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Saucony Triumph ISO 3 Review
February 6, 2017The Good
- Loads of cushioning
- Form-fitting upper
- Over-the-top comfortable
The Bad
- Soft midsole reduces responsiveness
- Bulky
- Lacks snappiness
The Saucony Triumph ISO 3 is a top pick for those wanting soft cushioning for cranking out lots of miles. Saucony improved the upper from the previous version, making it softer and more flexible. Nevertheless, it still feels bulky to wear.
The Triumph ISO 3 is Saucony’s flagship comfort trainer designed for the neutral runner. Saucony’s key cushioning technology, EVERUN, is strategically placed throughout the topsole closer to the foot and in the heel pad for continuous cushioning while maintaining excellent energy return. The upper continues using ISOFIT, which is a bootie-style sock inner sleeve and independent cage system for a soft form-fit.
Comfort
The Triumph ISO 3 offers out-of-box comfort underfoot and throughout the upper. Underfoot the Triumph ISO 3 was one of the more cushioned shoes tested, which was a nice treat for sore and tired legs. The upper utilizes a bootie-style construction, which is very soft and flexible around your foot. Ample padding not only lines the heel collar, but also extends down the heel cup.
Fit
The Triumph ISO 3 runs a tad wide, however, the ISOFIT upper cage lacing system makes it easy to adjust and accommodate narrow feet. The engineered mesh upper and bootie-style tongue fits like a sock, while the ISOFIT cage comfortably wraps your insole. Lengthwise, our testers found it shorter than others tested, which is more characteristic of a performance shoe.
Responsiveness
All our testers were disappointed with how responsive the Triumph ISO 3 felt. While it did offer excellent protection, the midsole “was incredibly soft and bouncy,” as one tester put it. In general, we found it very absorbent, but just too soft to be overly responsive. Moreover a generally bulky feeling reduces the Triumph’s ability to respond quickly.
Speed
Best to save the Triumph ISO 3’s for runs when speed isn’t a concern. All of our testers agreed the Triumph ISO 3 was built for comfort and not speed. While the EVERUN did return some energy, it wasn’t as snappy as Adidas’ Boost Midsole.
Ride Quality
The Triumph ISO 3 provides a plush smooth ride. It is one of the more versatile shoes that accommodates both heel and forefoot strikers without degrading ride quality. The Tri-Flex outsole design enables a flexible transition through toe-off for forefoot strikers while additional EVERUN cushioning in the heel pad protects for harsh heel landings.
Cory is a Santa Barbara, CA based athlete, online running coach and freelance journalist specializing in running and climbing related content and gear review.