With the addition of Saucony’s PWRRUN PB (PEBA) foam, the Triumph 22 is one of the most anticipated shoes of the year. But did the pair meet my lofty expectations through the first 60 miles? Find out in this Saucony Triumph 22 review.
A triumphant history
My first foray into the Triumph series was with the Triumph 17 in 2019; I was hooked. It was the most comfortable shoe I had tried at the time. Sure, it was a little on the heavy side, but nothing too extreme for a plush daily trainer. It was my first true long-run shoe and helped me prepare for my first marathon.
However, the next two updates of the shoe — the Triumph 18 and 19 — were a bit disappointing, to say the least. The 18 gained a full ounce in weight and, let’s just say, it was quite noticeable, weighing heavily on my mind in addition to my feet. It didn’t take long for me to take the pair off the pavement and onto the gym floor for non-running workouts.
While the 19 shed weight, it didn’t have the same soft and bouncy underfoot feel I experienced with the 17. The pair felt rather firm and unforgiving—two cardinal sins according to my shoe religion.
Then in 2022, the Triumph 20 landed with a new midsole compound, more cushioning, updated geometry, and a lighter weight. The 20 was one of the most versatile shoes and one of my favorites I ever ran in. Both statements still ring true to this day.
The following year, in 2023, the Triumph 21 released with just a minor update to the upper. I decided to skip the 21 and wait for a more substantial update with the 22. When news broke that the 22 would replace the PWRRUN+ midsole with Saucony’s excellent PWRRUN PB—found in the stellar Endorphin Speed, Pro, and Tempus—I couldn’t wait to get the pair on my feet.
Saucony Triumph 22 Review
Stack height: 37/27 mm (10 mm drop)
Weight: (U.S.) Men: 10.1oz. (286g) Women: 8.8oz. (250g)
Price: $160
Ride
The 22nd edition of the thick shoe reminds me of an older version of the Triumph. While it provides a very soft and comfortable underfoot sensation, the Triumph 22’s ride is clunkier, less responsive, and not nearly as versatile as the 20 or 21. In short, I find it more difficult to change up my paces with the 22. Yet, I think that’s intentional on Saucony’s part; despite PWRRUN PB underfoot, it seems like the 22 was designed to be more of a recovery day shoe than a versatile daily trainer. Which makes sense—that’s what the Triumph was originally intended to be.
Saucony’s Ride is the true daily trainer. And with the introduction of the Endorphin Speed, Tempus, and Kinvara Pro in the past few years, there’s really no need for the Triumph to be yet another daily trainer in Saucony’s lineup. It became as redundant as Office Space’s Peter Gibbons’ eight bosses (Eight!) coming by his cubicle to tell him about any mistake he makes. “Did you see the memo?” Screw TPS reports!
Midsole
The PWRRUN PB foam doesn’t feel nearly as lively as it does in the Endorphin Speed or Pro. Granted, both of those shoes have a plate and the Triumph doesn’t, so that would help explain why. Still, I expected more bounce from the addition of this super foam. While the shoe doesn’t hit the pavement with a thud, again, it’s just not as exciting a ride as the 20 or 21.
Upper
I’ve never worn a Saucony upper I didn’t love, and the Triumph 22’s engineered mesh upper doesn’t buck this trend. So, I could just as easily skip this section; it’d save me time and energy and make this review shorter. It’s a win-win.
Like most runners, when I’m not running, I’m one of the laziest people imaginable. You’ll usually find me sitting—on the couch, in my office chair, or behind the wheel. Despite having a standing desk, I rarely ever use it. What can I say? I like to save my calorie burning for running and running only. Yes, I know: “Sitting is the new smoking.” I’m working on quitting both. Just kidding, I don’t smoke. But I do sit—a lot. So, according to that idiom, I might as well be smoking?
However, for those who list a non-breathable upper as a running shoe deal breaker, you may not be a fan—in fact, you may feel like you need a built-in fan inside the shoe blowing on your feet to cool them down. Calm down, people: it’s just a little sweat—not urine. Besides, sweat is sterile, just like urine is—according to Patches O’Houlihan from the film Dodgeball. And he likes the taste. Anyway, just don’t wear thick socks and you’ll be fine.
Outsole
Saucony widened the midfoot and outsole considerably from the 21 for added stability. The Triumph, in particular, has some of the most durable outsoles on the market. Seriously, these shoes can last close to 600 miles, depending on the runner. Of course, I’d never run in any shoe for that long to find out. I don’t care how great a shoe is, after a while with any pair, the experience starts to get stale. Don’t get me wrong, the shoes still perform fine, I’m just extremely impatient and always looking for my next “flavor of the month.”
Chalk it up to the life of a shoe reviewer: JK, don’t dare ever limit me by labeling me as a shoe reviewer—I’m so much more than that. I also talk about what your shoe colorway preference says about your beliefs, how the release of new shoes and albums are eerily similar, and so much more—I’m very dynamic!
Weight
If you needed any more evidence this is meant to be an easy day shoe, the Saucony Triumph 22 gained .3 ounces from the 21. Sure, it’s only three-tenths of an ounce, but it’s never a good thing when a shoe gets heavier. Never. Name me one exception. You can’t do it! Oh wait, there was that one shoe back in 2018—just kidding! Like I said, it’s never a good thing when a shoe gains weight. And, honestly, this is one of those shoes that actually feels heavier than its listed weight—that’s never a good thing, either.
Looks
Not much to say here. It’s a fine-looking shoe. Wait, not “fine-looking” as in, very attractive, “fine-looking” as in, it looks just fine. It’s neither hideous nor breathtaking. But Saucony, c’mon, the available colorways for the men’s model are soooo boring. Let’s infuse some color into this shoe! I went with, perhaps, the most colorful colorway, ViZiBlue | Pepper, and it’s still lacking a certain je ne sais quoi—yes, that is the only French term in my vocabulary. That is French, right?
Price
$160 for a maximally cushioned, supremely comfortable, and extremely durable shoe with PEBA foam is certainly a fair price, given the market—which is not fair. The market sucks—for every product. And every service. And everything else. Inflation is a hell of a drug—one that makes you want to do much harder drugs to take your mind off inflation and the current state of the world. Hey, maybe 2025 will be better? Nah, we’ll say the same thing next year about 2026. Hell, we say the same thing every year about the following year. You got to love human nature—we’re so delusional!
Saucony Triumph 22 Review Conclusion
With Saucony’s decision to discontinue the underwhelming max-cushioned Endorphin Shift, they needed a true max cushion easy day pair added to their lineup. The Triumph 22 admirably fills the gap, and serves as an excellent recovery day shoe, Yet, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit disappointed in the lack of versatility compared to the Triumph 21. I suppose that’s the risk you run when you produce a such a hit shoe: it’s hard to improve upon it the following year. But, as I stated, this is more a case of Saucony pivoting the Triumph to become a true easy day pair.
However, Saucony’s recent re-introduction of their max cushioned, light stability Hurricane shoe complicates things a bit. I actually prefer the ride of the Hurricane 24 (PWRRUN PB and PWRRUN) over the Triumph 22. Same goes for the Ride 17 (PWRRUN+), and, unsurprisingly, the Endorphin Speed 4. The Triumph is my least-favorite of these four Saucony shoes I’ve tested in 2024. Don’t get me wrong—the Triumph 22 is still a good shoe, but there are better, more versatile Saucony alternatives you can purchase for cheaper (Ride 17), the same price (Hurricane 24), or for just $10 more (Endorphin Speed 4).
The Saucony Triumph 22 is available for purchase on Saucony’s website or wherever you empty your wallet on shoes.
I purchased the Saucony Triumph 22 with my money and Saucony was not given the opportunity to see this review before I published. I was not compensated for this Saucony Triumph 22 review.
