![saucony progrid ride 3 reviews saucony progrid ride 3 reviews](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/728ea2f7-6372-40ef-9701-0a18862afcf4_1.84f411d5005abc1b2ce640241305a448.jpeg)
I felt as if my feet were being pushed outward on every step, something that would surely result in some fast wearing down of the heels. I quickly found the Ride’s ride to be overly stable perhaps due to the hard support device found underneath the arch (the Azura had no such mid-foot support device). I expected that with the lowered profile – somewhere in between that of a standard racing shoe and a minimalist runner – the Ride would feel like a racing flat. Unfortunately, this is about it for the positives. The new Ride looks to be beautifully constructed, has a nice, comfortable feel (size up a half-size), and brings with it some very functional flat shoelaces that stay tied. Let me point out a few accolades for this shoe. Surprisingly, the Ride 5 seems to be not just as stable as the old Azura, but even more so which can present issues for some runners. However, the Ride 5 has ultra-soft blown rubber in its forefoot. Appearance wise, it almost looks like a descendant of the Azura, even down to the triangular lugs in the front of the shoe. The Ride is a low profile shoe with a lowered heel height and a close-to-straight last that’s unique for a neutral, cushioned running shoe. They appear to have a few things in common. I had high expectations that Saucony’s fifth iteration of the ProGrid Ride would be a current day version of the Grid Azura. Now, 12 years later, it’s a running shoe that I still use a few times each month, and there’s little indication that it’s nearing the end of its useful days. It was a lightweight and airy shoe for its time, and I was warned that it might hold up for only 200 miles. For a supposed neutral shoe, the Grid Azura was a pretty stable runner due to its low profile stance, almost straight last, and durable rubber in the forefoot. In 2000, Saucony released the Grid Azura cushioned running shoe.