Details
Brand
Saucony
Heel To Toe Drop
12mm
Breathability
6/10
Latest Version
Excursion TR9
Terrain
Trail
Type
Neutral
Key Features
• Saucony Excursion TR6• Neutral shoe made for regular pronators or supinators• Heel GRID technology adds cushioning to back of the shoe• XT-600 outsole provides great and durable traction on a variety of surfaces• EVA cushioning makes every run comfortable• HRC Strobel Board gives the shoe a bouncy feeling while also allowing for more flexibility.• 12mm offset• The triangular lugs are good for a variety of terrains including from road to trail.• Optional Goretex version for waterproof wear• Mesh upper is nice and breathable
Upper
The upper is made from mesh attached to the laces with welded overlays. This allows some air to pass throughout the shoe, increasing comfort in hot temperatures. The laces are attached directly to the welded overlay with nylon eyelets creating a nice firm feeling when lacing up. Inside the shoe, the liner is made up of comfortable fabric and a well-padded tongue, to increase the shoe’s overall comfortability, even when lacing tightly.
Midsole
The midsole is made with EVA material, which is one of the lightest shock absorbing materials available, giving it a moderately plush ride while adding minimal weight to the shoe. On top of the EVA material, this shoe also utilizes Saucony’s own HRC Strobel board technology which provides additional comfort and support. The EVA material and the Strobel board work together to dissipate the shock which is potentially harmful for your feet and legs. The HRC stands for “High Rebound Compound” which runs the entire length of the shoe, offering a springy feeling. The Strobel board also provides a higher degree of flexibility than other materials, increasing ground feel. This shoe also offers the Saucony GRID technology in the rearfoot to help dissipate impact if you tend to land heel first.
Outsole
The outsole is ruggedly designed with many triangular-shaped lugs. These lugs enable the user to grip a variety of surfaces, including slippery stones or pavement. The lugs are placed evenly along the outsole making them a comfortable choice for road or trail, although not offering tons of traction in deep mud. This shoe uses the XT-600 rubber technology providing grip, even on wet, slippery surfaces, which tends to give the rubber outsole on almost sticky feeling.
Breathability
The lightweight upper made of mesh offers breathability throughout the shoe. The overlays and the plush inner lining do restrict breathability to some degree. Overall, while breathable, it is best worn with thin socks in hotter temperatures to prevent excess sweating.
Comfort
The midsole of this shoe is very comfortable. There are a ton of Saucony technologies that went into the cushioning of this shoe to make sure any runner has a smooth ride. It is designed to make sure you have a padded landing time and time again. The GRID heel prevents strain from heel striking, the EVA provides the majority of the comfort while the HRC material provides the bounce. From strike to lift off, you can clearly feel that this shoe does what it was designed for, which is giving you a plush ride. The evenly dispersed lugs ensure that there are pressure points on the bottom of the foot, no matter what surface you are running on. However, some runners reported some issues with the tongue slipping, causing some discomfort on the top of the foot. The lacing system provides evenly distributed pressure on the top of the foot and it can be comfortably worn by people with both wide and narrow feet. The shoe is also available in normal and wide sizes.
Style
The Saucony Excursion is offered in neutral dark colors for both ladies and gents, with the characteristic Saucony swoosh on both the inside and outside. They also have reflective tabs throughout the shoe, making it safer to run at night. The neutral colors make them ideal to wear out on a trail run or on the roads and even for a casual day at work or running around.
Durability
Despite the technology that has gone into the shoe, it is unfortunately not very durable. While the treads were not worn down in the least after extensive use, there was an issue with some parts of the rubber peeling away from the sole. While not terrible, it is not typical to see this much wear from a trail shoe after moderate mileage. Other runners also noted tearing around the eyelets. The material here is made with nylon bands which, for some, simply couldn’t stand up to everyday use and tore very quickly. This is not apparent across every Excursion and might be a manufacturing defect.
Protection
The heavily cushioned outsole is the first layer of protection in the shoe. The synthetic overlay prevents any debris from tearing the mesh or entering the shoe. Many areas on the upper are sufficiently padded to help prevent injury from hitting the top of your foot on the trails.
Responsiveness
The combination of 3 types of material in the midsole makes for a moderately responsive shoe. All of the technology that went into the midsole is helping to cushion the foot and joints from any impact. The result creates a nice cushiony feeling, but it also lowers the responsiveness and ground feel.
Support
The Saucony Excursion TR6 offers support throughout the shoe. It is recommended for any runner who might have higher arches, overpronates or supinates as well as those who have issues with plantar fasciitis. This shoe is not recommended for those with flat feet. The various types of cushion in the midsole prevent impact while also supporting the foot throughout the stride. The GRID system in the rearfoot also lowers impact from striking the ground heel first.
Terrain
The XT-600 rubber outsole is great for most terrain in most conditions. The triangular lugs are distributed throughout the bottom of the shoe, adequate for support on a majority of landings. Although the plentiful lugs ensure the shoe is able to adapt to most surfaces, it does not stand up well to deep mud because the space between the lugs isn’t adequate to get a grip on the really soft terrain.
Price
These shoes run are at the lower end of the price scale compared to other trail running shoe and with all of the technologies that go into making them a comfortable ride, they are a really good value. They average about $100 USD, but they can be found on most websites for under $70 USD. This is a shoe that works well as a daily trainer, just look for any abnormal wear around the eyelets and make sure to return them within the warranty date if you have this issue.
Drop
The heel to toe drop of this shoe is 12mm. There is extra padding in the rearfoot to prevent injury for anyone who tends to land on their heel. The shoe is catering to a neutral gate while offering a little more support for runners who need it. At a drop of 12mm though, this is not a shoe for forefoot strikers. You might feel like the heel is a bit clunky and in the way unless you have a really economical stride and don’t require the extra support.
Stability
The synthetic upper and lacing system secures the foot and gives it an excellent feeling of a shoe that is moving with your foot. The 12mm offset means that you can feel stable in any foot strike as the shoe gently rocks your foot forward for toe-off. This shoe offers reasonable stability while still maintaining it’s position as a neutral trainer.
Flexibility
Although the EVA cushion is uniform throughout the shoe, adding some rigidity to the shoe, the HRC Strobel Board makes up for it. This is a reasonably flexible shoe for the amount of cushioning it has (if you are looking for ground feel check these out). Bottom line is that you are losing a little bit of flexibility and ground feel with this amount of cushioning, but who wants to feel roots and sharp rocks underfoot? And the limited flexibility makes the shoe perfect for a neutral gate or someone who needs a little more support.
Traction
The rubber outsole and many lugs give this shoe great traction underfoot even when the ground is wet. The HRC Strobel Board also gives the shoe a reasonable amount of flexibility so that you can adjust your foot to some degree to suit round smooth surfaces. The excellent traction, support and comfort make this shoe good for trail running and fast packing.
Bottom Line
This shoe is ideal for someone who is looking for an all-purpose shoe with excellent grip for any surface. It is a great road to trail shoe because of its overall comfort and support. Runners prone to overuse injuries, such as plantar fasciitis will appreciate the extra cushion while not sacrificing too much ground feel. If you like long leisurely trail runs or a comfortable everyday shoe, this may be a good choice.
