shoe
Choose
Saucony Ride 18
Choose the Ride 18 if you prefer a firmer, lower-slung, more connected ride and value nimbleness over plush — it's the lighter of the two and stays more cooperative when you occasionally lift the pace toward steady or light tempo work. It's the better pick for runners who found the newer version a little soft or heavy underfoot, and for anyone who wants a protective-but-honest daily trainer that doesn't wallow on long efforts. Existing Ride 18 owners who are happy with its firmness have little reason to change.
Choose
Saucony Ride 19
Choose the Ride 19 if your priority is maximum long-run comfort and a softer, more forgiving landing, especially for marathon-distance training and higher weekly mileage — the taller PWRRUN+ eTPU platform is plusher and offers a little more toe-off bounce than the 18. It's ideal for beginners building an aerobic base, runners logging recovery and easy miles who value protection over snap, and anyone who runs at conversational paces where the added weight simply doesn't matter. If you loved the 18 but wanted more cushioning under the marathon, this is the upgrade.
Head-to-Head
The core change from 18 to 19 is the midsole feel. The Ride 18 runs on a firmer, single-density PWRRUN setup that feels protective but honest — it never wallows, transitions predictably, and returns energy competently rather than springily. The Ride 19 moves to a softer, bouncier PWRRUN+ eTPU platform that lands plush and shock-absorbing with a mild above-average pop on toe-off, and it stacks more foam underfoot: heel height climbs from roughly 35mm to about 39mm and the forefoot from about 27mm to about 30mm, with a broader base and a more pronounced rocker. That extra cushioning and squish is why the 19 rates higher for both cushioning and responsiveness, and why its sweet spot is unapologetic long-run and marathon comfort. The cost is weight: the Ride 19 comes in around 278g (men's US 9) versus roughly 255g for the Ride 18, and you feel that ~23g when you press the pace — the 19 can go a touch heavy and dead at speed, whereas the lighter, firmer 18 stays a little more willing when you nudge toward tempo. Everything structural — 8mm drop, neutral non-corrective platform, plateless build, engineered-mesh upper, and the 10K-to-marathon range — carries over essentially unchanged, so this is a softer/taller/heavier evolution, not a new category of shoe.
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