Saucony Men's Triumph 18 Trail Running Shoe

Product Information

Soft with more snap - New midsole geometries coupled with a new, durable rubber outsole make the cushy ride of this shoe feel faster. When I first opened the box and saw the colors I immediately became excited. I couldn’t wait to put them on and take them out for a test run. The first thing that caught my attention when I opened the box was the Triumph 18’s brand new, chiselled Pwrrun+ midsole. It had a rough, dimpled texture compared to the smooth Pwrrun+ midsole of the Triumph 17.

The 18 replaces the crystal rubber forefoot with a full coverage of high abrasion XT-900 rubber, retools the midsole side walls and heel geometry with less sculpted side walls and with more of and a flatter rear midsole overhang . The triumph weighs in at 10.6 ounces (300g), which is still a midweight to slightly heavy shoe in my opinion, but Saucony has seen the light that less is more and the Triumph 19 lost nearly a full ounce since version 18. The midsole is a full slab of PWRRUN+, Saucony’s “award-winning” cushioning compound. It’s the same stuff that you’ll find in the Saucony Hurricane and Freedom. What I liked most about this cushioning is that it stayed consistent on the run. From mile 1 to mile 10, even in the hot hot Summer sun, the shoes felt super-cushioned and responsive. Beneath the foam, you’ve got a full covering of rubber for plenty of traction and durability. This shoe has a smooth transition and generally comfortable ride. Shop Triumph 18 – Men Shop Triumph 18 – Women The Bad I had noted in my Cons for the 17 that its heel felt heavy and ponderous. This feel is somehow gone or at least reduced in the 18. It just runs more smoothly with a long easy lay down and easy long flexing toe off, I attribute the changes to the new heel geometry, the flatter profile of the midsole at midfoot and the new outsole. Built off of an award-winning formula, the new Triumph18 delivers Saucony's most luxurious running experience yet. Starting with strategic midsole geometry that sets you up for snappier transitions, there’s a new sense of speed in this highly-cushioned trainer. PWRRUN+ midsole foam provides that plush ride, but with more lightweight spring to help add rebound to each step you take. Lace it all up with FORMFIT, and you have a custom-like feel from heel to toe. With the Triumph, every run is a winner.

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The on-foot feel is soft, seamless, and slipper-like with plenty of padding and no pressure points. It reminds me of the soft and very comfortable Freedom 3 upper but more structured in the heel and more padded overall. It doesn’t feel snug—kind of low around the ankle—but foothold is great, which is an unusual and enjoyable combination. Sizing is perfect as well with a comfortable amount of space for my medium width foot.

Sam: Massive, bright in my Mutant color, polished and premium in looks and feel. While the 17 focused one’s attention to its low, soft and distinct molded rear collars here the whole shoe stands out. The tongue is padded with dense foam and is the most plush tongue of any shoe I’ve ever worn—it is comfortable on the foot but perhaps more padded than necessary. The heel collar is on the lower side and has a nicely free-feeling but still well-held fit. Given the amount of padding in the upper the feel on foot is not suffocating; far from airy but not uncomfortably hot (even in temps above 90F/30C). Sizing is perfect with some roominess in the forefoot but no slop and a smoothly well-held midfoot and heel. The biggest competitor to this shoe comes from within Saucony itself, the Endorphin Shift. If I were the one choosing, I would go with the Shift. It isn’t that much lighter, but I like the Speedroll setup of the midsole. The closest comparable trainer to the Triumph 18 would be the adidas Ultraboost PB. I live for the weekend, so long runs in a comfortable shoe is all I ask for. Well, that and a happy hour with an up martini in my hand. Saucony has kept what worked well on the 17 and changed what didn’t work. It’s a more polished, cooler shoe with slightly softer landings and better traction on wet surfaces due to the absence of hard crystal rubber on the outsole.

I like the Triumph 18 for long weekend runs above 25 kilometres and slow recovery runs but it also isn’t energy-sapping so it can also be used as a daily trainer if you prefer a plusher ride for the bulk of your training. The design and brightness of neon orange that dominates the front of the shoe just sells the shoe. The color is called “VIZIPRO.” This color and model have reflective details that help provide visibility in low-light situations. A great choice for those who are early morning or sunset runners. The update to the upper was needed. Not only did it help the shoe drop a considerable amount of weight, but it’s also made the shoe more breathable. Sam: The outsole replaces the 17’s extensive forefoot to midfoot slippery and I found soft and mushy crystal rubber (orange below) with fairly firm high abrasion carbon rubber with no horizontal cut outs to the midsole as before but with longitudinal ones.

The upper, midsole and outsole have all changed but the Triumph 18 performs only slightly differently to the Triumph 17. It definitely is an overall improvement but a small one. The Triumph 17 was my shoe of the year last year. It was everything I’ve ever wanted in a long-distance cruiser. Sam: We’ve said it more than once… bottomless soft cushion here with decent bounce from the midsole and response from the outsole. This is not a speed ride. It is a comfort, soft neutral ride with plenty of inherent stability with a smooth and gradual lay down at the heel, transition and toe off. I weigh 162 lbs, 73kg. It is a ride that never had me really bogged down as many heavier softer shoes tend to but I do think the lighter the runner the more ponderous it will ride if you can’t compress the foam to rebound as far as a heavier runner might. This may be particularly in play at slower paces. I was hoping the Triumph 18 would keep the enjoyable bounce and smooth, free feeling of the Freedom but provide enough cushion to cruise through runs of any length (20+ mi) will a more relaxed feel underfoot. Overall I was expecting a durable trainer with a fun ride for long runs or recovery runs.

Reviewed by Olivia

Running in the Triumph 18 grew on me. In my first run, I was concerned with the weight, and the shoe felt clunky. Subsequent runs, I started to enjoy the subtle bounce from the midsole and the excellent fit of the upper. My runs got smoother, and the extra comfort was appreciated. In summary, 2021 is a very good vintage for the Saucony Triumph, with a new version rich in improvements. We see little reason to pass upon it, especially if you’re looking for a comfortable premium shoe for your long runs. There are now reflective strips on the heel and the tongue while the Saucony logos are also reflective for better night visibility. MEAGHAN: I never got that disappearing-on-your-foot feeling from this shoe. I think partially because I found the upper to be very warm. The temps and humidity have been brutal the past few weeks and my feet felt a bit suffocated in this shoe. As several people pointed out, there probably isn’t a shoe that’s going to feel great in those conditions, but I was definitely craving a little less plush-ness in the upper.

If you’re looking for a reliable pair of running shoes, this collection is perfect for you. You’ll be able to find a wide variety of Saucony Triumph 18 shoes in this range. Specially designed to help you improve your performance on long runs, these shoes come with a rubber sole designed for durability and traction and plenty of protective cushioning. Using the innovative FORMFIT cushioning, these shoes shape to your feet making it feel like they were designed just for you. Ok, after all the praise for this outstanding upper is it too much of a good thing adding to weight and making the shoe less breathable and heavier? I think so. The Omni 19 a support/stability shoe has a similar holding but lighter upper with a less substantial bootie. It is yet more comfortable and breathable. Bottom line, the Triumph 18 has a great upper but maybe more than the stable underfoot platform actually needs. I felt somewhat the same about the Ride 13. Bring on the next generation thinner mesh of the Shift, at pretty much the same shoe price point.This shoe comes with an engineered mesh upper, PWRRUN+ midsole cushioning, and a blown rubber outsole. While I’m not typically a fan of cushy trainers and will usually reach for the lightweight trainer when the option is available, the Triumph provides an impressive combo of bounce and cush that makes your legs feel nice and fresh even at the end of a long run. The Good This was a good fix, compared to the Triumph 17. Now, the shoe grips wet surfaces and we have zero complaints about traction. It is solid on all surfaces. Excellent durability The upper looked like it had gone on a 6 month diet. It looked less puffy than the Triumph 17 which had a chunky heel counter and the midfoot synthetic overlays were now gone on the Triumph 18. The little plus appreciated by users: the vertical reflective cage in the heel for safe night runs. The TPU topsole which sits directly underneath the insole brings the cushioning system closer to the foot so foot strikes in the Triumph 18 feel even more bouncy.