Saucony Triumph 11

One of Sauncony's flagships, the Triumph 11, has arrived. It lands with many changes that will please almost everyone... We have tested them for 3 weeks and 150 kilometers in total, to offer you the first impressions of one of the most awaited models of the fans of the brand.

In the characteristics of the Triumph we have already mentioned some of the new features. The main one is that Saucony takes a step forward and creates a shoe with maximum cushioning in which the trump card has been to reduce the weight, reduce the drop to 8 mm and look for a more reactive shoe to take market share from the big dominators of the category: Nimbus, Glycerin, Vomero, Supernova Glide.... Have they succeeded?

Feelings

As soon as you put on the Triumph 11, the sensation is one of robustness and protection. You're riding in a sedan and that should be noticeable. However, it's not the sofa at home, that is to say Saucony wants a model with more "chicha", they are not for you to fall asleep. The fit is excellent and the last in the toe area is wide, allowing the use of templates. The ankle height is not very high but it is a very stable shoe and you feel protected.

Let's start running

This is where Triumph 11 really earn their reputation. If you're looking for "soft" cushioning like the Vomero or Reebook One Cushion you're not going to find it. It is rather hard. Generous, but hard in sensations. Maybe it's due to the new 8 mm drop that reduces the midsole height. Saucony calls it "Geometry of strong". This supposed loss of cushioning is compensated by the replacement of the Progrid technology by the Powergrid, a technology that manages to lighten the weight of the shoe without hardly losing cushioning. In short, it is a shoe with excellent cushioning if that is what you are looking for, but with a reactive, harder cushioning that invites a faster transition of the stride, helped by the new geometry of the shoe that invites you to run in a more natural way.

Where does the Saucony Triumph 11 perform best?

Undoubtedly in medium and long distances. It is a perfect shoe for long distance training for experienced runners. I mean it's not a walking shoe, for paces at 6m/km. You could use it, but it would be like taking an Audi A8 out to get bread. These Triumphs are happy on long runs at medium to medium-fast paces. 4:45 - 4:30 is where you're going to get a lot of mileage out of them. Each stride is reactive, their stride transition is relatively quick for this type of shoes. And you will also be sufficiently protected by the stability provided by its chassis and outsole which incorporates support to correct small pronator gestures that arise when we are tired.

Durability

We know that 150 km are not enough to give a 100% reliable assessment but it is an approximation. The sole is what surprised us the most. It has not suffered hardly any wear. Its grip is very good especially the black pieces of a kind of rubber compound that works like a charm and placed in different parts of the sole like under the big toe to help in the last impulse of the stride.

Its chassis is too early to evaluate it. It has a highly ventilated mesh in the upper area and a breathable synthetic material underneath. Its lacing is protected with plastic for those who like to wear well adjusted laces without fear of tearing eyelets. The laces that come standard are flat and perhaps a little long.

Who would be the typical runner?

Runners with neutral or flat feet between 70 and 85 kg who are going to use them for long distance training and whose pace is between 4:30 and 5 m/km.

*Thanks to Saucony Spain for sending this shoe for testing.

Photos Saucony Triumph 11