Shoe Review: Saucony Triumph 17

The Saucony Triumph 17 is the latest in a long line of full-cushioned running shoes, and it got some serious upgrades.

Saucony gave the Triumph a new PWRRUN+ midsole that’s lighter and softer than ever before. Topped with a soft and supple mesh upper, the Triumph is built for lasting comfort.

Fleet Feet runners put the Saucony Triumph 17 through the paces to test the new foam, check the fit and assess the shoe’s performance. Here’s what they thought of Saucony’s new shoe.

The new Saucony Triumph 17 is plush from heel to toe. Starting with the shoelaces, every touch is soft.

Designers threaded soft, tubular laces through the five lace holes in the upper. Laces are a small detail that many runners often overlook (we’re guilty of this, too), but they’re one of the first things you touch on the shoe, so they add a premium feel to the Triumph right when you put it on.

The upper is similarly soft and flexible. Engineered mesh molds around your forefoot and midfoot for a snug fit.

There isn’t a lot of structure in the upper. Where some shoes use burly overlays on the upper to provide structure, the Triumph only has a few thin strips of added support around the midfoot. The strips create a midfoot wrap that gives the shoe a lockdown fit.

One Fleet Feet tester has wider feet but usually wears regular-width running shoes. He says the Triumph was a little too snug for his foot, so he suggests trying a wide width if you’re on the line between regular and wide.

He and another tester tried loosening the laces near the toe while tightening the laces more over the midfoot to get a looser feel. Altering the tightness helped make a little more room in the forefoot, but it had its limitations for the tester with wider feet.

“If I planned to put all of my training miles on these shoes, I would bump up the width,” he says.

The tester with regular-width feet, however, found the minute alterations in lace tightness really improved the fit, particularly in the toe box.

“I was surprised by just how much a slight loosening of the laces really opened up the toe box,” she says. “I’ve had issues with forefoot numbness in earlier iterations of this model. Not this time.”

Even with all the added cushiness, though, the Triumph isn’t cumbersome: the women’s model weighs 9.2 oz, and the men’s weighs 10.7 oz.

The brand new PWRRUN+ midsole pumps up the shoe’s softness. Saucony says the new foam is 25 percent lighter than the brand’s previous best foam, but it’s softer and springier, too.

And Fleet Feet test runners say the new midsole is easy on the feet. One tester says the Triumph is so soft and cushioned that she would choose it every time for recovery runs after a hard workout.

“The new PWRRUN+ compound is so good,” she says. “It’s lighter and still pillowy soft. I love this enough to reach for the Triumph on slow recovery days.”

The outsole is coated in two types of rubber. Most of the midfoot and forefoot use a smooth rubber stamped into an arrow pattern while the heel and toe—the highest-wear areas—employ a grippier compound for improved traction on landing and takeoff. Working with the midsole, the outsole helps provide a consistent heel-to-toe transition.

“The heel-to-toe transition is smooth while running,” one tester says. “There’s no slap-the-ground feeling as I roll through the transition.”

Conclusion

The Saucony Triumph 17 is the latest and greatest iteration of the shoe thanks to a brand new midsole foam.

Fleet Feet testers love the cushy feeling of the PWRRUN+ foam that runs the length of the shoe. It’s softer and springier than ever while also being lighter than previous Saucony foams.

The new Triumph is best for long days and easy recovery runs or anyone who craves the kind of softness that comes from the PWRRUN+ midsole.

Still not convinced? Don’t sweat it. Fleet Feet's return policy means you can test drive your shoes and gear without risk. If you’re not happy with the way your gear performs, looks or fits, we’ll take it back within 60 days. Plus, you’ll get free return shipping on all fleetfeet.com orders. That's our Happy Fit Guarantee.

By Evan Matsumoto. Evan played many sports growing up but didn’t go pro in any of them. Now, he’s the digital copywriter for fleetfeet.com and editor for the Fleet Feet blog where he writes about different foam densities and engineered mesh uppers.