When I first opened the box and saw the colors I immediately became excited. I couldn’t wait to put them on and take them out for a test run. Sam: The T18 is yet more cushioned, slightly more stable, especially at the heel, heavier and has a smoother transition but gets nudged beyond the daily trainer category by its weight where the T17 sat on the upper end of weight for me into the easy days realm. I do not miss the crystal rubber even if the T17 has a teeny touch more response. The new Triumph upper while on the warm side is superior in all respects: heel hold, not as snug arch hold, and toe box vertical volume.

Pwrrun+ is also unaffected by climate changes so it won’t become firmer in cold temperatures or softer in warm ones. On cold, Johannesburg winter mornings, my runs remained cushioned and springy. Sam is the Editor and Founder of Road Trail Run. He is 63 with a 2018 3:40 Boston qualifier. Sam has been running for over 45 years and has a 2:28 marathon PR. These days he runs halves in the just sub 1:40 range training 30-40 miles per week mostly at moderate paces on the roads and trails of New Hampshire and Utah. He is 5'10" tall and weighs about 163 lbs if he isn't indulging in to many fine New England IPA's. The 18 replaces the crystal rubber forefoot with a full coverage of high abrasion XT-900 rubber, retools the midsole side walls and heel geometry with less sculpted side walls and with more of and a flatter rear midsole overhang . The outsole is very resistant with a good amount of XT-900 rubber while remaining flexible and allows for miles of running without early wear on the platform. The grip is also perfect on dry and wet pavements alike.The engineered mesh upper is more conventional in design with higher achilles collars while retaining,, and not sure why as the upper is so stout and mid oot so broad.. a bootie type tongue..I was very curious to see where all the changes led and where the Triumph would fit with other trainers such as Endorphin Shift, Ride 13, and even the light stability Omni 19 which all ansi saw substantial updates. And Saucony has not disappointed with a single shoe in 2020 as all have substantially and well updated. Because everyone getting on board with making the world a better place, Saucony has made this style vegan and designed it with recycled materials. Jacob: The Triumph is Saucony’s plush, high-cushion, premium neutral trainer. The previous version 17 was a dramatic update to the Triumph line, introducing Saucony’s flexible and bouncy PWRRUN+ expanded TPU bead midsole and dropping the ISOFIT upper technology. In comparison, version 18 is a minor update, but it still sees some significant changes. The Triumph 18 keeps the big slab of PWRRUN+ but changes the forefoot outsole from the softer, more flexible crystal rubber of the 17 to a more responsive blown rubber. It also trades the 17’s large, highly-padded, unique heel collar for a more conventional heel design.

If you’re looking for a max-cushioned, long-distance trainer which still manages to feel springy, look no further than the Triumph 18. Saucony has managed to better an already excellent product. Although designed for all kinds of paces (from recovery runs to uptempo sessions), the majority of testers consider it more suitable for daily training and long runsthan for speed workouts.

Saucony Triumph 18 First Impressions

In summary, 2021 is a very good vintage for the Saucony Triumph, with a new version rich in improvements. We see little reason to pass upon it, especially if you’re looking for a comfortable premium shoe for your long runs. The PWRRUN+ midsole (8mm drop) material has made a splash in 2019/20. It’s like a magic power. It isn’t your grandmother’s EVA midsole. It’s PU based and reports 3x higher durability– more flexible, less sensitive to temperature changes, and lighter to boot. Think about it as a lighter BOOST foam, but don’t get it mixed up with PWRRUN PB that you find in the Endorphin Speed and PRO. That stuff is even lighter and has Peba as an ingredient. Saucony says PWRRUN+ gives the runner the best of six aspects of cushioning – impact absorption, stride response, pressure reduction, energy return, durability, and weight.

More springy-cloud feeling - PWRRUN+, the next generation of lightweight, springy cushioning, gives you a luxurious underfoot feel that lasts. Jacob: The Triumph 18 is clearly a premium shoe. Out of the box the construction, from stitching to material choice, is immaculate. The reviewers who tried the T19 are unanimous on the subject: there’s nothing to complain about this simple and effective outsole. The grip is excellent on its favorite playground, the asphalt, and even wet pavement after a good heavy rain. It also works very well on dry trails or gravel roads. Jacob: Sam summarized the ride well regarding a cushion-first feel with a bit of bounce and ground-feel. It has a dull, muted ride with good stability and a protected, comfortable feel that isn’t too soft and moves me along smoothly.A substantial lightening of the shoe, making it more competitive with other models like Puma Velocity, whose upper is lined with an inner sleeve The upper looked like it had gone on a 6 month diet. It looked less puffy than the Triumph 17 which had a chunky heel counter and the midfoot synthetic overlays were now gone on the Triumph 18. Too often, there isn’t a big enough difference in midsole density between a brand’s daily trainer and its max-cushioned trainer. The Triumph 19 comes with a second set of colorful yellow laces if you want a bit more pizzaz. Not a big deal, but a nice touch. Thumbs up for night running

THOMAS: Saucony is killing it this year. The quality and breadth of their lineup is as good as any Saucony has ever produced over the years and as good as any competitor. The Triumph fits the traditional daily trainer mold with a nice midsole upgrade. I imagine the runner that wants a bread and butter trainer will enjoy this shoe. When compressing the midsole with my fingers, it felt firmer than last year’s midsole and reminded me of the Everun foam on previous ISO versions of the Triumph. I tested the Triumph 17, and while many on our team loved it ( RTR Review ), I was less of a fan. The then new PWRUN+ midsole was a great replacement for Everun but the crystal rubber outsole in the mix dulled the ride and pop, and it was on the stiff side. Normally, the new version of a running shoe is released 12 months after the previous version however, the Triumph 18 was released a mere 6 months after the Triumph 17.Runners love the shoe’s new aesthetic, which is stylish and has some fun touches (yellow laces, mind you!). They also appreciate the brand’s efforts to use more environmentally friendly materials.