Saucony, based in Waltham, Massachusetts, and the shoes worn by the great Canadian Olympians Trevor Hofbauer and Malindi Elmore, was voted the Brand You’d Most Likely Recommend at the 2022 iRun Golden Sneaker awards.
The company, which has roots dating back to 1898 off Saucony Creek in Pennsylvania, makes accessories and many different models of shoes, from the ultra high-end carbon-plated Endorphin Pro 3 ($299.99, pictured above) to the Kinvara ($149.99), in its thirteenth iteration and priced and designed for mass appeal. Saucony beat out all other shoe brands when we asked our readers what shoes they’d recommend to a friend.
“Kinvara 13 are my last two shoes. The current pair I have is amazing. They wear well, they fit will, they breathe well and when wet they dry fast. I personally like that they are light, and have a low heel-to drop,” said Jay Gilmore on the iRun Facebook page.
Nina Ryan said, “I absolutely love Saucony. It doesn’t matter which model; when the shoe goes on my feet, they always feel amazing! I’ve dabbled with other brands, but these always win out. Just the right amount of support, cushioning, and responsiveness—from the day I took up running, straight through til now!”
Brooks came in second place in your voting, and third place was a tie between ASICS and New Balance. Fourth place went to Hoka, which is sponsoring the great Around the Bay race this spring, and fifth place went to Mizuno, famous for their Wave Rider line, now in its twenty-fifth iteration.
All six of the companies are reputable and scored many votes in our survey, but it was the outpouring of affection for Saucony that caught our eye. Not only do runners gush about the Saucony street shoes, but their trail line also earned raves.
“I love the Saucony Peregrine trail shoe. It’s my go to shoe for trail racing. It has the right amount of grip and cushioning for all types of trails,” said Melanie Boultbee, and another runner commented on the excellent Goretex in the Peregrine line.
Malindi Elmore, pictured above, has said that Saucony makes the best shoes in the industry and many runners told iRun that the Endorphin Speed 3 has helped them achieve their PB. Sarah Woodford, who ran her first marathon in 2022, had this to say about the brand: “One thing I’ve always liked about Saucony is they compliment your natural stride,” she said. “Sure, the technology does a great job of making you a more efficient runner, but all of their shoes allow for a lot of natural movement, which I think is important for a lot of runners.”
We didn’t give our readers any prompts in choosing which shoe they would most likely recommend to a fellow runner. And iRun doesn’t stump for any particular brand. But the readers have spoken and chosen a winner: Saucony is the brand that iRun Nation would most likely recommend.
