Saucony Triumph 24 Review | More Cushion, Less Weight, Same Must-Buy Status

Our team has been testing the Saucony Triumph for quite a few years now, making it one of our most recommended shoes and a reliable experience for your daily miles. With the Saucony Triumph 24, the brand opted for some significant updates to the tried and true trainer that make this shoe remain a solid option for runners looking for comfort and cushioning in their daily runs.

In the weeks I’ve had with the Triumph 24, I’ve tested this shoe through peak half marathon training, rocking out double-digit mileage, easy paced recovery runs, long walks, and a handful of interval workouts in them.

I’ve tried the shoe on the road and on the treadmill, and I found that the shoe really holds up great in both settings. The max cushion feels plush on the firm treadmill without feeling too soft to hold steady on the pavement.

Let’s get into the good and the bad of this new update to one of our most popular trainers!

The Triumph 24 is not only an update of the brand’s shoe, but also an upgrade, featuring a number of improvements to its predecessor that make this an awesome option for long runs, recovery days, daily miles, and a lot of workouts in between.

Saucony Triumph 24 Overview

The Saucony Triumph 24 is the newest version of Saucony’s flagship neutral max cushioned trainer, with its predecessor the Triumph 23 releasing a year ago.

This shoe saw some significant updates from the previous model, including new foam in the midsole, a lighter mesh upper, and an overall lighter weight for a shoe that still feels substantial in your hand and on your foot.

The Triumph is cushioned, comfortable, and energetic – a great combination for your daily miles and especially those long easy miles.

It’s already one of our more popular recommendations before this model,including best marathon shoes! Which means we’re often  nervous about massive updates, but these all land well with our team.

The Triumph 24 takes a lot of the features of the Triumph 23 and improves upon them, primarily in the area of the midsole and the overall weight of the shoe itself. I had run in the Triumph 23 in the past, and I noticed a pretty marked difference in the way the shoe feels bouncy and lighter on foot than the previous model.

When I pulled this version out of the box, one of the first things I noticed was how light they felt for a max stack height shoe. 

This change in weight is largely due to Saucony’s recent change from their PWRRUN foam used in the prior model to the newest foam technology, their incrediLUX foam, in the midsole. This foam is touted as the brand’s newest lightweight, high-performance aliphatic thermoplastic polyurethane (A-TPU) foam. 

The incrediLUX foam is meant to feel plush and responsive underfoot while also dramatically reducing the shoe weight as compared to traditional TPU foams used in prior models. The Triumph 24 is actually one of two shoes Saucony debuted with this tech, the other being the Hurricane 26. 

What this midsole foam does is not only provide cushioned comfort on the feet, but it also gives a really bouncy, energetic, plush-like feel when your foot strikes. 

I’ve tried so many max cushioned shoes where it feels like my heel immediately sinks into the cloud-like foam. That doesn’t happen with the Triumph 24 – this shoe does a great job of balancing the cushioned comfort with support and stability in a way that makes this shoe reliable for a lot of different workouts. https://runtothefinish.com/marathon-running-shoes/

This new foam technology felt like a really great upgrade on a shoe that does fall into the premium trainer price point.

Alongside the update to the midsole foam, Saucony also reengineered the lightweight mesh upper of the Triumph 24, making the shoe feel soft and comfortable yet light and breathable for a variety of climates and runs. The shoe also features a sock-like wrap around with the tongue that makes the shoe fit securely around your midfoot while also being very roomy in the toe box. 

While Saucony reduced the weight of the Triumph from 9.2oz in a men’s size to 8.8oz in this latest version, they also increased the stack height on the shoe, changing it from a moderate stack height to a true max stack height contender.

The prior model of the Triumph had a 37mm stack height, while the Triumph 24 clocks in at 43mm at the heel. What amazed me was the ability of Saucony to make this change while keeping the shoe so lightweight and durable – a big upgrade for my peak training feet!

The outsole of the Triumph 24 is pretty standard rubber that feels durable and supportive on the road and on the treadmill. I took these shoes out for a run on some slick roads after a snow storm and they still had just enough traction to keep me grounded while not sticking too firmly.

The rubber outsole wraps around the shape of the shoe with some of that midsole ATPU foam peeking out in the center – a nice design feature that still offers durability in conjunction with aesthetic and comfort.

Maybe the only key thing I noted in this shoe that made me a little batty was the strange squeaky noise this model makes! It appears to be caused by friction from the insole and the inside of the shoe, but the shoe makes a fair amount of noise until it’s very broken in. 

While I wouldn’t reach for these shoes for uptempo workouts or speedier days, I do think these shoes are incredibly wearable for long, easy miles and for non-running activities alike.

Coach Amanda: I’ve been a big fan of all the Triumph iterations for years now. This one is impressive in giving that wonderful cushioned feeling while adding so much more foam! I’m a little surprised we didn’t see a drop in the heel to toe as other brands are doing when adding cushion and hope to see that in the next model.

Saucony Triumph 24 Fit

The Saucony Triumph 24 fits true to size, so I’d recommend buying your usual US running shoe size. They are secure in the midfoot thanks to their simple lacing system and secure sock-like, wrap-around tongue, and the heel counter and tongue are both really nicely padded.

While these shoes are not wide, they do give a fair amount of space in the toe box to comfortably wiggle your toes and accommodate any swelling on a long run. If you’ve got a narrower foot, you might find these a little too loose on you.

The lacing system on these shoes includes a pretty standard lacing system, which I found easily kept my foot secure on the run.

Coach Amanda: While a lot of Saucony shoes, the Kinvara, Endorphin Pro, etc can run narrow that’s not what you find with the more daily trainer friendly Triumph.

Saucony Triumph 23 Feel

The Triumph 24 is designed to balance cushioned comfort and lightweight, responsiveness on the run. They were soft and plush on first wear, especially in the heel and tongue where I sometimes can feel hot spots on first wear.

The shoe does have a pretty substantial heel-toe drop, coming in at 10mm. We love when runners play around with heel-toe drop, but a 10mm drop won’t be for every runner so do keep that in mind. If you’re someone who likes a higher drop, this shoe could be a great choice for you to prevent knee and hip injuries on the run.

Coach Amanda: I generally steer to moderate drop running shoes, but as noted I just really enjoy the ride of the Triumph and that continues with this model. Runners with less ankle mobility do better with the higher heel drop, but also it’s all about what shoe just feels good to you!

While these shoes are lightweight for a max trainer, they still aren’t designed to pick up the pace. They are fantastic long run shoes and can easily handle marathon pace for the 4:30+ Marathon runner. But if you’re looking to do hard intervals or tempo workouts, we’d start looking to the other options from Saucony like the Endorphin Pro 5.

After a couple of weeks with these shoes, I am pleasantly surprised by the number of thoughtful upgrades Saucony made to the Triumph in this iteration.

If you’re loyal to the Triumph 23, this shoe will feel a bit different, but in ways that I think most runners will appreciate! For a max-cushioned neutral trainer, this shoe is light, energetic, responsive, and comfortable to boot. It’s a great piece to have in regular rotation for those days your feet need a little more love while not giving up on support or performance.

Go check this one out!

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