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Saucony Triumph 22 Review: Supercritical Plush Power
May 23, 2024
We review The Saucony Triumph 22. 00:00 Intro and Details, 06:30 , from the run fit and ride Impressions, 11:34 Pros and Cons, 14:22 Comparisons.
It sees a major update with a PEBA PWRRUN Pb supercritical foam midsole, a wider platform and a plush and effective "comfort" upper.
$160 Available May 1, 2024
Full written review:
https://www.roadtrailrun.com/2024/04/saucony-triumph-22-review-supercritical.html
#saucony #sauconytriumph
Samples were provided at no cost for testing purposes with no additional compensation. The opinions herein are entirely the author's
100's of Run Shoes and Gear Multi Tester written reviews at www.roadtrailrun.com
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0:00
Hello everybody, Sam from Road Trail Run. Today we're going to take a look at the
0:03
Saucony Triumph 22. See some big changes. It gets Power Run PB foam, same as in the
0:09
Endorphins, but a more, what they say is a more durable, maybe a bit denser
0:15
formulation. It's a 37 millimeter heel, 27 millimeter forefoot. That's unchanged, but
0:21
we do get a wider platform and a, I think, a more accommodating kind of smooth
0:28
upper. It's $160. It will be available May 1st, 2024. Let's get into the details, a
0:34
run along the New Hampshire coast, and some comparisons. Okay, let's get into the
0:41
details of the platform and the upper, and then I'll take them for the run. So
0:46
the most important change here is we get Power Run PB foam, which is a super
0:52
critical PEBA foam. This is the same foam as in the Endorphins series, and
0:58
before, when in our Triumph 20 and 21, and this is a 20, I did not review the 21, it
1:07
was just an upper change. We had Power Run Plus, which is a beaded expanded bead
1:13
TPU foam. So I actually took them out on an A-B run, one against each other, and I
1:20
can tell you that the new foam in our 22 is definitely more vibration absorbing
1:29
and more shock absorbing, even though it isn't quite as soft. So it's less
1:37
kind of bouncy. You can see the rubbery feel, and more direct, more
1:43
quickly responding, and I especially noticed that in the forefoot, and I'll
1:48
get into that during the run. So this is clearly a superior foam. Now we also have
1:55
a wider platform, so we're 10 millimeters wider at the heel, 10
2:00
millimeters wider at the midfoot, and 5 at the forefoot than our previous on the
2:09
20 and 21. That does lead to an increase in weight, because now we're
2:16
coming in at about 10.75 ounces, or 304 grams in a US 9, whereas before we were
2:24
at 9.8 ounces, 279 grams. And I think that's more attributable to the width of
2:31
the platform than the foam, because the Peeba foam should be lighter. But it is
2:36
really not noticed on the run. In fact, this is, even though our Triumph neutral
2:43
shoe, very kind of plush, always known for a plush ride, it felt almost rough in
2:50
comparison to our 22. So the ride is definitely improved. Now moving on to the
2:56
it's still a 37 millimeter heel, 27 millimeter forefoot. Moving on to the
3:02
uppers, there was something that was really, really noticeable here for me. The
3:08
Achilles collars on both of these are really different. You can see here, we've
3:14
got on our 22, we've got a very kind of plush approach, whereas here we had kind
3:19
of a sharply angular one. This Achilles collar is not only far more
3:26
comfortable, but it is equally as secure. You can see the foam isn't mushy soft
3:31
I'm not sure how they pulled this off, but it really works well. I won't be
3:38
pretending to give you kind of medical advice, but I think if you have an
3:42
Achilles that bothers you in the back here, this upper may be something that
3:48
will be very helpful. The tongue is decently padded, moderately padded. It'll
3:54
be hard to see, but we have a gusset tongue, pretty substantial. That's kind
3:59
of important because this engineered mesh, other than these woven in kind of
4:04
3D supports, does not have any overlays. Toe box is moderately wide. The
4:14
mesh, because there's no big overlays, is very accommodating. Not sure it'll be the
4:20
most breathable, but this is kind of the mesh we're seeing this year, kind of
4:24
a denser closed mesh that really wraps the foot really, really well, and it
4:30
certainly does here. You can see that the straps that we had here that kind of
4:36
locked in are gone. I don't really miss them because, as I said, we've got this
4:43
wider platform, which 10 millimeters wider at the heel, so we're now at 95
4:48
millimeters, 75 millimeters, 10 millimeters wider at the midfoot, and 5 millimeters wider at the forefoot. Feel the, in combination with the new rubber
5:04
approach, that this all works really well, although I think this may be a touch
5:09
overdone through here, but I think Saucony was careful to give the shoe
5:14
enough stability. Of course, it's neutral, to allow you to kind of be stable enough
5:20
in this soft, energetic foam, and that's what I feel. Now, in terms of flex, try not
5:26
to tip everything over. There's very decent flex here. I'm not sure you can
5:31
see it. Very decent flex, and that is noticed as being a bit less flexible
5:42
than our 20 here, but more cushioned at the forefoot, which is kind of
5:48
interesting. So, I've taken them out for four runs now, including the AB run, and
5:54
now I'm going to give you some feedback from the run. Beautiful Rye Harbor area
6:00
so there'll be a bit of scenery and a bit of history. Stay tuned, and then I'll
6:05
also, at the end, do some comparisons to some shoes I think are pretty
6:11
comparable, including Nike Vomero 17, New Balance 1080 V13, Brooks Glycerin 21, and
6:21
Puma Magnify Nitro 2. Stay tuned. Okay, we're by the Rye Marshes, and I want to
6:31
talk a little bit about the fit of our Triumph. So, for me, I'm an 8 1⁄2
6:37
narrow to medium foot, and this is a perfect, perfect fit for me. You notice
6:42
the upper is almost tubular in shape, and this leads to a very consistent fit. As
6:48
far as the toe room, you can see I have about a half the thumb's width. The mesh
6:54
is dense, but it has a bit of give to it. This is what we're seeing more and more
7:00
kind of a denser mesh. There are some ventilation holes. I noticed the midfoot
7:05
strap holding me nicely because we do have fairly soft foam here, energetic
7:10
soft foam. Tongue just about right, a bit, you know, a bit puffy, but I think you
7:14
need that to hold in this quite pliable upper. The other thing that's very, very
7:20
noticeable, in contrast to the Triumph 20, the heel counter is very easy on the
7:29
foot, very easy on the Achilles. The 20 was kind of rigid high. Here we have a
7:35
lot of really nice padding that's not overly soft. It's just about right. The
7:42
feel is a bit low, but that's good because there's no pressure on the
7:47
Achilles, but very, very solid. Midfoot, as I said, really solid, toe box solid
7:54
This is not a performance kind of upper, I'd say. It's more a comfort upper, but
8:00
it's one that's really well pulled off. By not going with kind of a stretch knit
8:04
as they had in the 21 or say the New Balance 1080, you can get a lot of
8:10
volume and comfort without it being sloppy. So this is a really very, very
8:19
comfortable upper. It's not particularly warm today. I haven't tested in the heat
8:23
They may run a bit hot, but I'd prefer a secure fit to too much kind of
8:30
sloppiness and stretch, especially with our Peeba midsole. Neat old colonial here
8:38
We're on what's called Lock Road, named after one of the early families. First comments about the ride. I already told you a bit in the first part, but you've
8:47
got a lot of energy return from the Peeba midsole, which is, I think, maybe
8:57
a touch firmer than the, in the endorphin, but we have no plate here
9:03
The outsole provides a lot of the support. The toe off is flexible, lively
9:11
Bigfoot, I think a bit broad for me in terms of the platform, but this is a
9:18
ride for long, comfortable miles. We of course talked about the upper at just
9:24
about any pace, although given the weight of the shoe and the upper, it's
9:32
more for your everyday miles and speed, although the foam is more than capable
9:38
of it. But it's just a very pleasant, smooth, soft ride. Almost feels natural because
9:46
of the flexibility and the return of the foam. So coming up on the Fry Harbor
9:52
here, I'm going to keep going. So grip on this sand over dry pavement. Fair, decent. There's a bit of
10:07
profile. I've seen worse, that's for sure. It's really pretty good. It's
10:12
always a tricky challenge, the sand on this, over the tar. Now we're going by
10:22
the harbor. I stopped at the monument at the tip of the harbor to the first Europeans to
10:29
land, and they're asking people to try to clear the rocks from all our storms
10:34
that we had in January by Earth Day. I don't think we quite made it. There's something special about a super foam without a plate. You have just
10:44
enough support from the outsole. Very, not bouncy, but springy, in a more kind
10:51
of deliberate way. Really feels great. So the fishing boats are back in for the season. There are a few that do the
11:00
winter. Mainly lobster and scallop, I think, is what we fish around here. It's
11:05
a beautiful harbor that dates way, way back. And there was once a major
11:13
skirmish with the British who tried to come ashore for supplies, the War of
11:17
1812. And the locals had plenty of time because they rowed ashore, the British
11:22
and they all kind of brought their picnics and chased them off. Oh, we got
11:28
somebody coming in over here. Let's get into some pros and cons of our Triumph 22. So the cushioning is very
11:36
deep, very vibration absorbing, with a quick training focused energy return. This isn't, there's no plate here. So you've got a deep, deep stack of cushion
11:47
that doesn't ever, ever, ever feel mushy. I'd also say there's some response
11:53
from the foam and the outsole combination. But you won't mistake this
11:59
for, for example, an endorphin speed because there's no plate. And the
12:04
platform, wider, more stable, maybe a touch wide, and a bit overdone with
12:10
rubber stabilizing here. But this is a neutral shoe. And it really has kind of
12:19
a natural, it's strange to say 37 millimeter heel, 27 millimeter forefoot
12:24
kind of a natural feel underfoot. You can really feel your toes working. And
12:30
there's a bit more of a rocker now. So there's a bit of a smooth rocker and we
12:34
have some flex. The outsole is well matched to the midsole. So you don't
12:39
feel like there's too much hard rubber or kind of a slappy disconnect. The
12:46
upper, this sort of tubular, tubular kind of approach, and you saw that
12:53
earlier, just wraps the foot very, very smoothly. And I think the, these rear
13:00
Achilles collar, very good hold, very gentle, soft hold, may be able to help
13:06
some folks who have issues back there. In far, as far as cons, well, the bigger
13:11
biggest one is probably the weight because we gain 25 grams to now come in
13:16
at 10.75 ounces, and 304 grams, not sure that's could have been avoided. Given
13:25
the wider platform, and all this extensive rubber, not really felt on the
13:31
run. When I did the AB test to the number 20. And a bit slower to
13:38
transition a bit, a bit kind of more rigid than the 20. But I think fans of
13:45
the 2021, 21 had a different upper more kind of knit, stretch knit like are
13:51
going to be very pleased with this really modernized take on the Triumph as
13:58
the big cushy neutral, neutral daily trainer in the Saucony line and now one
14:06
that gets a thoroughly modern foam update. We're seeing more and more
14:10
supercritical foams and trainers and plateless ones and this is a really fine
14:15
one. Now let's get into some comparisons. So compared to the Triumph 20 and
14:20
underfoot the same for the 21. I didn't run the 21. But we do have a review of
14:27
it. The our new our new Triumph is for sure more energy, energetically riding
14:39
with more kind of a more consistent feel and more forgiving cushion as well as a
14:46
more comfortable upper. Yes, it does gain some weight. It's it's it's a
14:51
thoroughly modern upgrade. Next up Saucony Ride 17. It still has the Power
14:58
Run Plus TPU, beaded TPU, expanded beaded TPU. The Triumph used to have it is
15:08
lighter by 23 grams. So it weighs about the same as the Triumph 21 does now it's
15:15
it's slightly lower stack than what we have here. It sits on a five millimeter
15:20
narrow platform all around. It's a bit more agile, no question because of that
15:25
narrow platform and it leans a bit faster pace than the Triumph. So it's
15:29
upper while comfort is not quite as plush and all of a piece as the
15:34
Triumphs. While I prefer the Power Run PB midsole of the new Triumph, the ride
15:40
is slightly more a slightly more versatile daily trainer due to its
15:44
lower weight and more nimble platform. Okay, the 1080 V13 fresh foam from New
15:51
Balance. Well, I didn't like this shoe too much. Overly soft, non critical, super
15:57
critical foam, kind of mushy with a stretchy knit upper. It just didn't work
16:02
well for me. It really takes comfort a bit too far. You've got at least as much
16:07
comfort here but at least you have a secure upper and a more energetic, less
16:14
mushy ride. Nike's Vomero 17 definitely a more kind of performance oriented
16:21
snugger upper. It has a combination of Zoom X foam we know so well and more
16:28
EVA kind of lower midsole carrier and a more profiled outsole so a bit better
16:35
maybe if you do some light trails. It is 21 grams lighter, has a similar stack
16:41
height and drop. It just isn't as plush or as consistently smooth and feel top
16:46
to bottom but is more is a bit more stable and kind of more responsive. So if
16:52
you're looking for kind of a plusher ride then the Vomero, check this one out
16:57
Brooks Glycerin 21, similar to the experience to the 1080, a stretchy knit
17:04
upper in the version I had. More focused on comfort than performance. There's a
17:11
lighter stealth fit upper, might change my opinion somewhat. It does have
17:15
supercritical DNA V3 foam which is a bit softer and not as quick reacting as
17:20
what we have here so I would call the Power Run PB a bit more performance
17:25
oriented foam. The Triumph I think as with the comparison to the 1080
17:32
threads the needle between performance and comfort better. Finally the Puma Magnify Nitro 2. This is a supercritical nitro foam, all nitro foam
17:43
unlike the first version of this shoe. It's lighter, it's three millimeters higher stack yet it weighs 19 grams less. Its upper is not as plush
17:56
or broad fitting but is more secure. The nitro foam of the Magnify is similar in
18:02
characteristics to our PB, if a bit mushier and less responsive. Its outsole
18:09
is definitely more profiled and even light trails worthy, reducing the foam
18:14
advantage of the Triumph. So the Puma may be a slightly more versatile shoe. It
18:21
comes down a bit to fit and preferences. I would take that Puma outsole any day
18:27
over this really quite fine outsole here. Thank you very much for watching
18:34
The Triumph 22 from Saucony will be available May 1st 2024. We also have a
18:42
full written review, soon to be multi tester, over on www.roadtrailrun.com. Have a
18:48
great run
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