Shoe Review :Saucony Mirage 5

Nine and a half years of nonstop running has seen me through a very long history of running shoes worn and discarded during the months of training for races of various distances. In fact, I cannot at this point in time, recall exactly how many pairs of shoes I had worn to the ground and sent off for recycling or donated to charity.

Thanks to Saucony Malaysia, this time round, I was given the opportunity to test and review the Mirage 5 for Women.

The Saucony Mirage 5 for Women

My earlier experience with Saucony shoes was limited to only the Viratta 1 model. In fact, I liked the Viratta 1 so much that I bought 2 pairs of the same model and used them interchangeably during my past daily training sessions.

The Saucony Mirage 5 is categorized as a natural running performance shoe designed for runners who mildly overpronate and suitable as an everyday high-mileage trainer or even as a speedwork shoe.

This suited me just fine as my feet are normal arched and I mildly overpronate when I run. 

Also, I was just coming out of a fat pad heel injury after a forced rest period of 10 weeks and testing a pair of shoes that would give me more cushioning and support without the heavy, clumsy feeling of wearing clogs was a added bonus.

Here, I must thank my ultra-marathoner friend and cancer survivor – Frank Chong for recommending this pair of shoes for me.

Aesthetic-wise, the shoe colors are pleasing to the eye – the pair I was given came in Blue / Citron but it is also available in Grey/ViZiCoral/Green. These are the colors available for Women. 

For the Men, the colors available are: Red/Black or Navy/Citron.

Plush and comfortable padding

The shoe comes with a lot of padding especially at the heel, tongue area and the ankle, making it feel a little more plush and comfortable than the minimalist shoes I had been used to. However, it also made for a pretty snug fit at the heel, midfoot and forefoot. In fact, at the forefoot, I could feel a slight, gentle compression on my toes after putting on the shoes. The feeling however, was not uncomfortable at all and as I would find out on the run, dissipate once the feet started moving.

The toebox might feel a bit tight for some people but as I had narrow feet, this wasn't so much of an issue for me. All in all, the shoe fit my foot like a padded glove.

The reflectors at the back of the heel were also big enough to ensure you are noticed on the road if you run in the early hours before daylight or at night.

Huge reflectors at the back of the heel

The only thing I didn't really like was the laces which looked and felt like the laces of an ordinary school shoe, other than that, the shoe was fine.

Now for the technicalities:-

Shape & Offset

The shape of the shoe is semi-curved and it has a 4mm heel-toe offset which is meant to encourage a natural footstrike or a smooth efficient gait. Hence, this is why it’s categorized under “Natural Motion” I believe.

Heel Stack Height : 22mm, Forefoot Stack Height : 18mm, Offset : 4mm

Midsole

There is a supportive TPU arch in the midsole to correct mild over-pronation and Saucony’s POWERGRID technology in the midsole is also meant to create a cushioned, responsive ride.

Outsole

The outsole of the shoe is made entirely of XT-900 carbon rubber that is supposed to offer durable traction with a piece of lightweight Blown Rubber in the forefoot for enhanced cushioning. This remains to be tested.

Durability of the undersole remains to be tested

Upper

The shoe’s upper comprises of a soft, breathable lightweight Open Mesh complemented by Saucony’s Pro-Lock lacing system in the midfoot which is meant to keep the foot locked down to the shoe. There are no-sew overlays on this shoe but there are Flex Film Overlays welded to the upper instead, for a snug, secure fit.

Breathable, lightweight Open Mesh Upper

Weight

Weighing in at just a mere 8.0oz for a US Women’s size 8 or a 9.0oz for a US Men’s size 9, the Mirage 5 is lightweight, in fact, it is one of Saucony’s lightest cushioning running shoes. This suited me just fine as I don’t think I’d be able to run in shoes that felt heavy.

My first impression of the shoes while testing it on the treadmill before taking it home was that it felt stiff at toe-off and it wasn't as flexible as the minimalist shoes I usually wear. However, I put this down to the fact that I needed more time to get used to the shoe and take it on a few runs before I would make my conclusion.

The shoes were well cushioned though and the sole felt firm from the forefoot to the heel.

Since receiving these kicks a week ago, I've taken them out for a few short runs, the longest distance being 10km so far.

I have not worn the shoe's predecessor : Saucony Mirage 4, so I cannot give a comparison of the differences between the two shoes versions. However, wonder of wonders, I find myself beginning to like the Mirage 5.

The snug fit especially, helped in not allowing my foot to rock around too much during the run and supported my heel well. This was evidenced through the tongue which didn’t shift too much to the side after my run. You should see the tongue on some of the shoes I've worn before and the tongue "wag" to the side is so obvious, it looked like a overly friendly dog's face!

Not too much tongue "wagging".

In addition, despite all the padding, I didn't have problems with “hot feet”, meaning breathability wasn't an issue yet at this point.

The shoe felt light and responsive on the run and there was even a little bit of a bounce about a couple of 100m into the run.

Here, I must mention that despite the firmness and stiffness, I did not feel pain in my vulnerable heel which had healed 99%. In fact, I didn't even notice the stiffness once I started running!

I will definitely be testing the distance limits of this shoe on my longer runs to see how it handles the high mileage and it’s durability in the process.

My verdict : This road shoe is suitable as an everyday performance trainer for the lightweight runner who mildly over-pronates and has narrow feet with normal foot arches to flat foot.

The Saucony Mirage 5 will be hitting Malaysian stores sometime at the end of April 2015 and will retail at RM369.00.

*Disclaimer: The opinions in this review is entirely the writer’s own and is not influenced by Saucony Malaysia in any way.