Anyone here train in the Saucony Mirage?

I have a pair I use for tempo runs and some interval workouts. I love them. A good deal lighter than the Pegasus (and a little lighter than the Launch, I think). They're also quite a bit flatter (4mm drop). As far as the stability, I don't really notice it that much. Definitely worth trying out.

Thanks for the feedback chauncey. You think that the shoe is substantial and durable enough to use as a daily trainer for 80-90 mile weeks?

I think it probably is, although my feeling is that you might not get as many miles out of it as you would the Pegasus. The midsole is by no means thin, it's just flat. However, the outsole doesn't have as much carbon rubber as the Pegasus.

To me, it doesn't feel like a "minimalist" shoe, even though it's lightweight and has a low heel-toe drop. It feels like it has plenty of protection, and (at least for me) it's very comfortable. However, I don't personally use it on an everyday basis, so I can't say from experience whether it would stand up to 80-90 mile weeks. I do know people who use it every day, and I haven't heard any complaints about it. Hope that helps!

I use them as a daily trainer and do 80-100 mpw. I am 135 pounds and completely neutral. I use Kinvaraa for shorter runs and Mirages for longer runs. I cant wear stability shoes at all but the amount of stability in the Mirage is basically nothing. I have about 500 miles on mine and they are still going strong.

Thanks. You know how it compares to the Kinvara? The reason I'm more interested in the Mirage is because I've read reviews that said that the Kinvara upper doesn't last very long and the midsole is overly soft. Supposedly the Mirage is a bit firmer and has a more durable upper, and there seems to be the consensus that it is better than the Kinvara.

shoe guy wrote:

Thanks. You know how it compares to the Kinvara? The reason I'm more interested in the Mirage is because I've read reviews that said that the Kinvara upper doesn't last very long and the midsole is overly soft. Supposedly the Mirage is a bit firmer and has a more durable upper, and there seems to be the consensus that it is better than the Kinvara.

I would agree with what you wrote here. Without a doubt, I prefer the Mirage to the Kinvara. It has a firmer feel (to me, at least), and the upper is more substantial. Every time I've put the Kinvara on, I get the strange sensation that I'm on the verge of falling off the midsole. With the Mirage, the whole shoe feels good on my foot.

This might be more than you want to know.

The Mirage is a little stiffer and more supportive than the Kinvara.

The Mirage has a foam stroble board, the Kinvara has none. The Mirage has a bit of a heel counter, the Kinvara hardly any. The Mirage has more outsole. It has a better-fitting upper with a few more overlays to add support there.

Those things make the Mirage more stable than the Kinvara without any potentially corrective posting.

The Mirage does have a light plastic shank running through the medial midsole but I think it still feels pretty neutral.

I rotate the DS Trainer, Ravenna and Mirage for my 80-100 mpw. I use yellow Superfeet in the DS and Ravenna but like the Mirage as-is. I think the low drop balances out my stride and I like the feel. Lately I've been increasing my miles in the Mirage. They remind me of slightly more beefy Lunaracers, which I like to use for long races.

I also train in the Mirage and did a 15-miler (all of pavement) with it last Sunday. I ALSO ran in the Pegasus 27 up until switching to the Mirage.

Some thoughts:

- It has the responsiveness of the Lunaracer (version 1)

- Has a nice "roll" to it. Simply put, I feel faster when I put them on.

- The lower drop made me notice how much more heel the Pegasus had. I'm almost a forefoot striker, but for whatever reason the transition to the Mirage has made my achilles ache for the first 10 minutes of each run.

- The shoe will be worthless when the snow starts falling again. The Mirage has almost zero tread. The Pegasus waffle tread gave me some great traction over the winter.

- I wouldn't say the Mirage is stiffer than the Pegasus 27, they just have a different feel to them. I would say they are bit more pleasant to run in.

- The upper is very nice (not too stiff, just right) and your foot will feel pretty locked in (I did not feel this way with the Pegasus 27 or the Kinvara's when I did a test run in them).

I honestly don't like the Mirages at all. But maybe because mine are too big. I typically wear 8 or 8.5. I got 8's in the Mirage and they're a little big. I don't like them as much as my Mayflys, Kinvaras, or DS Trainers.

Thanks Rocky. I also ran in the Pegasus 27 but haven't been a huge fan of the 28. It feels like the beefed up the midsole and changed the fit a bit. Anyway, I'll probably end up ordering a pair but was trying to decide if the Mirage is a more appropriate choice than the Kinvara. I've heard good things about both shoes, but some people have been saying they have to use Shoe Goo to get a lot of miles out of the Kinvara. If you have to modify the shoe to run a lot in it, I don't really see the point in buying it.