Saucony Tempus review

9 expert score
8.5 user's score
As editorial policy, we do not accept free samples. We purchased this pair at Running Warehouse with our own money.
Review written on 19th February by Jon Ober Serial Marathoner and Stability Running Shoe Expert
68 other reviews

Saucony Tempus Verdict

The Saucony Tempus is a fresh breath of air into the stability game that eloquently balances support and speed. With a modest support profile, you can not only dial into a comfortable pace, but also use it to translate into faster efforts.

The pros

  • Versatile shoe with light stability.
  • Provides great balance of responsiveness and support.
  • Comfortable fit.

The cons

  • Long break-in period.
  • Pricey.

Where to buy

Best offers today in United States, all prices in USD

Rating breakdown

Comfort
10
Build quality
10
Upper
10
Sole unit
10
Landing
10
Transition
10
Toe-off
10
Traction
10
Durability
10
Value / Price
7.0

Facts / Specs

Brand
Model
Tempus
Type
Weight
9.1 oz (258 g)
MSRP
$160.00

Heel
37 mm.
Toe
29 mm.
Heel drop
8 mm.
Carbon plate
No plate

Size/Fit

Sizing
True to size
Heel fit
Normal
Midfoot fit
Normal
Toebox fit
Normal

Cushioning & ride

Type of cushioning
Responsive/balanced
Amount of cushioning
Medium cushioning
Stability
Some stability
Flexibility
Medium

Usage

Racing
Speedwork
Daily training  
Long distance racing
Ultra distance racing

Who should buy the Saucony Tempus ?

This is great for runners who slightly overpronate but people who land neutral can also appreciate it. Great for uptempo efforts and long runs when you need some extra oomph.

Who should not buy the Saucony Tempus ?

I would stay away if you are looking for something with a full support profile as this shoe bleeds into being a regular trainer with neutral profile.

Saucony Tempus Introduction

Picture of Saucony Tempus


The light stability shoe game gained another member with the Saucony Tempus. Ever since running in shoes like the New Balance Vazee Prism or Asics DS Trainer I have always wished that there were more of these types of shoes. Low and behold Saucony has answered my call with the Tempus.

The Tempus is a brand-new shoe with some familiar tech.

If you know their Endorphin line, then this may look familiar. In fact, I many times confused the Tempus with my Endorphin Speed shoes that I also own as they and felt and looked quite similar.

Saucony Tempus First Impressions

Picture of Saucony Tempus

Unboxing and putting these in my hands for the first time I was impressed with how light they immediately felt. The blue color certainly popped but not in an obnoxious way.

The first time lacing them up they were nice and snug. They rode a little stiff at first, but I was able to settle into a comfortable pace pretty quickly.

Saucony Tempus Upper

Picture of Saucony Tempus

The shoe fit true to size. There was plenty of room in the toe box and I did not have any issues with it being too narrow or too wide. I see no need of having to size up or out.

The upper material was a breathable mesh; with a toe box that was slightly see through. It formed nicely to my feet and was very comfortable. The laces, while a little long, felt great on the top of my feet. There were zero issues with hot spots or the tongue going inward and exposing the top of my foot.

The ankle was pretty sturdy but I found no issues with rubbing or it not keeping my foot locked in.

Saucony Tempus Sole Unit

Picture of Saucony Tempus

Starting from the bottom up, the outsole was incredibly grippy. The tread pattern gave me excellent control and kept me in control on impact and lift off. It is incredibly durable and there was minimal wear at the end of my testing. There were zero issues taking these out in the rain.

The midsole is where the shoe really shined with two different midsole approach. Around the midfoot, and especially the medial side, is the firm PWRRUN foam compound. This is the stability portion of the midsole that helped guide my foot when landing. It wasn’t overbearing like a traditional post and it was there only when I needed it.

Picture of Saucony Tempus

The other part of the midsole is PWRRUN PB, straight from Saucony’s Endorphin line. It is light, bouncy, and explosive. I have been a long time fan of the Endorphin Speed and Endorphin Pro so this was a real treat. I am happy to see shoe companies taking their premium racing tech and incorporating it into these types of shoes so everyone can take advantage of them.

The stack is surprisingly pretty high at 36.5mm. This is something I see more with racing shoes so it added to the allure of this shoe for sure. The 8mm drop meant I was landing and lifting off with the front and midfoot which allowed me to dial into easy paces but also push up the pace if I wanted to.

Saucony Tempus Conclusions

Picture of Saucony Tempus

This was a lot of fun to run in. It did have a long break-in period and took me a good 20 or so miles for it to really ride comfortably. I found it worked best for recovery day or when I wanted to have some pep but not for a workout day.

I was pretty surprised at the price and wish it was 20-30 dollars cheaper for the type of shoe it is. I understand you pay premium prices for premium tech but come on.

As someone who runs in both neutral and stability shoes, I don’t see a compelling reason to get this shoe over something like the Endorphin Speed. As someone who runs in netural and stability shoes, I am not so sure I would choose these shoes over something else at the same price point such as the Endorphin Speed or even something like Nike’s Zoom Fly.

That said, this is still a great shoe and if you normally run in shoes like the Guide then this is a dream.

It really is nice to see the stability shoe being re-assessed for modern runners and not just putting out the same heavy trainer every year.

How does the Tempus compare?

Asics Gel Kayano 29
Saucony Tempus
Brooks Glycerin GTS 20
Expert score
9
9
9
User score
Best price
Retail price
US$159.95
US$160
US$160
Shoe type
Weight
10.5 oz
9.1 oz
10.5 oz
Heel Drop
12 mm
8 mm
10 mm
Recommended for
Daily training, long distance racing
Daily training
Daily training
Cushioning type
balanced
responsive/balanced
balanced
Cushioning amount
Medium cushioning
Medium cushioning
Highly cushioned
Flexibility
medium
medium
medium
Stability
very stable
some stability
very stable
Sizing
true to size
true to size
true to size

Why you can trust us

As editorial policy, we do not accept free samples from companies.
We purchased this pair of Saucony at Running Warehouse  with our own money.

This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about our policy.
Lowest price:

$90

Saucony Tempus price comparison

Best offers today in United States, all prices in USD

Reviewed by Jon

This review was written by Jon Ober on 19th February.
Jon Ober lives and runs in Baltimore, MD. When training for his first marathon, he lost over 100 pounds and has not stopped since. He now has multiple marathons and thousands of miles under his belt and on his feet.

User feedback (6)

  • avatar-comment-1037107
    Running Man Dan
    7 months ago
    10 score

    As someone who normally runs in stability shoes for a mild overpronation I wanted a shoe with more excitement so I tried these. WOW its a beast of a shoe. Its much faster than the normal stability shoes, its comfortable and you can take it out for long runs. I didn’t think a shoe would make that much difference to speed until I tried these.

  • avatar-comment-1035349
    Thomas Quade
    10 months ago
    8 score

    Love everything about this shoe but the insole…runnin it 4 times and the insole slides out the back up to Achilles …bizarre

  • avatar-comment-1034849
    Fencer La Croix
    11 months ago
    10 score

    its great shoe. I love it. plus I was able to get them on a sale.
    ( About me~ 10 to 16 miles weekly, flat feet)

  • avatar-comment-1025580
    Ferdinandus Humperdinckii
    2 years ago
    8 score

    . 5. A very good, and good looking, shoe. But as the review said, sadly not as outrageously good as the name suggests. If you want the support with a little more bounce/the other way around ? there are literally dozens of options in and outside Saucony, so I’ll only throw 3 into the ring: quite stable ncad very bouncy: Asics nova last 3 TR (INPORTANT!, firmer hold and better rubber), Saucony guide (a bit firmer and more support, cheaper) and the recent most Adidas supernova (firm and insanely durable, if heavy, alternative).

    • avatar-comment-1038361
      Benjamin
      4 months ago
      10 score

      I think it’s as outrageously good as it sounds but it’s all subjective because the individual varies greatly and can’t cater 10 or of 10 to everyone but for me being of light build and weight having something with mild stability yet still pretty light with an 8mm drop (probably doesn’t really make much of a difference but I still think 10mm is a bit much, especially for a long run/daily type shoe).

      And it’s got that PB integrated as well which is why you pay that little bit more, remember it’s not only the fact that it’s using PB it’s that it’s combining with another for versatility which has to bring the price up which you acknowledged and I must say, saying “but come on” is a pretty bad argument to your main point you have to admit.

      Overall for me at least it serves it’s purpose flawlessly for me to use for my long and easy runs paired with the new Balance Fuelcell Rebel V4 for any speed and up tempo workouts and my Saucony Endorphin Elites for my Races.

      Great work, love reading your reviews mate. 👍

    • avatar-comment-1027014
      David Sanders
      2 years ago
      5 score

      I switched from the guide having owned 16pairs back to back to the Tempus and after one pair i’ve switched back to the guide’s…the tempus just doesn’t offer the support at all, during my time in the tempus my ITB would regularly flare up, something i’ve not suffered in a long time….yes they had a little more cushioning but not worth the pain or the extra spend.

Lowest price:
$90

Where to buy

Best offers today in United States, all prices in USD

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