The New {Shoe} Love of My Life
| January 21, 2013 | Posted by Lauren under Reviews & Giveaways |
First, it was the Guide 5s.
Then I discovered the lightweight, 4mm offset Mirage 2s and declared myself in love.
…a love that burned strong until the day the Mirage 3s showed up at my door…
New releases of my favorite running shoes scare me. So much so that I typically stockpile the current version, trying to delay making the switch as long as I can. One of the worst feelings in the world is when a company takes a shoe you’ve loved and “upgrades” — a term that usually translates to “ruins” — them. I hate when they mess with a good thing!
So I’ll admit that I was a little mistrusting of the 3s at first. When they arrived, they just looked and felt so different. I could barely believe they were the same shoe…couldn’t imagine loving them as much as my favorite, magical pair.
I had every intention to take it slow. To not give my heart away so quickly to something that would only prove to break it later on. The 2s had given me so much, I didn’t want to just turn my back on them.
But I had to admit that the shoes felt great from the second I slipped them on. The fit was different, but not in a bad way. I hesitantly laced up my new pink beauties for a test run, half expecting to hate them. If all went well, I would slowly work them into my rotation — still running primarily in the 2s to make sure that the new Mirage 3s actually felt okay on the run.
It only took a couple runs. A short adjustment period to get used to the flexibility and the new structure of shoe’s bottom. And after that, I was a goner. I suddenly found myself reaching for these shoes all the time. I still think of my 2s fondly, but it’s been hard to lace them up while my new love sits idly by. Saucony made a lot of changes in this new version, but I’m happy to report that (from my perspective, anyway) all of them are positive upgrades.
So what’s so good about these new shoes anyway?
The Weight
At 7.5 ounces for a women’s 8, this new version is about an ounce lighter than the Mirage 2s. Still not as light as the Kinvara 3, but getting closer! And I can tell you, the Mirage’s weight loss is definitely noticeable. The new version feels impossibly light — closer to a racing flat than a trainer. But don’t worry, the lighter weight doesn’t mean less support. The Mirage 3s still give you the same amount of guidance as their predecessor.
The Fit
The lighter weight isn’t the only thing the Mirage 3 has in common with racing flats. Saucony implemented its FlexFilm technology in the shoe’s upper, something that was previously used only in the Kinvara and racing shoes. This new design makes the shoe more flexible, contributing to an overall better fit.
The first thing I noticed when I slipped on the Mirage 3s was how well they fit to my foot — both due to the new FlexFilm upper and the way that the back seems to cup my heel tighter. In other words, these babies felt secure. As much as I have loved my Mirage 2s, my one complaint was that they never seemed to fit as securely around my heel as I wanted them to.
I no longer have that problem.
The Feel
As I mentioned above, these babies fit like a glove. The shoe definitely has more to it in the midfoot area than the previous version. This was never uncomfortable, but it did take me a couple of short runs to get used to the way it felt underneath my foot. My foot still felt supported, and running in these now feels completely natural. The changes in the design help support a midfoot strike even better than the Mirage has before.
And as an added bonus, the bottom of the shoe has more/deeper grooves in the forefoot and heel, adding to their ability to grip the ground — something I appreciate as the temperatures drop and the roads become covered in snow.
Please excuse the dirt…a clear sign I’ve been running in them
The Look
There was something about my first pair of Mirages that reminded me a little bit of an orthopedic shoe — the white color, the thick sole….I couldn’t deny that it looked just a tad bit dorky. The green color that I fell in love with this past summer lessened that a bit, and it was obviously never something that affected my love for the shoe. This new design however, is just plain sleek. The toebox appears narrower (it’s not, but the design makes it look that way), and the overall profile is lower. The laces follow the shape of your foot more closely, giving the shoe less bulk. Just the look of the shoe makes it seem closer to the ground.
And if that’s not enough, look at these colors!
A screen grab stolen from the RunningShoes.com video – you can watch the full video here to learn more about the specs of the shoe.
Green with pink laces!? Be still my #teamwatermelon heart! Pretty sure I was destined to love this shoe.
Overall Thoughts
My love for the Saucony Mirages has been no secret. These shoes guided me back from a knee injury, helped me change my form and made me a more efficient runner. I realize that minimal shoes are not for everyone, and as with many things in life, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. I’m not in the camp that advocates ditching your traditional trainers and heel-striking ways if they are working for you. In fact, I spent a good, long time against changing myself until I realized that my form was no longer working….so basically I only made the switch under duress.
That being said, sometimes stubborn runners like myself just need a little push. And I’m so glad I got the push that led to the best running decision I’ve ever made. I’ve grown to love the feeling of being closer to the ground, and my stride just feels better. I’m not saying that my form is now perfect and that I never ever strike with my heels anymore (I’m way too good for that silly heel-striking thing now, you know!), but the change has worked for me. And these days I find my old traditional trainers so clunky and awkward. In my opinion, the Mirage is the perfect blend of support and minimal shoe.
If you are currently a Mirage 2 wearer, I wouldn’t expect to slip the 3s on and go for a long run. The fit and feel are noticeably different, and I definitely had to go through a (brief) adjustment period. I also learned that I needed to loosen the laces a bit from what I was used to. The looser fit of the Mirage 2s meant I felt like I had to pull the laces fairly tight across the top of my foot. I quickly realized that doing this with the 3s led to a lot of discomfort. I’m not sure if everyone will have this experience, but in my case the upper fits snugly enough that I don’t need to worry about tying the shoes so tight.
Overall I am so happy with the upgrade. Saucony took a shoe I already loved and made it even better — something that I really didn’t think possible. I would highly recommend this shoe to current Mirage wearers or those looking for a minimal shoe with a bit of guidance/support.
Unfortunately these beauties won’t hit shelves for another few weeks (scheduled release date: 2/1/13), but I promise they are worth the wait!
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Saucony provided me with the Mirage 3s due to my participation on the Saucony Hurricane team (and my very vocal love for the shoe!). I was not compensated for this post in any way. In fact, I chose to review the shoe simply out of my love for the new model and a desire to share the upgrades with anyone who may be interested. As always, all opinions are my own.
I’m always skeptical when the new versions of shoes come out. I used to love the brooks addiction and then they came out with a new version and they just didn’t work. I’m glad this change was a good change for you because it always seems like it’s hit and miss.
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I am currently in the Guide 6′s and was wondering if your transition from the guides to the mirages was hard? I love my Guides but wouldn’t mind going a little more minimal. I switched from Brooks Adrenaline to guides looking for something a little less bulky. At first my shins were a little sore but now I am totally used to them and love them! I really like the looks of the new mirages too!!!
I also am wondering more about the Saucony Hurricane team. How do you become a part of it? I have run 3 marathons my fastest being 3:36. I did a 5k last fall in 20:30. I love running and run between 45-50 miles a week. I also follow Michele of NYC Running mama and I think she is trying to be part of a Saucony team. I also like to read Dorothy Beal’s running blog and she is on a Saucony team too.
Hi Jen! To answer your questions:
1.) The switch wasn’t hard (I actually felt more sore after dropping from a 12mm shoe to the 8mm drop of the Guides), but I did go about it slowly. I only took the shoes on very short runs and also walked a lot in my first pair. I normally save my running shoes just for running, but in this case walking in the shoe helped me get used to the feel/fit. The other thing about my transition is that I was also working on changing my form at the same time. So I was making a concerted effort to shorten my stride/focus on my foot strike. Once I started increasing my mileage in the Mirages, I did notice extra soreness in my calves — but rolling, compression socks, strengthening exercises, and time all lessened that. It’s funny because now the Guides feel too bulky when I wear them (and so I wear them for walking instead)!
2.) The Hurricane Team recruits new members every year through an application process. They have several different main attributes that they’re looking for in potential applicants (i.e. it’s not just based on speed — there are runners on the team who are WAY faster than I!), but they do have minimum time qualifications. For females, the current standards are: 5k – 18:00, 10k – 42:00, 1⁄2 Marathon – 1:22, Marathon – 3:20. Your marathon time is close, so I definitely think it’s a reasonable goal to work toward!
I had to laugh at the comment about stock piling a shoe when the newer version comes out. I am doing that with my Mizuno Wave Creation 13′s. I switched to them about 9 months ago and trained in them coming back from injury through to my first marathon coming this weekend; so am definitely a little apprehensive about switching!
Glad that this transition is a good one for you! always a comfort.
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So true about companies upgrading a shoe and ruining it, I am madly in love with my saucony pro grid ride 4′s and stocked up on them. I have been rotating between the sauconys and the brooks ghost, which are ok but not like my true loves. I finally broke down and got the new saucony progrid ride 5 and after wearing them for a few weeks, I am just not loving them. They are just nothing like the 4s and at this point i like the brooks ghost better. I want my old saucony’s back. I love the extra heel and cushioning, I know every one is trending towards minimal shoes and 0 drop heels but I want cushioning. I am a relatively new runner (started a year ago in october) and currently run 50 miles a week on my treadmill. I am down to my last pair of ride 4 and have no idea what to get next, sigh.
So sorry to hear that! That actually happened to me with Asics — and is the reason I switched to Sauconys in the first place.
For better or for worse, the change in heel-toe offset in many traditional trainers seems to be a trend that’s here to stay. Saucony seems to be moving to 8mm or below for all their shoes…something that I know not everyone loves. If it’s any consolation, I will tell you that the adjustment from 12mm drop shoes to an 8mm definitely took me a little while. It felt awkward at first…like I couldn’t run very far or fast in the shoes. But now that I’ve gotten used to it, I love the lower drop. I don’t ever want to transition to a 0 drop shoe because I like some support, but I feel so much more efficient running in 4 – 8 mm than I did before.
Have you tried any of Saucony’s other models? Although many of their trainers have the 8mm drop now, some models (such as the Triumph 9: http://www.saucony.com/store/SiteController/saucony/productdetails?subCatId=cat2260412&showDefaultOption=true&stockNumber=10137-3&skuId=***4********10137-3*M070&productId=4-108310&&frminv=true) are still supposed to have lots of cushioning.
Good luck! I hope you’re able to find another shoe that you love as much as the Rides!
Is there anyway you could explain why/how you logistically rotate your running shoes? I’m not sure if I should mix it up more (have heard its a good idea to) but don’t really want fix what ain’t broke…
thanks!
I will preface this by saying I am probably not the best example of how to rotate shoes. It’s something I started doing relatively recently. I used to say the same thing — I loved my current running shoes, didn’t want to mess things up by trying a new pair, and felt fine running in the same ones every day. I had a pair of racing flats I’d wear for shorter races, but that’s about it.
Anyway, there are a couple different ways to go about rotating shoes. The first, which makes the most sense for everybody even if you only wear one type — to slowly work in a new pair while still keeping the old ones in “rotation.” So once your shoes start wearing down a little bit, purchase the new pair and use them for shorter runs and recovery days…saving the older ones for your longer efforts. This just helps you break in the new pair slowly. And once that’s been done, you can completely phase the old ones out and go back to just running in one pair again.
The second, which is what I (loosely!) do, is to also rotate shoes based on type of run. Some runners are very strict about this, but I really don’t stick to any strict sort of rotating schedule. I also don’t have a log where I track each and every mile run in every pair of shoes. Some people do this and it’s great that they are so precise, but that level of tracking just doesn’t work for me.
Right now I have 3 pairs of shoes that I run in most regularly, plus a pair of racing flats — the Saucony Cortanas (used the least often for the occasional short recovery day), the Mirage 2s (for longer runs and harder efforts), the Mirage 3s (for all the runs in between…though I slowly find myself wearing them more and more). I also have the Saucony A5s for short races and recently got a pair of Kinvara TRs (trail shoes) that I’ve been slowly breaking in on really short runs.
It probably sounds more complicated than it is. Basically, rotating shoes can help lengthen the life of your running shoes, and can also help you feel better on certain types of runs (for example, I wear the Cortanas sometimes because they have more cushioning, so I reach for them when my legs are feeling extra tired…or I choose a lighter shoe when I’m doing speed work, etc). If you want to start with a really simple shoe rotation, I would recommend having a basic trainer that you run in most of the time, plus one lighter pair that you use for speed work and races (if you feel comfortable doing so). You really don’t need more than that.
This comment got much longer than I meant it to! Hopefully it’s helpful…but let me know if you have additional questions!
Oh my gosh this was so helpful! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question, I really appreciate it, and am going to try out some shoe rotations in the near future!
I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am for the Mirage 3, though I’m really loving my 2s right now. I switched from the Brooks Adrenaline at the end of last year, after having some horrible IT band issues and reading your original post about them. I feel like the Mirages just make me faster, I’ve dropped almost a minute off of my comfortable/easy pace and I haven’t done much speed work, I’ve barely been running at all over the last 6 weeks.
Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for your super in-depth reviews of both the Mirage 2 and the Mirage 3. I’m currently stocking up on the 2s while they are being clearanced out from various online stores. I’ll be looking for the Mirage 3 soon though!
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You’re welcome! I’m happy to share the Mirage love
Glad you’ve had so much success with the 2s and hope you’re just as happy with the 3s!
Thank you for the detailed review of the 3′s. I have been waiting for this. I am a former Saucony lover that just recently switched over to Mizuno for more cushioning. I had first fell in love w/ the Kinvara 2, but was only doing short runs. Instantly upgraded to the kinvara 3′s the moment they became available. However, I ended up feeling like I needed more support due to a knee injury-so I trained and ran my 1/2 in the Triumph 9. Felt the need to switch when knee pain would not go away. But recently went to a running specialty store and they recommended the mirage 2′s-I did not buy at that time b/c I saw the 3′s coming out and was so in love w/ the new design. Hoping to get them in a few weeks for bday-Would you recommend starting out slow in them if I have been in a Mizuno w/ much more cushioning ( Nirvana)? I do NOT want to face injury again-as I am just getting back into it! Thanks, Erin
Hopefully the Mirage 3s will be the answer to your knee issues (I know the 2s helped me!). I would definitely recommend starting out slowly in them though, especially since you’ve been used to more cushioning. And I’m not sure what the heel-toe offset in the Mizunos you’ve been running in is, but you may have to get used to the 4mm offset all over again too (even though you ran in the Kinvaras). A slow transition is always safer after an injury, anyway, but I think as long as you pay attention to your form/stride on those first few (short) runs in the Mirage 3s, you should be good to go before too long.
Good luck! Please let me know how it goes!
I am SO excited-I just placed the order for my new Mirage 3′s! I have been looking at them online for 2 weeks and the hubby just gave me the word to order them tonight after I showed him their review in the March issue of Runner’s World! Did you see it? The test runner agree w/ you-best shoe she’s ever run in! Can’t wait to try them out! I just knew it was meant to be; first a specialty running store recommended them, then I read your blog about runner’s knee and wearing them, and now they were picked top in their category in RW mag!!!! I’ll let you know what I think of them!
I haven’t seen the issue yet!
Please let me know what you think! Keeping my fingers crossed that you love them as much as I do!
I got my mirage 3′s yesterday and was SO exicted to run in them. I got up early today and put in 2 miles in them and they felt good but I got blisters on my heels! The same thing happened to me when I was breaking in my kinvara 3′s. The fit is way different w/ that medial post, but feels good. The tongue seems very puffy, but I guess I’ll have to keep going slow with and get back to you!
Hi, I have tried Kinvara (1,2, and3), Mirage Original and Cortana. Kinvara is really good (especially 1 and 2) but I feel a bit less cushy for long run, say more than 10miles. Meanwhile Mirage’s original version is so bouncy that I got muscle torn with my calves twice. Cortana is good but a bit too wide at forefoot. So, I like to ask you about the cushioning of Mirage 3. is it cushy enough or too bouncing…
Hi Eugene — I started running in the Mirage 2s, so I’m not exactly sure how they compare to the originals. However, I do know that Saucony has made a lot of improvements since the first version. I’ve heard that the fit has been much improved, and I do believe that the shoe is a bit firmer now.
I run in both the Mirages and the Cortanas — the Cortanas do have more cushion. But I would say that the Mirage 3 feels more “responsive” than bouncy. I feel supported in them and they do have a little more bounce than the Kinvaras but I’ve never actually thought of them as being “bouncy” … if that makes sense. I’ve done a few runs in the Kinvara TRs (trail shoes) and find that the fit of the Mirage 3s is more similar to the Kinvara than the Mirage 2 (with the exception of the extra cushioning that Mirages have).
I think it’s definitely worth finding them in the store and at least trying them out! I think the Mirage 3s fit and feel better all around than the Cortana (at least for me). I really find them to be a good blend of cushion and support.
Hope that helps!
thanks for detailed comments. i am convinced that it is worth to try…
[...] her pair of Saucony Kinvaras. Then I discovered the colorful Nike Frees and then I read about the new Mirage 3 – another Saucony shoe – on Lauren`s [...]
So after sticking with running for a few years now and running in everything from a 5k to a mini-marathon, I have finally decided it is time to hang up my old school 10 pound (exaggerating but they are heavy lol) ADIDAS shoes that I bought off the shelf at a shoe store MANY years ago, many meaning 7 or so years ago. This past weekend I went to a local running store and had a gait analysis and tried on a few different pairs of shoes, one being the Mirage 3 and I was in LOVE with them. I felt like I was walking on air. I have always been a heel striker but after some research and reading running books, I am trying to change my form and foot strike to allow for a better run (luckily I have been injury free other than some typical soreness from long runs). I left the store without buying them because I am hesitant due to it being something different than my big, heavy, cushioned shoes. It is hard to break an old habit. The green and pink are my favorites!
So after sticking with running for a few years now and running in everything from a 5k to a mini-marathon, I have finally decided it is time to hang up my old school 10 pound (exaggerating but they are heavy lol) ADIDAS shoes that I bought off the shelf at a shoe store MANY years ago, many meaning 7 or so years ago. This past weekend I went to a local running store and had a gait analysis and tried on a few different pairs of shoes, one being the Mirage 3 and I was in LOVE with them. I felt like I was walking on air. I have always been a heel striker but after some research and reading running books, I am trying to change my form and foot strike to allow for a better run (luckily I have been injury free other than some typical soreness from long runs). I left the store without buying them because I am hesitant due to it being something different than my big, heavy, cushioned shoes. It is hard to break an old habit. The green and pink are my favorites Mirage 3′s!
Did you end up going back for them?? I switched from stability shoes (the Asics GT series) to the Mirages and couldn’t be happier. The transition took time, but now that I’ve changed the way that I run I would never want to go back. Good luck in your search for shoes! I know it’s hard to make the switch, but once you find the pair that works best for you it’ll be totally worth it!
I loved the original Mirages and then Mirage 2 even more. They are perfect as a training shoe and have been great for me.
On the other hand i absolutely HATED the Mirage 3. Possibly as I had such high hopes for them.
I realised there wasn’t enough overlay around the front of the foot and my foot was bulging out at the outside near the toes and was giving me IT band problems and knee pain. Plus the new inner, although very comfortable is so soft, I put a hole in the heel within a month.
I have just given them away and am waiting for a pair of Progrid Ride 5 to arrive. Hopefully a little bit more support is what I need in my everyday shoes.
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