Saucony Triumph 21: Full Review

I never had a running shoe that has reached 100 km (62 mi) with so few runs. Doing a +30km (+17 mi) run with the Saucony Triumph 21 it’s like a walk in the park in terms of comfort and enjoyment. Every time I reach the 30 km (19 mi) mark, this shoe keeps bouncing and asks me to keep going!

Introduction

The Triumph 21 are Saucony’s max-cushion running shoes and always have been well-regarded among runners, but something changed since the 20th iteration. They became lighter and bouncier while keeping all the max-cushion properties. The 21st version follows the same formula with some small changes to the upper to improve lockdown and breathability.

I bought these shoes essentially for my long runs above 25 km (16 mi) and I already logged more than 100 km (62 mi) with them.

Pros

• Comfortable
• Bouncy
• Lightweight 
• Lockdown

Cons

• Price
• The 10mm drop is noticeable

Stats

 Heel Stack:

37 mm

 Forefoot Stack:

27 mm

 Drop:

10 mm

 Weight (US 9):

279g | 9.8 oz

 Weight (US 11):

304g | 10.6 oz

 Stability:

Neutral

 Tongue:

Gusseted

 Carbon plate:

No

 Purpose:

Recovery, Easy & Long Runs

Upper

The Triumph 21 features a very breathable knit upper that has some elasticity that will provide extra comfort.

The laces are thin, with a good length, and also have some elasticity. The laces' elasticity is meant to add even more comfort, but to be fair, I don't know if it changes anything. Nevertheless, I can tighten the laces more than usual without feeling any lace bites.

One of the eyelets is in fact a strap that will tighten the lateral and medial side of the shoe when one pulls the laces, working very well to improve the lockdown.

The tongue is gusseted, made of soft and comfortable material that wraps around the foot and this not only provides additional comfort but it contributes to a more secure lockdown. The tongue doesn't have more padding than some great daily trainers, but to be honest it doesn't need more. It has the right amount of padding. This knit-tongue-laces combo works very well and I can securely tighten the laces without feeling any pressure on my foot.

Moving to the back of the shoe. The heel counter is rigid, providing ample support during the runs. As for the pull tab, it's worthless to me. I need to grab the shoe by the collar tab to be able to slide my foot in.

Moving now to the interior of the shoe, it does not seem to have much more padding than a great daily trainer. In fact, it seems to have the same amount of padding as the Hoka Clifton 9 and Puma Velocity Nitro 2, but it must have a different density because I can feel the extra comfort while running, especially in the heel area.

The inner fabric is also very comfortable and smooth to the touch, feeling somewhat luxurious.

Midsole

The midsole features the PWRRUN+ foam and we also have a PWRRUN+ insole.

This midsole is the soul of this shoe. We have a good amount of foam below our feet that compresses very well and then decompresses quickly giving us a great amount of energy return. The PWRRUN+ is a soft foam, not as soft as the Puma Nitro foam, but bouncier.

There is a rocker present but it's not aggressive and so not that noticeable. I would like to see this shoe with a more aggressive rocker, especially because it's my long runs' shoe and a more present rocker is better to help keep the desired cadence.

This midsole shows us that we don't need to add a plate to every running shoe to have stability and a good amount of energy return! We can have great performance and enjoyment without a plate, and the Triumph 21 are proof of it.

This midsole has a wide base that will contribute to the overall stability of the ride.

Outsole

The Triumph 21 follows the usual Saucony pattern for outsoles, with the right amount of rubber strategically placed. It doesn't have exposed foam that could be damaged by the impact and we also don't have too much rubber coverage that would increase the shoe weight.

Saucony uses the XT-900 carbon rubber compound on this outsole but somehow it felt different from the (same) rubber that equips the Endorphin Speed. This compound on the Triumph 21 feels grippier over wet pavements, something that always has been a handicap of the Endorphin Speed. What didn't change, was the durability. With more than 100km (62 mi) I don't see any sign of wear. This shoe will perform at its best up to 800km (500 mi).

Fit

The fit is almost perfect. I just don't say perfect because a perfect fit for me is like a performance shoe fit. I feel my feet completely secured, my heel was comfortably snugged, and I always find it difficult to secure my heel. This great lockdown is coming from 3 factors:

1. The shoe shape
2. The padding and its materials, especially around the heel
3. the lacing system

I ordered my usual size and it felt a little bit longer than the Endorphin Speed, but it's true to size nevertheless.

As expected from a max-cushion shoe, the toe box has enough room for the toes, and the knit upper plays a role here. I feel a cozy toe box, but the elasticity of the upper allows your toes to move more freely as it would happen with a wider toe box. So, you get the comfort of a wider toe box and the lockdown of a tight one.

Ride

After the first 20 km (12 mi) the foam broke and it turned softer and bouncier. So, what was good got even better.

With the Triumph 21, I felt excellent comfort surrounding my feet and great cushioning. One can really feel that foam compressing and decompressing and we have 37mm of foam in the heel for it! The heel strikers, like me, will take more advantage of this midsole, but even if you land with your forefoot, you have 27mm of PWRRUN+ to enjoy!

Because we have a 10mm drop, the ride is not as smooth as other shoes with less drop and with a more rockered ride. I prefer a drop around 6mm and 8mm and a more pronounced rocker, but if I had that in the Triumph 21, probably I wouldn't get the bouncy feeling that this shoe delivers so, let's keep the 10mm drop.

Despite the 10mm drop, I don't feel the slapping effect caused by high-drop shoes. The heel compresses so nicely when we land and that fades the 10mm drop and gives us a smooth heel-to-toe transition.

With the Triumph 21, I don't feel that I am running in a max-cushioning shoe. It doesn't have too much padding, it's not overly cushioning or overly soft. What I feel is that I am running in a premium workhorse that is lightweight, comfortable, stable, and has a good amount of energy return.

Regarding stability, I don't have the need for support, but I felt very stable in these shoes. In fact, the medial side of the midsole seems to have something that is giving more support to the shoe, something firmer (just a bit), but I didn't find any statement from Saucony that could confirm this. Nevertheless, I feel it and I feel the support it's providing.

Repeating what I wrote in the intro, in all my +30K (+19 mi) runs, as I reach kilometer 30 (more or less), the PWRRUN+ keeps bouncing and it helps me keep my stride length and cadence even when I am tired. Not only that but the bounciness of the foam invites me to increase my pace. So far, I only didn't go over 35K (22 mi) because the Portuguese summer is very hard for these long runs, even if I start running very early in the morning. Otherwise, I would be doing +35K (+22 mi) every week with the Triumph 21!

I also tried to do some speed work with the Triumph 21 and despite the good energy return, anything below 4:30 min/km (7:15 min/mile) is too much for the Triumph 21. So, if you're a quick runner, don't expect to do speed work with them.

Value

This one it's not easy. This is an expensive shoe, period. It retails for 190€ ($160, £170).

It's too much in my opinion, but are they worth it? Let me say straight away, yes, but it will depend on your typical training.

The Triumph 21 can be your only running shoe for easy, recovery, and long runs, but if you are not training for a marathon or if don't do +25K (+16 mi) long runs then I don't see why should you need to spend 190€ for a running shoe. My preferred daily trainers, the Hoka Clifton 9 and Puma Velocity Nitro 2 do a great job as workhorses and are better for easy miles. They are not only cheaper, but their foam is softer, they're lighter, and comfort-wise, they have everything you need for runs up to 25K (16 mi).

Now if you frequently do +25K (16 mi) runs, then you'll value the extra comfort, bounciness, stability, and breathability of the Triumph 21. For these very long runs, I say that the Triumph 21 are worth their price.

Otherwise, if you just want to do easy miles, the Clifton 9, for example, is also very well-padded, and very comfortable, and the foam is smooth and soft. Besides that, the Clifton 9 is not as bouncy as the Triumph 21 so you'll feel less tempted to increase the pace.

Verdict

Don't look to the Saucony Triumph 21 as a max-cushion running shoe but as a premium workhorse disguised as a max-cushion running shoe. If you're looking for extreme comfort, padding, and cushion, sacrificing weight and fun, then this is not it!

But if you're looking for a do-it-all running shoe, that will give you the comfort and protection you need for your very long runs, in a lightweight package, and at the same time gives you a fun and bouncy ride that will help you keep on going when you're starting to feel tired, then this is it!

The Triumph 21 is a very complete running shoe capable of doing every type of runs (if you don't expect too much from the speed sessions or races) and would be a great option for a 1 shoe rotation.

For a 2-shoe rotation, I would match with another Saucony, the Endorphin Speed 3. With the Speed 3, you'll fill the gap for the speed sessions and races.

For a 3-shoe rotation, I would add a carbon-plated shoe for my races. Why not the Saucony Endorphin Pro 3?

You won't be needing a 4-shoe rotation with the Triumph 21, but if you want it (I would), you can add a daily trainer and leave the expensive Triumph 21 for their prime sessions, the long runs. I would pick a less bouncy foam for my daily runs to force me to slow down. The Hoka Clifton 9 would be a good choice.

If you need help building your running shoe rotation, check out this post.

Drop me a line if you have any questions, and don't forget to follow the blog on social media and subscribe to receive a notification when I publish a new blog post.

If you're interested in buying the Saucony Triumph 21, follow the links below:

• US: Road Runner Sports
• EU: Top4Running - Code "allaboutrunning" for an additional 5% discount.
• UK: SportsShoes.com | ProDirectSport.com
• Global: Amazon

These are affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. It helps out my blog so I can keep bringing new content.

Portuguese-speaking readers, I have this same content in video format here (video below). Visit my Youtube Channel.