The RW Takeaway: The Saucony Triumph 17 provides a little boost on long runs and is forgiving on your legs.
- New PWRRUN+ midsole is lightweight—and springier, too
- Plush all-around comfort
- RW shoe lab results showed impressive energy return
Price: $150
Type: Road
Drop: 10mm
Weight: 10.9 oz (M), 8.9 oz (W)
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Calling something “soft as butter” may elicit eye rolls it’s been so overused, though I can’t help but resort to it while describing the feel of Saucony’s Triumph 17. Our wear testers had the same reaction. “The cushioning on this shoe is the standout feature for me,” one said. “My feet get sore pretty easily in my other shoes, and these are super pillowy, which helped reduce fatigue and soreness.” Of course, you can’t judge a running shoe through comfort alone.
Pros
- New PWRRUN+ midsole is softer, lighter, and springier
- Soft upper feels like a cushion enveloping your foot
Cons
- Slightly heavy and bulky
Because of its slightly chunky profile (that enveloping, buttery softness surrounding your foot almost strays too far into sofa thickness), I was doubtful the shoe would inspire me to pick up the tempo on my morning runs. And yet I kept reaching for the Triumph.
My smartwatch read race-pace miles on those jaunts, and I became addicted to the shoe’s bounce. The source of this propulsion—and surprisingly lightweight ride—is Saucony’s new PWRRUN+ midsole. According to the company, it’s 28 percent lighter than PWRRUN, as well as springier, more flexible, and more durable. I’m assigning this shoe as my long run go-to this marathon-training season.
360-Degree Softness
As I barreled up and down hills one morning and my mileage ticked up into the double digits, I seemed to have more spring with each step. Once again, our testers shared similar experiences and raved about the shoe’s plushness and rebound, as well.
“The new PWRRUN+ foam is molded in a way that allows for the cushioning to absorb some hard pounding without sacrificing the integrity underfoot,” said one. “Basically, you land, your heel feels amazing, but it doesn’t give the feeling of sinking into a massive hotel pillow.”
This is because the softness doesn’t dull rebound like how foam padding on a room’s walls dampens sound. The PWRRUN+’s adaptive cushioning, according to Saucony, absorbs 5 percent more impact for greater responsiveness.
Our lab tests for both the women’s and men’s models showed the cushioning in the forefoot and heel of the Triumph to be incredibly soft. The shoe weighs on the heavy, but you wouldn’t know it—at least I didn’t. The results also showed energy return was extraordinarily high. And so, if you didn’t believe in me or our wear testers as we eulogize over the shoe’s softness and responsiveness, believe—at the very least—in science.
More Wear Tester Feedback
Derek C., tester since 2015
Arch: Medium | Gait: Neutral | Footstrike: Heel
“This shoe is everything the first few iterations of the Hoka One One Clifton were: a full-foot hug that is equally reliable on tempo and long slow distances. Heck, even the thicker, plush laces are cushioned. The shoe is reliable under a wide spectrum of conditions—warmer days on pavement, windy mornings on the beach, and on the flimsiest treadmill Planet Fitness can throw at you. I’ve been doing a lot of runs on hilly, uneven pavement in the darkest hours of the morning, and at no point was I concerned about losing my footing.”
Brandon B., tester since 2012
Arch: High | Gait: Underpronator | Footstrike: Heel
“It felt amazingly comfortable from the start, like your foot is just going into a giant cushion. The tongue even feels nice when you cinch it down on the top of your foot to tie the shoe. I used them for the majority of my miles on roads with a sprinkle of trails and treadmill. I don’t run roads nearly as often as trails, but these definitely made pounding miles on the pavement more enjoyable. They’re lightweight, breathable, and well cushioned.”
Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.
