Weight 366g
Evaluation The new Stabil has lost some weight. That’s in order to better distinguish itself from Saucony’s other £75 motion control shoe, the heavier-duty GRID Hammer. While Saucony pitches the Stabil at moderate to severe overpronators of all sizes, it’s really not cushioned enough for the heaviest runners – that’s obvious when you compare its lighter, more responsive ride with that of the Hammer or, say, the
Asics Gel MC+.
Oddly, even though it’s not built on a motion-control shoe’s typically wide base, the new Stabil has an extremely broad fit in the upper. That makes the feel of the shoe slightly unbalanced. The loop lacing system doesn’t allow runners with moderate-width feet to pull the laces really close together; but on the other hand, if you have very broad feet you may find that the base of support under your feet feels too narrow. You’ll have to try it on to find out, but on the positive side, the core midsole ingredients are all there: a straight last, a very long medial post with a built-in plastic reinforcement, and even reinforcement on the lateral side of the midsole.
In short The new Stabil has an upper for broad-footed runners and a midsole for more normal ones, so you need to try it on to see if the combination suits you. Either way, its new lighter incarnation is best for light- to midweight runners who need masses of midsole stability.
Try it if you liked Saucony GRID Stabil (£70);
Fila Incognito Plus (£65); Adidas Piedmont (£70)
