The Saucony Hurricane 26 is a modern stability shoe designed for overpronators who want an exciting daily trainer for weekly miles. Its deep cushioning is impressively protective, and the ride is very stable. It has enough bounce and roll to make easy runs and longer efforts very good fun, and can handle marathon efforts well, though it lacks the snap for quick intervals or short-distance racing.
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Our Verdict
The Saucony Hurricane 26 is a good choice for marathon racing. Its impressive cushioning, high stack, and great long-run protection spare your legs some of the pounding over the distance, while its great forefoot energy return and bending energy return keep it from feeling dull underfoot. It's also very stable for such a tall shoe, which helps keep the ride controlled as fatigue builds. However, its weight keeps it from feeling as efficient as dedicated marathon racers, making it better for completing the distance than chasing personal bests.
Excellent cushioning helps keep your legs protected over the distance.
Lively midsole keeps the ride from feeling dull.
Very stable for such a tall shoe.
Weight makes it less efficient than dedicated marathon racers.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 is a mediocre choice for 5K/10K racing. Its great forefoot bending energy return and decent geometry keep it from feeling flat when you pick up the pace. However, its soft forefoot, compliant rocker, and heavier build stop it from delivering the quick, snappy turnover expected from dedicated short-distance racers.
Great forefoot bending energy return adds life through toe-off.
Forefoot rocker geometry helps the shoe roll decently.
Relatively flexible forefoot makes toe-off less snappy overall.
Weight makes quick turnover harder than dedicated racers.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 is a very good long-run companion. Its ride is very stable, while its excellent cushioning and impressive long-run protection help keep your legs protected deep into extended efforts. Its decent overall geometry and great forefoot energy return keep the ride engaging as the distance stacks up. However, its weight and relatively flexible rocker mean turnover can feel less efficient deep into long runs.
Very stable ride keeps the shoe controlled over distance.
Excellent cushioning protects legs deep into long runs.
Great forefoot bending energy return provides lively toe-off.
Weight and flexible rocker make it less efficient as miles build.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 is a great daily trainer. Its ride is very stable, and its excellent cushioning provides deep protection across weekly mileage. Its excellent heel rocker geometry, combined with its very lively forefoot, helps your legs tick over smoothly without feeling dull. However, its weight makes it less nimble overall, and the deeply cushioned ride won't appeal to runners who prioritize feedback from the road.
Very stable ride is trustworthy underfoot.
Excellent cushioning provides deep protection.
Lively forefoot makes daily miles fun.
Deep cushioning won't suit runners who prioritize ground feel.
We buy and test running shoes with a very data-oriented approach. While we're just getting started, our methodology already has dozens of tests to help you make the right purchasing decision for your needs. Not only do we use high-end equipment to gather objective data, but we also order multiple sizes of the same shoes so team members can log in miles. This real-world testing is conducted at various paces and conditions, across different types of workouts, to cover all the bases. This allows us to verify our results and ensure they align with what you might feel with a specific pair.
Test Results
Energy Return
The Saucony Hurricane 26 has impressive energy return overall. The forefoot gives back a great amount of energy, adding a decent amount of bounce through toe-off and helping the shoe feel lively. The heel is less energetic by comparison, so rearfoot landings feel more cushioned than springy.
Forefoot provides a very bouncy toe-off.
Impressive energy return overall delivers a lively ride.
Rearfoot landings feel more cushioned than springy.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 returns an impressive amount of energy in the forefoot when compressed. It gives back slightly more than the Saucony Hurricane 25, and far more than other stability shoes like the ASICS GEL-KAYANO 33 and Saucony Guide 19, helping the shoe feel much livelier through toe-off.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 returns a decent amount of energy in the heel when compressed. It’s nearly identical to the Saucony Hurricane 25, but returns far more energy than the ASICS GEL-KAYANO 33 and Saucony Guide 19. Though rearfoot landings still feel more cushioned than bouncy, the heel has enough rebound to avoid feeling flat.
Stability
The Saucony Hurricane 26 has very good stability. Its wide outsole, excellent heel width-to-stack ratio, and fully gusseted tongue give the shoe a secure, confidence-inspiring platform underfoot. However, the heel and forefoot are both on the soft side, so runners who want a firmer, more planted stability shoe may find it too plush underfoot.
Wide outsole provides a secure platform underfoot.
Excellent heel width-to-stack ratio helps keep landings controlled.
Fully gusseted tongue makes for a secure lockdown.
Soft heel and forefoot could be too plush underfoot for some.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 has decent heel firmness overall. The heel provides enough structure at lighter and moderate forces, though it does soften significantly at higher loads.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 has poor forefoot firmness. The forefoot is much softer than the ASICS GEL-KAYANO 33 and Saucony Guide 19, making toe-off more forgiving but less planted.
Cushioning
The Saucony Hurricane 26 has excellent cushioning overall. The heel holds up impressively across all paces and runner weights, giving rearfoot landings reliable protection, no matter how hard you load the shoe. The forefoot is outstanding for lighter runners, and still holds up very well as force increases as well. Its long-run cushioning is also impressive, keeping the shoe very protective deep into longer efforts.
Heel cushioning holds up impressively across all force levels.
Long-run cushioning stays protective deep into extended efforts.
Forefoot cushioning is truly outstanding at lower force levels.
Ride is too plush for runners who want feedback from the road.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 has excellent heel cushioning. It absorbs impact impressively across all force levels, so rearfoot landings stay well protected whether you land lightly or load the shoe harder.
Bounciness
The Saucony Hurricane 26 has a decent amount of bounce. The forefoot compresses well and gives back a great amount of energy, giving the shoe a lively feel up front. However, the heel is less dynamic, so rearfoot landings feel more cushioned than springy.
Decent compression depth gives the midsole some bounce.
Forefoot is especially lively.
Heel is much less energetic than the forefoot.
The heel of this shoe compresses a reasonable amount across force levels, but it never sinks especially deep under load, making rearfoot landings more cushioned than bouncy.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 has good forefoot compression depth. It compresses well across force levels and only drops slightly under heavier loads, meaning toe-off has good bounce.
Snappiness
The Saucony Hurricane 26 has mediocre snappiness. Its forefoot gives back a great amount of energy when bent, but it's very soft, and the gentle rocker angle stops toe-off from feeling quick or aggressive.
Great forefoot bending energy return adds life through toe-off.
Forefoot is too soft to be truly snappy.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 returns an impressive amount of energy when bent at the forefoot. It gives back far more than the ASICS GEL-KAYANO 33 and Saucony Guide 19, making the ride much livelier.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 forefoot is unremarkably stiff when bent. It has enough give to stay comfortable, but it bends too easily to feel snappy at toe-off.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 has decent forefoot rocker geometry. Its early rocker start and high toe spring help the shoe roll smoothly through toe-off, though the gentler rocker angle keeps the transition from feeling especially snappy.
Roll
The Saucony Hurricane 26 has decent roll. Its forefoot rocker geometry, high forefoot stack, and excellent heel rocker geometry help the shoe move smoothly through the stride. However, its relatively flexible rocker and forefoot keep rollover from feeling especially guided overall.
Decent forefoot rocker geometry helps the shoe roll through toe-off.
Excellent heel rocker geometry smooths rearfoot transitions.
Flexible forefoot rocker limits rollover overall.
Forefoot bends too easily to make turnover truly direct.
The rocker off this shoe is relatively flexible, so it flattens under load rather than holding its shape through the stride, meaning rollover is less direct when pushing the pace.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 keeps a high-stack build, but its heel-to-toe drop has increased significantly from the Saucony Hurricane 25. This gives the shoe a more heel-biased setup, making it a more natural fit for heel strikers who want deep cushioning and a smoother rearfoot transition.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 has great heel rocker geometry. Its higher heel spring, early rocker start, and steep angle make the rear of the shoe more assistive than the Saucony Hurricane 25, helping it roll more smoothly from heel strike into midstance.
True To Size
The Saucony Hurricane 26 fits true to size. Its length is spot on, while the forefoot and arch fit closely match our reference fit. The forefoot height is a bit lower by comparison, but we are confident you can choose your usual size.
Length fits true to size.
Forefoot width and arch fit closely match our reference fit.
Forefoot height could be an issue for taller toes.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 has decent forefoot height. The toe box sits a bit lower than our reference fit, so runners with taller toes may find the front of the shoe slightly snug. That said, we're still confident runners should be fine in their usual size.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 drops a significant amount of weight from the Saucony Hurricane 25, making it feel less bulky underfoot and placing it smack bang in the middle of the weight class for a daily trainer.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 gets a major midsole update from the Saucony Hurricane 25, combining a supercritical ATPU compound with EVA. This helps the shoe drop a significant amount of weight while improving energy return overall, giving it a livelier ride without losing the deep cushioning.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 uses standard flat laces with moderate stretch. They hold lockdown consistently during testing, keeping the midfoot secure without needing to overtighten the shoe.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 has impressive forefoot long-run cushioning that provides very good protection deep into longer efforts.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Saucony Hurricane 26 in men’s U.S. size 9, as indicated on the label of our unit. The colorway shown here is Cadet/Black. Saucony offers regular and wide sizing, with multiple color options available across regions and genders. The design section applies specifically to the version we tested, but we expect other sizes and gender variants to perform similarly.
Popular Running Shoe Comparisons
The Saucony Hurricane 26 sits alongside shoes like the ASICS GEL-KAYANO 33 and Saucony Guide 19 as stability trainers, but it’s the most comfort-focused of the three. The Hurricane 26 is the lightest, most cushioned, and most energetic option, making it the best pick if you want support and protection without giving up fun underfoot. The Kayano 33 and Guide 19 are both more stable overall, but they're also much heavier and less lively. Choose the Hurricane 26 if you want an exciting shoe that's still very stable; the Guide 19 if you need the most support and want feedback from the road; and the ASICS if you want the middle ground of protection and support and don't care about liveliness underfoot.
If you're looking for more shoes from the brand, check out our recommendations for the best Saucony shoes. If you're looking for more support shoe options, our best stability shoes article has everything you need to make the right decision.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 follows on from the Saucony Hurricane 25 as a deeply cushioned, very stable, and lively support shoe for daily training. Though the Hurricane 26 is a touch more protective and energetic, most runners won't notice a huge difference underfoot. However, it's also significantly lighter, so if you want a more nimble shoe, it's the pick. Otherwise, the Hurricane 25 is still a great shoe if you can find it on sale.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 and ASICS GEL-KAYANO 33 are both stability shoes, but the best pick depends on your needs. Runners who want a lighter, more cushioned, and much more energetic shoe that still has very good stability should get the Hurricane 26. Runners who need more support and still want good cushioning, but don't care as much about liveliness underfoot, should get the GEL-KAYANO 33.
The Saucony Hurricane 26 and Guide 19 are both part of Saucony's daily trainer stability lineup, but the Guide 19 is the more aggressive support shoe. It has a lower profile and provides a more planted, trustworthy ride if stability is your main priority. The Hurricane 26 is still very stable, but it’s the more cushioned and energetic option, making it the better pick if you want support with a higher stack and bouncier ride.