Saucony Grid 9000

About

The Saucony Grid 9000 is a running shoe built around the brand's G.R.I.D. (Ground Reaction Inertia Device) cushioning system, a crisscross filament cassette set into the heel that spreads impact across the midsole rather than concentrating it at one point, in a construction inspired by the structure of a spider's web. GRID technology debuted at Saucony in 1991, and the 9000 became one of the label's most forward-thinking designs of the early 1990s, pairing the visible heel cushioning window with a neoprene sock liner for a snug fit. The shoe fell into archive obscurity for years before resurfacing in the mid-2010s as part of Saucony's Originals lifestyle line, helped by collaborations such as the Sneaker Freaker x Saucony Grid 9000 "Bushwhacker," released for Sneaker Freaker's 10th anniversary, and colorways like the mesh-and-nubuck "Wheat," which retailed for in 2016. Built from a mix of mesh, nubuck, and leather uppers depending on the release, the Grid 9000 remains a dad-shoe era staple, valued as much for its retro running silhouette as for the visible cushioning tech that first set it apart.