Details
Brand
Saucony
Breathability
7.9/10
Terrain
Road
Type
Neutral
Key Features
• Triumph 11• iBr+• XT-900• Powergrid• SCR impact zone• Sauc-fit• HydrMax Collar Lining• HRC Strobel Board
Upper
The upper of this shoe is built with the traditional combination of synthetic overlays and mesh to increase the durability of the shoe while also providing structure but it also incorporates Sauc-fit technology. Sauc-fit is Saucony’s proprietary design that wraps not only around the midfoot to give the shoe a secure feeling upper but also around the heel cup. The Sauc-fit is slightly stretchy and gives the shoe a great customizable secure feeling while also allowing for lots of room in the toe-box for great toe splay and a good toe-off.;This shoe also incorporates the HydrMax collar lining which is the synthetic lining found around the heel cup, it wicks away moisture and offers a great next to foot feeling. By warding off moisture it also helps to prevent blisters and rubbing. This design also utilizes the HRC Strobel board found just under the sockliner of the shoe, it adds additional comfort and cushioning by dissipating impact and giving the shoe a more comfortable, smoother ride.
Midsole
This shoe is built with a full-length Power Grid midsole. Power Grid is a Saucony technology and is a kind of EVA material, providing stable, responsive cushioning from heel to toe. This midsole works to dissipate impact and cushion the ride. Testers were especially impressed with the combination of Power Grid and iBR+ in the forefoot and they noted that this gave the shoe an especially cushioned feeling, great for forefoot strikers and heel strikers alike. There is also an SCR impact zone in the heel that adds to the impact protection and the cushiony feeling of the shoe.
Outsole
The outsole is a combination of iBR+, Saucony’s proprietary blown rubber, and a special blend of carbon rubber XT-900. The iBR+ is great for adding a little extra cushioning and slightly flexing around the terrain to provide additional traction. Being that the iBR+ is slightly sticky it is great for providing traction on wet roads.;The XT-900 carbon rubber is great for providing durable traction. The carbon rubber is placed in high abrasion areas such as around the heel and under the big toe. Blown rubber is for the midfoot area and there are 3 flex grooves in the forefoot area for adding additional flexibility. The outsole pattern follows the natural shape of the foot, great for lightweight traction. The outsole is smooth, great for road running and a smooth transition from heel to toe.
Breathability
The mesh upper is a very open weave, allowing air to pass throughout the forefoot of the shoe. There are very few synthetic overlays designed in the forefoot, increasing the overall breathability of the shoe. The Sauc-fit system which locks the foot in and gives the shoe most of it’s structure is found in the midfoot and heel cup, great for providing ventilation with every stride. The breathability, along with the HydraMax collar lining which wicks away moisture is great for keeping feet cool and dry on hot summer days.
Comfort
There is a lot of cushioning in the midsole for keeping comfortable on long runs and great for shock absorption. Testers reported the most comfortable feature of this shoe, however is the secure fit and wide toe box. The Sauc-fit works great at keeping the foot comfortably locked in giving the shoe a great fit.;Many runners commented on the wide toe box, something many people look for to prevent any kind of constraining feeling around the toes and also for getting nice toe splay and a good toe-off. The inner lining and tongue area are softly lined for a great next to foot feeling. The fit and material also do a great job of warding off blisters, keeping feet dry and happy. Some testers did report the shoe feeling a little tight out of the box but reported that the fit did loosen up over time.
Style
The Saucony Triumph comes in 5 color variations for men and 5 color variations for women. These color variations range from conservative white and black styles or some bolder choices such as the lime green/blue for men or the berry/vizipink for women.;The front of the shoe is comprised mostly of mesh which is a solid color but the rear of the foot changes up the design, between the synthetic overlays that support the Sauc-fit there is a tighter knit mesh featuring horizontal stripes, this lends the shoe a bit of an offbeat, funky look. This shoe doesn’t have a huge stack height and less midsole material makes the shoe look close to the ground.
Durability
The outsole is highly durable with the combination of blown rubber and abrasion resistant carbon rubber, especially with the XT-900 in places particularly prone to wear. The Powergrid material in the midsole provides the same great cushioning out of the box, as it does after several runs and the upper while lightweight stands up to many miles due to its engineering and design. Testers were really impressed with this shoe’s durability.
Protection
While this is a shoe meant for neutral runners and doesn’t have a lot of support built in it does offer a lot of cushion from heel to toe. The lack of support features means that in no way does this control the motion of the foot but it does provide lots of cushion in the case of a misstep. The outsole provides great traction keeping you on your feet. The design also does a great job of protecting runners from overuse injuries. There is also enough cushion for marathon or half marathon races.
Responsiveness
The PowerGrid technology found in the Triumph 11 is responsive but also protects runners against overuse injuries with its shock attenuation. This protects the runner from too much ground feel and impact-related injuries while also encouraging a fast turnover and proper running form. The 8mm drop gets runners quickly through the transition from heel to toe and encourages a good toe off with a fast feeling shoe.
Support
This is a neutral running shoe, built for runners who don’t require a lot of support but the SRC Strobel board does support the natural stride by giving even support and cushioning from heel to toe. The Sauc-fit is also highly supportive, securely fitting around the foot and ensuring that the shoe stays where it is supposed to. The heel cup wraps very nicely around the foot, keeping it in place. The wide toe box helps runners to splay their toes and increase their overall balance, all of these features do a great job of supporting a natural stride. Some runners mentioned that the shoe could do with a little more arch support, but an insole could easily be added to help with that.
Terrain
This shoe was designed for road use, there are no protruding lugs for grip on trail although the sticky, blown iBR+ rubber does provide traction on a variety of flat terrains. The shoe is slightly flexible and the iBR+ compresses a little on impact which helps it to provide a little more grip on flat surfaces, especially in wet or adverse conditions. The soft, plush cushioning provides impact protection on tough unforgiving terrains, such as pavement or concrete. The abrasion resistant carbon rubber makes adds to the durability of the shoe on hard terrains.
Price
This shoe originally retailed for more than 150 USD, which is a significant price for a training shoe. Some of the things that made this shoe so expensive is the wide variety of durable technologies that supported and cushioned a runner’s natural stride. Because of the new revisions of this shoe, selected colors and sizes can be found online for as little as 50 USD, a great price for a good quality shoe.
Drop
The 8mm drop from heel to toe works well for a neutral, long distance trainer. It encourages faster stride turnover by pushing runners on to their forefoot while also allowing them to have a little movement in the forefoot for a natural feeling stride. There is 8mm additional cushioning in the rearfoot where it’s needed most, great for impact protection on long and fatiguing runs.
Stability
This is a shoe designed for long distance training for neutral runners, it’s focus is on cushioning and comfort so there aren’t many stability features in this shoe. Most significantly is the heel to toe offset that does encourage runners to work through their stride quickly and get a solid forefoot toe-off. The superior fit of this shoe also helps to prevent twisting in the stride encouraging runners to have their legs and joints straight from heel to toe.
Flexibility
Due to the high amount of cushioning in this shoe, it is not incredibly flexible. Some features that add to the flexibility, especially where runners need it most, in the forefoot, are the flex grooves found in the outsole pattern. The 8mm drop also provides more cushioning in the rearfoot where heel striking runners require it the most but that also allows for less cushioning and more flexibility in the forefoot. Overall testers noted that this is not a flexible shoe, it is instead built for comfort.
Traction
The blown outsole make this a great shoe when you need traction in wet conditions or hard surfaces. The flex grooves in the forefoot area help the shoe to bend on impact and flex around flat surfaces, lending a little more traction. The carbon rubber is great for long-lasting traction on high impact areas such as around the heel and at the toe.
Bottom Line
The Saucony Triumph 11 has been updated a couple times since it’s release but it’s still a great shoe that was built to cushion runners on their long distance training runs. It is a neutral trainer that is ideal for runners with acceptable form and a good natural stride but with the SRC strobel board inside and the powergrid cushioning in the forefoot, there is lots of impact protection for long runs.;One of my favorite features of this shoe is the breathability and look of the upper. The mesh on the forefoot and midfoot are great at letting air pass throughout the shoe and the rearfoot and heel cup design give this shoe an offbeat, funky look. Saucony did a great job of fitting a lot of durable comfort in this shoe.
