Review; Saucony Triumph ISO 2

With everything being about the bike there has been a little time for running. That said I have been able to accumulate a few miles. I was incentivized by the lure of fresh smelling shoes thanks to the good folks at Saucony. They sent me the latest iteration of their Triumph ISO 2 shoe. I reviewed the original shoe just under a year ago and you can read that review here.

The big update on this shoe versus the original version is the inclusion on their proprietary technology Everun. Rather than let me try to explain it here is a little video from Saucony.

  In addition to Everrun the new features include:

• IBR+ (Injection Blown Rubber) this is lighter and more environmentally friendly than previous versions.
• IsoFit; Internally the shoe retains the IsoFit inner sleeve that encases your foot, the lace cage has been redesigned and is much improved over the prior version.
• Tri-Flex provides better ground contact and push off which adds to efficiency and effectiveness of your ground contact.
• There is an 8mm heel drop so this is not a minimal drop shoe.

Saucony describe this shoe and Plush cushioning Neutral Shoe designed for neutral pronation.

So how does all this technology feel?

Well it’s like running on firm marshmallows. Actually that is probably the best description I can give you. Structurally the shoe is very supportive, the neutral design does not force your foot in any direction.

Weight wise they 10.2oz so they are 3oz heavier than my usual Kinvara’s but it’s not really noticeable. The Everun cushioning is very effective and providing positive rebound and is not spongy it adds a bit of a pop to your run.

Along with the above changes the heel cup has been redesiged to to provide a more skelatal structure rather than simply plastering the shoe in plastic support, this also reduces weight. Overall the weight has increased just over an ounce vs the prior version.

The Everun technology is also designed to add life to the shoe, my original Triumphs died with around 270 miles on them so I am hoping that these will exceed 300 miles in long run.

Overall the fit is similar to the original Triumph ISO shoe, the only main difference is that they are coming up a little smaller than before. This smallness is noticable in the length. I usually size up half a size but I should have gone a full size this time. I would imagine that this will become more noticeable over time as your feet heat and expand. For me as running is a cross training activity it’s not a major issue however for someone marathon training this could become a problematic.

The shoe has been acknowledged Runner’s World Editor’s Choice for the Triumph ISO 2, this continues this award as it won it last year too!

Overall this is a well-constructed solid running shoe. The new technology provides for a comfortable ride and as long as you take into account the sizing issue you should be good to go. With the added durability this could very easily become the go to shoe for most runners

Available in three different colors for mens and womens and also in wide versions too. You can find these shoes in reputable Running Stores and direct from Saucony online for $150 where uyou can also read a growing list of user reviews.

These shoes were provided free of charge by the good folks at Saucony. See previous gear reviews in the sidebar on the right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at quadrathon@gmail.com.