Saucony Triumph 23 Introduction

The Saucony Triumph 23 is one of the brand’s higher cushioned shoe with premium level plushness.

It compares well to the Asics Gel-Nimbus 27, Brooks Glycerin 22, and the Puma Magnify Nitro 3.

The Triumph is relatively lightweight given it’s cushion profile – 42mm of PWRRUN PB superfoam in the heel and 32mm in the forefoot. That’s a good amount of cushion to still come in at 9.7 oz for a size 9 men’s shoe. The shoe does have a smooth transition and worked really well for me for those middle-distance type runs during my marathon training block.

Saucony Triumph 23 First Impressions

When I first opened the box, I liked the colors but they didn’t seem like they were anything new for the brand. That said, picking up the shoe was a bit of surprise for me in terms of how light the shoe felt given how thick the midsole was.

When I put on the shoe for the first time, the plushness of the upper was very noticeable. It felt pillowy-soft and I liked it. Another noticeable aspect on the negative side was that the shoe didn’t feel soft underfoot despite the somewhat high stack.

My first run in the shoe was a 6 mile easy run on mostly a dirt trail at a recovery pace (~9min/mile pace for me). The run was smooth but the my legs didn’t feel like they were running on something as soft as the shoe appeared to be. I didn’t try to pick up the pace on this run but I did think that I could have gone a slight bit faster. That said, I finished the run a bit underwhelmed with the shoe.

My second run in the shoe was another 6 mile run on the road where I tried to go toward the faster end of my easy run pace (~8min/mile). I was able to get close to that pace and the shoe was helpful to a degree. I don’t think it would have gone well if I tried to go faster.

That said, my legs felt a little beat-up at the end of the run. During this run, I noticed a very slight bit of rubbing on the outside of my pinky toes as the narrow toebox became apparent.

Saucony Triumph 23 Upper

The upper has some great elements to it and one very concerning element. To start with what is great: the premium plushness of the upper. Your foot feels wrapped in softness and is generally comfortable the whole time you’re wearing it.

The upper is breathable for the hot summer. The tongue is attached and has some plushness to it. The laces are well designed and stayed tied on a single knot for all 66 miles of running.

The most concerning element is that the toebox is a bit tight. I started noticing my pinky toes sticking out starting from the second run forward. It never caused any blisters or irritation, but it was definitely noticeable.

My concern here is that the longer the toe rubs on the upper, the greater likelihood that it will eventually tear. While the midsole and outsole construction appear to be very durable, I’m not as confident in the upper given the narrow toebox.

Saucony Triumph 23 Sole Unit

The midsole is comprised of Saucony’s proprietary PWRRUN foam, which is supposed to give you a nice soft ride that is responsive. One element of this foam that is great is that it is definitely lightweight. The outsole has rubber that does keep you feeling smooth on the roads and gives some grip on wet roads.

My next few runs were easy runs again, varying in mileage from shorter 5 mile runs to longer 9 mile runs. All of them felt comfortable enough but, again, it lacked the softness that I wanted. The transition was always smooth, the outsole grip was adequate, and the upper felt very plush. I never felt any energy return from each step.

My last run in the shoe was a combo long run with marathon paced miles infused. It started with 10 miles easy and then 5 miles at 7:15/mile pace. I wasn’t able to hit the pace for the marathon miles and I do think the shoe was partly to blame. While it is lightweight enough, it’s not responsive enough to get to those faster paces.

I can see how maybe some beginner to intermediate runners can get to some of their paces, but I was unable to do that. To add to the complaints, my legs felt very tired and sore towards the end of the run and for the next day. The outsole of the shoe looked good with very little evidence of wear after over 66 miles in the shoe.

Saucony Triumph 23 Conclusions

The Saucony Triumph 23 is a good daily trainer that can handle a variety of runs for many runners, especially beginner to intermediate runners.

For more experienced runners, this shoe can handle a good amount of your easy day miles and a long run. I’m not sure that experienced runners will love this for any speedier type workouts.

The cost of the shoe is $170, which is a bit higher than I think it should be given the limitations of the shoe. If you can find it at a discount, it could be more worthwhile.

That said, it has a place in my shoe rotation for those easy days where I just want to cruise through some miles.