Saucony Guide 18 Vs Hurricane 25 – Battle for Control

Design

Both the Guide 18 and Hurricane 25 share the brand’s CentrePath technology. This helps the shoes control overpronation and does so very effectively. There’s no medial post in either shoe; it’s purely the shape of both shoes’ midsoles which takes care of any pronation.

A rocker in the heel and forefoot rolls the foot through the gait smoothly, and at the same time, a cupped footbed and slightly offset cross-section to the midsole gently keep the foot centred and in a neutral position.

From the first step into both the Guide and Hurricane, I felt the shoe gently adjusting my foot and ‘sitting’ it in a neutral stance.

The Guide 18 uses the brand’s PWRRUN foam cushioning. While this foam isn’t considered a ‘superfoam’, it’s light, relatively soft and reasonably responsive. I’ve also found it very durable, providing me with great, effective cushioning for over 300 miles.

The Hurricane 25 uses a combination of PWRRUN PB and PWRRUN. The PWRRUN, as used in the Guide 18 provides a supportive frame in this model, sitting below the PWRRUN PB layer.

The PWRRUN PB is a similar foam to that used by Saucony in many of their faster shoes, such as the Endorphin Speed and Pro. It’s a much lighter foam and considerably more responsive.

The combination of the two foams in the Hurricane 25 makes it a more responsive ride and slightly more cushioned, but it is a little heavier and a little bulkier on the foot.

Fit

I went for my usual size (UK9.5) in both the Guide 18 and Hurricane 25. Both fit me true to size in terms of length, although I find both shoes a little roomier in terms of upper volume.

The Guide 18 has a deep volume to the upper, which simply gave me a little more ‘wiggle room’ in the toe box. This said, I have fit many runners in the shoe that required a wider fit shoe, too. The additional upper volume gives them the required upper space.

I also found the Hurricane 25 to have a slightly wider fit in the toe box. The instep and midfoot fit me as expected; it is the forefoot that flares a little, and perhaps this is a feature to add a little more stability to the shoe.

The uppers of both shoes are actually pretty similar in design, with the Guide 18 having a very ‘open’ mesh in the toe box. This certainly adds to breathability, whereas the Hurricane 25 uses a little thicker construction. It’s still breathable and just feels a little more premium.

Performance

Once I’d run in both the Guide 18 and Hurricane 25 several times, I began to notice the differences, but I must admit, for the first few runs in each shoe, they felt very similar!

The most noticeable thing about the Guide 18 is the total lack of any obvious control feature. There is no medial post and no dual-layer foam. It’s simply the shape of the midsole that provides the control.

The heel and forefoot rocker combine with a slightly straighter last on the medial side of the shoe, as well as deeper side walls to the midsole. Together these features help guide the foot through the gait cycle in a neutral position. I noticed the effectiveness of the control immediately, but it doesn’t feel unusual; it’s a very holistic approach to motion control, and it’s very effective.

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Cushioning in the Guide 18 is exactly as I’d expect of a shoe at this price point, and it does it great job of absorbing heel impact and gives me a small amount of spring at toe off.

I ran in the Hurricane 25 for around a week before the differences became truly noticeable. The level of control matches that of the Guide 18, and again, I found it great.

A few miles in, and I began to feel like the PWRRUN PB foam was becoming more noticeable. It certainly added an extra dimension to the ride, and when picking up my pace a little, the more responsive nature of the foam was welcome.

The Hurricane is clearly a more premium shoe, but it’s also a little heavier and bulkier. I didn’t feel the extra weight was an issue, to be perfectly honest, but I did notice the added bulk of the shoe. On faster runs, this was fine, but at slower, easier paces, the shoe does bulk is more obvious. I guess this could be said for many ‘supershoes’ with their added stacks; the shoe needs to go a little quicker to balance out the ride.