INTERVIEW W/ GUIDE 3 DESIGNER PAT H.

What were your inspirations for the design of the Guide 3?
My inspiration came directly from ProGrid Guide 1 and 2...With this being our most popular shoe I wanted to utilize what has been working for the shoe in the past and just expand upon it both aesthetically and functionally. With the upper I focused on keeping all the overlays in the correct places and highlighting them with more fresh details...I see a lot of other brands out there that have overlays placed in areas that just don’t functionally make sense to the runner and I wanted to make sure that the Guide 3 was going to be a No-Brainer, No-Gimmick great shoe that runner will truly enjoy.

Why is this an important update to the Guide 2?
Like I said above, this is a very popular shoe for us that continues to grow and I want to make sure that the audience we reach out to here loves this shoe even more than the preceding model.

How many rounds did you go through to get the design to its final form?
I am not lying when I say that I was really on top of this shoe from the very early stages of design and prototyping...the first round of this shoe at a glance looks very similar to the final round...the process doesn’t happen this smoothly all the time....but this gave me the time to be able to fine tune that last 5% which really takes a good shoe to a great shoe.

Do you ever stop someone in public who is wearing the Guide 3 and say, "Hey, I designed that shoe!"?
Ha!...No, not anymore...I think I may have done that about 5 years ago when I was seeing some of my first shoes in the market place...but now I am tempted to ask people what they think of the shoe and very rarely acknowledge that I was the designer...my Mom will tell anyone who will listen to her though.

How does the product team decide who gets to design the next iteration of a namesake shoe like the Guide?
For the most part our boss decides...but we all make the occasional pitch. We are a small, tight knit team and we rotate projects quite often mainly to explore another design perspective and keep things fresh.

Are there any secret hieroglyphic messages that you've incorporated into the design of the Guide 3?
That’s funny...you must be referencing the outsole design along the medial forefoot...a few people have asked me that and that is top secret information.

UPPER

Hydrator collar lining
Saucony's performance apparel fabric that provides next-to-skin comfort and maximizes wicking

Comfortride Sockliner
Breathable, moisture wicking, anti-odor and anti-microbial Comfortride insole provides improved step-in comfort with rebound properties

Air Mesh Upper
Provides lightweight breathability

HRC Strobel Board
Increases cushioning and comfort.

MIDSOLE

Heel ProGrid™
Saucony's latest impact deflection technology, ProGrid™, absorbs impact, dissipates shock and sets the foot up for a smooth transition

Dual Density Impulse EVA
Provides increased shock attenuation, responsive cushioning, stability, durability and rebound properties

SRC(Super Rebound Compound) Impact Zone
Provides shock attenuation and sets the foot up for a smooth transition

SRC Xtra Forefoot Cushioning
Saucony's premier forefoot cushioning system provides a smooth toe-off

OUTSOLE

Blown Rubber
Lighweight flexibile material provides added cushioning while maintaining durability and a smooth ride

XT-900™
A carbon rubber outsole material that offers exceptional traction properties without sacrificing durability