Editor rating:
7/10 on
FRANK MAY
User's rating:

PROS

  • Moderate use of EVERUN creates a springy landing
  • Snug fitting and sleeker ISOFIT System compared to other Saucony ISOFIT shoes
  • Very durable outsole

CONS

  • Loose fabric in the toebox from a manufacturing problem
  • Black strips on top of sole mar easily

OUR VERDICT

The Saucony Triumph ISO 3 is a neutral trainer with a plush sole built with EVERUN foam. It stays light and tight to your feet using the ISOFIT System and holds up very well as a daily trainer.
SHOE INFO
Brand
Triumph ISO 3
Model
Type
10 oz. (283 gr.)
Weight
150 US$
MSRP
8 mm
Heel Drop
Dec / 2016
Release Date
Previous model
WHO IS IT FOR
The Saucony Triumph ISO 3 is there for runners who need a daily trainer with moderate cushioning. This shoe is at a high price point for daily trainers, so it might be best suited for more serious runners.

The Saucony Triumph ISO 3 is part of the ISO line of shoes by Saucony. These ISO shoes (Hurricane, Zealot and Triumph) utilize ISOFIT technology, designed to give you a very comfortable fit.

The Triumph line focuses on a neutral running experience for runners who don’t need much support. It features a 30mm heel stack height and a 22mm forefooot stack height that results in an 8mm drop.

Overall, this shoe is good for road and track running for neutral runners. Similar shoes in the neutral daily trainer category would be the Nike Air Zoom Vomero 11 and the Adidas Energy Boost 3.

Saucony Triumph ISO 3 General Info

Saucony Triumph ISO 3 - Toe

Saucony Triumph ISO 3 – Toe

Those of you familiar with the previous version of the Triumph ISO line will immediately notice changes to the upper sidewalls. And the tongue. And the midsole.

I should have said that those familiar with the previous version will notice that really the only piece kept the same between the two versions is the outsole design. The Triumph ISO 3 is a pretty different shoe on the design side.

Functionally, it kept the same 8mm drop, same neutral design, and almost kept the same weight by coming in at 10.5 oz (0.3 oz heavier than the predecessor). Overall, I think all these changes are for the better.

First time in these shoes was a smooth fitting experience. The ISOFIT system did a great job of holding my foot in snuggly, and I really liked the upgraded external “cage” with a lower profile compared to the previous version.

The use of an EVERUN topsole with a large EVERUN landing zone provided a responsive run.

This EVERUN foam returns a lot of energy while remaining lightweight, similar to Adidas’ Boost foam, and I was curious how the Triumph would feel after the 50 miles of testing since it was a hybrid of standard and EVERUN foam.

Saucony Triumph ISO 3 Sole Unit

Saucony Triumph ISO 3 - Inner

Saucony Triumph ISO 3 – Inner

So this EVERUN stuff I spoke about is all the new rage at Saucony headquarters. They’re adding it into part of the midsole on many different lines, and also including a topsole of this stuff in those shoes.

But why? It’s because EVERUN is 3x more resilient than your standard EVA foam, doesn’t stiffen up as much when it gets cold out when compared to EVA foam, and gives you increased energy return.

Although it’s not scientific, my running experience in these shoes suggested those benefits. I even got to run in these shoes when it was 20F (-7C) outside and they did not feel like they stiffened up much at all.

Adidas has a similar foam out there called Boost foam with very similar properties. So why is EVERUN not the entire sole!? Probably because it costs too much, and probably because most of the effects won’t matter on all parts of your foot.

However, keep an eye out for the the Saucony Freedom ISO shoe because it will have a full EVERUN sole.

The Triumph ISO 3 outsole has the aggressive zig-zag “TRI-FLEX” pattern that Saucony is using on a lot of their shoes now. This pattern helps maintain ground contact, flexibility, and durability.

Most of the outsole is Saucony’s iBR+ rubber that is 33% lighter and provides more cushioning than standard blown rubber.

It’s not as durable as regular rubber, which is why Saucony put their more durable and heavier XT-900 carbon rubber under the heel and tip of the toe.

Finishing up the sole is the insole, which often doesn’t get too much design attention. Saucony put a little bit of extra design time into these insoles so they would snugly fit on top of the EVERUN topsole.

It seems a little weird with essentially two insoles (the standard insole, and then the EVERUN topsole). The only worry I had was that my foot might slip around a tad more with the extra materials, but this wasn’t the case. The topsole is glued down, and the insole does not slip at all.

Saucony Triumph ISO 3 Upper Info

Saucony Triumph ISO 3 - Lateral Side

Saucony Triumph ISO 3 – Lateral Side

Finally! I get to talk about the little thing that’s been bothering me about Saucony ISOFIT shoes for awhile. Previous ISOFIT models used a moderately comfortable, but moderately bulky overlay to hold your feet in place.

The Triumph ISO 3 still has this overlay, but it’s a much thinner and made out of a better fitting material.

It’s now made out of a reinforced mesh that is contoured to your foot, versus the predecessor that was a stamped pattern out of some thick fabric that would sort of flex into the right shape.

Saucony also cut down on the number of straps on this overlay, going from three to two. It’s not a huge change to the shoe, but a very welcomed design improvement in my opinion.

This ISOFIT system also includes a smooth internal liner that gives your feet a comfortable place to rest. Not as sleek as Under Armour Speedform shoes though. Combining this with the moderately padded tongue and your feet are sure to stay in place.

I actually prefer this type of external overlay+padded tongue approach to keeping your feet in place over Nike’s Flywire technology since this fit type by Saucony has a more even compression around your feet.

Saucony Triumph ISO 3 - Medial Side

Saucony Triumph ISO 3 – Medial Side

The heel of the Triumph Iso 3 is unremarkable. That’s a good thing. No crazy new tech, unusual overlay, or bothersome edge. It’s a soft, well-formed heel.

Actually, one part of the heel does stand out to me. The reflective strip! Saucony put a little accent on these shoes with a curved dimpled vertical strip of silver reflective material at the rear of the heel.

There’s one tiny cosmetic issue with the shoes I got. Sections of fabric in between layers of the upper separated in the toebox after 30-40 miles of running.

They seemed to be harmless white pieces of fabric for either light structure support, or for added strength. It’s a bit of a bummer this happened because everything else on these shoes is pretty high quality.

Saucony Triumph ISO 3 Conclusions

Saucony Triumph ISO 3 - Top

Saucony Triumph ISO 3 – Top

The Saucony Triumph ISO 3 is a durable trainer designed for the road and track while providing moderate cushioning with the smart use of EVERUN foam.

The shoes are a tad heavier than some of the competitors, but that is easy to understand when you see how durable the shoes are. I would recommend these shoes to any neutral runner that wants a responsive and long lasting shoe.

We thank the nice people at Saucony for sending us a pair of Triumph ISO 3 to test. This did not influence the outcome of the review, written after running more than 50 miles in them.

Saucony Triumph ISO 3 Price Comparison

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