The last pair I got from this brand is the “Brain” collab with End. Enter these Saucony Shadow 5000 Mesh!
Other nicknames for these include “bees” or “honeycomb” based off the unique mesh overlay on the side. As of the writing of this article, these have exclusively released overseas as far as I can tell.
These ship in a special white Saucony Originals box. These also include sets of light and dark grey laces. Finally, they feature the “foot with wings” logo towards the rear of the sneaker. This logo is also featured on the packaging of Saucony Elite pairs of old (i.e. Bodega collabs).
While not a lot of people may be paying attention to this particular release, I think it’s a definite sleeper and I’m glad to add these clean 5ks with a killer shape to the collection!
How Are The Materials?
These feature mesh, suede, nubuck, leather and burlap canvas. The suede around the toebox is somewhat soft and produces a clear backstroke. Meanwhile, the nubuck on the green parts and the river logo all seem fairly smooth to the touch. The leather is perforated and found just above the midsole on the center panel. It’s not a large amount but also feels smooth. The burlap canvas used on the tongue, backtab and side panel looks rugged and stiff but is actually on the lighter side for canvas, which is going to be a benefit in terms of comfort. Overall the materials here are varied and decent to good quality. I’m not seeing anything here that is for example New Balance Made level, but these definitely still give off a premium vibe. I also enjoy the multiple bright 3M hits in the river logo as well as the back of the shoe.
How Do They Fit?
I wanted to get my typical Saucony size of 9.5 on these Saucony Shadow 5000 Mesh. Sadly, the overseas Saucony exclusives typically don’t include half sizes, so I went with a size 10 instead. These do fit comfortably at that size. For comparison, I wear a 10 in most Nikes. I find this shoe to be quite breathable thanks to the loads of mesh on the sneaker. In short we get the typical comfort level that can be expected from Saucony, which is to say, above average for a retro runner!
Where To Cop Saucony Shadow 5000s
As of the writing of this article, you can find Shadow 5000s on eBay.
Colorway: Grey/Green
Style Code: S70553-2
Year of Release: 2021
MSRP: $115