Saucony Echelon 6

Editor rating: 9.0 / 10

User's rating: based on 16 user ratings

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By Stephanie Potter

All Saucony Shoes

Saucony Echelon 6 Review Facts

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The Saucony Echelon 6 is a neutral road and track running shoe. It was designed to be a high volume trainer with plush cushioning and the ability to accommodate different foot types. The Foundation Platform makes the volume bigger so that runners with wider feet or who need orthotics can wear the shoe comfortably. Cushioning is provided by a durable 8mm PU Sockliner and a 3mm layer of Everun that creates stronger takeoffs and smoother landings. The 8mm offset works to distribute cushioning more evenly than a higher, standard drop and improves balance during the gait cycle. The SAUC-FIT technology supports the midfoot and creates a comfortable, dynamic fit. The external heel frame helps secure the rearfoot. There are also tri-flex grooves to add flexibility to the outsole, improve the level of ground contact, and more evenly distribute the impact of landings to better absorb shock. If you are a neutral runner with wider feet or who uses an orthotic and is looking for a shoe with soft cushioning, read on to see if the Echelon 6 is right for you.

Editor's Pros & Cons

Pros

Accommodates orthotics
Very comfortable
Supportive fit around the midfoot
Great cushioning and durability
Wide sizes available
Flexible outsole absorbs shock well

Cons

Difficult to use lacing system
Above average price
Wide fit for narrow feet
Only one color option

Outsole

The outsole is made of rubber. The treads help grip roads and tracks. Softer rubber is located in a zigzag pattern in the forefoot and outside midfoot. Denser rubber is located in high impact areas, such as the toes where push off occur and the heels where landings occur. Between the treads are tri-flex grooves that add flexibility to the outsole, help distribute impact more evenly, and improve the contact with the ground.

Midsole

The midsole has two layers of cushioning for comfort and responsiveness. The bottom layer is a 3mm Everun cushioning that creates stronger takeoffs and smoother landings compared to earlier cushioning. The top layer is an 8mm PU Sockliner that adds durable cushioning. The difference in height between the heel and toe is 8mm, which distributes cushioning more evenly than the standard 12mm drop, resulting in better balance. The amount of arch support was designed for low or flat arches and does not slow over-pronation.

Upper

The upper is made of textile and synthetic material. It uses a Foundation Platform, which allows for more volume inside the shoe, and is therefore great for wide feet and medical orthotics. The SAUC-FIT supports the midfoot and adds a dynamic fit. There is also an external heel frame to lock the rearfoot in place to prevent sliding, as well as a toe cap to prevent bruising. The tongue, heel, and collar are padded and the laces with reinforced eyelet holes do a good job of securing the fit around the midfoot. Between the synthetic overlays is a mesh that adds breathability and allows the foot to stay ventilated.

Weight

The men's shoe weighs 10.7 oz and the women's shoe weighs 9.2 oz. This is a little heavier than lightweight shoes, but the heavy and responsive cushioning and bigger volume make it worth the extra weight for people with wide feet or who need inserts such as arch supports or orthotics. The heavy components come from the sole unit with its high stack height that includes rubber, Everun cushioning, and a PU sockliner. The SAUC-FIT and heel frame add some weight to the upper. The lightest component is the mesh in the upper, which allows the foot to breathe.

Breathability

Breathability is provided by a layer of mesh under the overlays in the upper. The mesh covers a good portion of the rearfoot, midfoot, and forefoot to allow ventilation, although there are quite a few overlays on the sides, so it is not quite as breathable as shoes with fewer overlays. The overlays do not have any stitching, which helps prevent irritation and blisters on the foot.

Comfort

The Echelon 6 is very comfortable and is especially designed for medium to wide feet. The shoe's length is normal, or true to size. Widths come in regular and wide for women and regular, wide, and extra wide for men. It uses a Foundation Platform to make it more comfortable for wider feet and to allow people to use insoles or orthotics inside the shoe. The cushioning is great: the Everun cushioning does a great job of softening landings and the PU sockliner is feels soft yet is still durable. The outsole's softer rubber areas also add some cushioning. The SAUC-FIT technology creates a supportive fit around the midfoot, the tongue, heel, and collar are padded for comfort and to prevent irritation, and the laces lock down the SAUC-FIT overlays. The two complaints about comfort were that the fit was slightly wide for people with narrow feet and that the lacing system was difficult to lace up because the eyelet holes are very small.

Style

The Saucony Echelon 6 comes in a single color that many reviewers thought looked good with most running outfits, while others would have wanted more choices. The men's shoe comes in Navy/Citron. The shoe itself is a dark navy that is almost black and the yellow color acts as an accent on the tongue, laces, and outsole. The black heel frame and silver Saucony logo use the reflective material so that the wearer stays visible in fog, before sunrise, and after sunset. The women's shoe comes in Grey/Pink. Most of the shoe is grey, but pink is used on the tongue, collar, outsole, laces, and Saucony logo on the side of the midfoot. Like the men's shoe, the women's shoe uses the reflective material on the logo and heel frame for better visibility. Some women liked the look of the shoe, while others would have preferred a non-pink option.

Durability

The Echelon 6 has great durability. The outsole has denser rubber placed in areas that have more impact. In the midsole, Everun cushioning has good durability and the PU Sockliner was specifically designed to be more durable so that it could withstand lots of use without wearing down or no longer springing back up after each landing. The upper also has good durability because it has a good number of overlays and uses SAUC-FIT technology. Also adding to the upper's durability are the external heel frame, toe cap, and reinforced eyelet holes.

Protection

This shoe has good protection. The thick stack height protects against objects underfoot. The outsole has tri-flex grooves in order to distribute the impact of landings more evenly throughout the shoe in order to protect knees and toe joints. The midsole also protects the legs and feet because the Everun layer and PU Sockliner both absorb shock during landings. The upper's mesh protects against overheating and the lack of seams protects against blisters and hot spots. The external heel frame and SAUC-FIT protect against slipping, sliding, and rolling. The toe cap protects the toes from bruising.

Responsiveness

The Saucony Echelon 6 is very responsive. The outsole is flexible to improve transitions and has softer rubber in key areas to help make takeoffs and landings easier, add a small bounce to the wearer's step, and have better ground contact. The midsole's Everun cushioning helps launch the foot back into the air with a strong takeoff after each landing. The PU Sockliner also returns energy back to the wearer. The drop helps improve balance and smooth transitions. The upper's Foundation Platform means that there is plenty of room for toes to splay, even for runners with wider feet or who are wearing an orthotic.

Support

This shoe has decent support and is designed to be able to have even more support added to it. The sole unit supports the underside of the foot. The PU sockliner and Everun cushioning work together to create a supportive fit that matches the shape of the wearer's foot as it takes off and lands. The support in the arch area is low, but the Foundation Platform makes sure there is enough room for a gel insole or medical orthotic if someone needs more support in that area. The upper adds support around the ankles and heel with the padded tongue, collar, and heel, and around the midfoot with the SAUC-FIT.

Terrain

Saucony categorizes the Echelon 6 under road and track for surface types. The treads and grooves indicate that the shoe was designed to go over hard surfaces, such as dirt, pavement, gravel or gym floors. The lack of stability makes it not ideal for a running on technical trails, and the grooves are too shallow for it to be a snow or ice shoe.

Price

The Echelon 6 is slightly above the average price range for a running shoe, especially a road running shoe. A few testers thought it was too expensive for what was offered. However, testers who are prone to joint injury or have plantar fasciitis appreciated the thick, plush cushioning offered by this shoe. Runners with wide feet liked that wide and extra wide sizes are offered, and even the regular size accommodates wider feet than other regular shoes. The shoe was recently released, so it is still full price and discounts are not being offered yet.

Traction

This shoe gets good traction on the surfaces it was designed for. It grips roads and tracks well enough to have energy returned and pick up speed without slipping. It can also be worn while ascending and descending hills without any problems. The shoe does not get good traction on slippery surfaces.

Flexibility

The Saucony Echelon 6 has good flexibility in the outsole and okay flexibility everywhere else. The outsole has tri-flex grooves so that it can bend with the ground and distribute impact better throughout the shoe. The midsole has two layers of foam that bend slightly as the foot takes off and lands. The upper is very supportive but still has a light flexibility to allow the foot to move naturally. This is a high volume shoe, so it does not necessarily need to be as flexible as other shoes because there is plenty of room inside the shoe for the toes to splay and push off without rubbing or feeling constrained.

Stability

The Echelon 6 has an average amount of stability for a neutral road and track running shoe. The sole unit stabilizes landings, especially the traction on the outsole. The midsole has a very low amount of arch support, so it does not slow over-pronation. The upper helps stabilize the heel with the external heel frame and the midfoot with SAUC-FIT, but it is just enough to prevent sliding and rolling the ankle, and not enough to slow over-pronation or prevent injury for people who need stability shoes.

Drop

This shoe has a heel height of 27mm and a forefoot height of 19mm, creating a drop of 8mm. This drop was chosen to help improve balance and heel to toe transitions, compared to the standard 12mm drop. It also distributes the cushioning more evenly so that landings are soft no matter what the wearer's strike pattern is, and takeoffs are soft as well.

Key Features

Rubber outsole

Textile and synthetic upper

Tri-flex grooves add flexibility

3mm Everun cushioning

8mm offset distributes cushioning more evenly

8mm PU Sockliner adds durability

SAUC-FIT provides a supportive and dynamic fit

External heel frame provides a secure fit

Foundation Platform delivers a high volume shoe

Bottom Line

The Saucony Echelon 6 is a great shoe for neutral runners who need thick, soft cushioning, have wide feet, or wear insoles or orthotics inside their shoes. It is very comfortable and has a good level of support. It looks nice and has good durability. It is very responsive, but breathability, flexibility, and stability are about average. The slightly above average price is fair and the extra weight is reasonable for the features that are offered, although runners who do not need those features will usually opt for a less pricey and less heavy shoe. Areas to improve include offering narrow sizes, an easier to lace lacing system, and more color options. Overall, it is a great shoe for an injury prone neutral runners or runners with wide feet to use on their daily runs.