Triumph 22 - First Impressions.
Sportlink Assistant Manager , Mark Thorpe, gives us his first impressions of the Triumph 22. Saucony’s new iteration of their max cushioned, neutral shoe has a few new features under its insole….!
The first thing to note on the latest Triumph 22 is the change to the PWRUN PB foam. Don't be fooled by this expecting it to run like the Endorphin Speed or Endorphin Pro 4. This is a slightly different compound giving a firmer feel underfoot. The wider base through the midfoot makes this a much more stable shoe to run in than the Triumph 20 or 21 .
This shoe reminds me more of the Triumph 18 in terms of an easy run daily trainer. The upper is very plush though this makes me think it maybe a little on the warm side in very hot weather. I particularly like the stretch feel of the laces that have plenty of length. The thickness of the tongue means you can easily lock the shoe down without concerns of hotspots on the top of the foot.
The outsole has plenty of grip and I have had no issues in the May downpours we’ve been having!
The shoe does feel quite heavy at over 300g in a UK 10, however no more so than any of it's competitors in the market place. The most crucial thing with any shoe is how it runs or how you may perceive it will run on your foot.
There have been many times I've dismissed a shoe before running in it. Once bedded in the 22 is the most responsive Triumph I've run in. I must caveat that I'm by no means a quick runner. It picked up the pace from 9 min miles easy down to some 200m efforts at 6.30 min. It wouldn't be my shoe of choice for an effort session but it's versatile enough to be an all rounder.
Summing up, this is a great shoe for those who want a good solid everyday trainer particularly those looking for a well cushioned stable neutral shoe. I wouldn't hesitate to use it as a long run shoe for Autumn marathon training.