Redefining Comfort: Saucony Triumph 22’s Major Changes Unveiled

In 2024, I turned 40, and to be honest, I don’t feel like much has changed. I still have a beard, eye wrinkle lines, and a dad bod. I still work from home and maintain my weekly routine of running 30 miles and biking 45 miles. A year didn’t make much of a difference for me personally.

However, as far as the Saucony Triumph series goes, a year made a HUGE difference with the launch of the Triumph 22. This year’s version features significant modifications from the past few iterations, and we have some thoughts about it.

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Saucony Triumph 21 – A Winner in Comfort

We really liked the v21 of the Saucony Triumph line. It was a pretty straightforward-looking and performing shoe. We definitely put in some miles on it with minimal complaints. We said that version provided “an update that doesn’t overcomplicate things“. The new 22 isn’t complicated, per se – it’s just a new take on the Triumph!

Looks:

The Triumph 22 introduces some large edits to the line which, depending on your feelings, could go either way. It looks significantly different, with a larger visual emphasis on the midsole. There are 10 colorways to meet whatever you’re looking for, but the chunky midsole definitely draws attention in each.

Construction:

Upper:

The upper fit of the Triumph 22 is super nice. The seamless mesh is easy to lock down, and there is generous cushioning on the heel and tongue. It probably added a tiny bit to the weight, but I’ll take a couple of tenths of an ounce in exchange for something that feels like a joy to put on. The comfort is really quite nice, and it looks better than the 21’s in my opinion—a definite step up.

Midsole:

The real modification is found in the midsole. The most significant change is the switch of midsole foam from PWRRUN+ to PWRRUN PB, the latter of which is found in their “speedier” versions like the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 and the Saucony Endorphin Pro 4. The Triumph 22 seems to be the only shoe in the Triumph series to feature PEBA foam.

With that foam comes softness—there is no doubt about it. It’s heavily cushioned, and it is evident from the onset that this is the goal. Personally, I prefer cushion to road feel, but there is a point where the cushion actually wears on my feet more so than the ground could.

The Triumph 22 doesn’t necessarily reach that level for me, but the enhanced pillow does seem to lose some energy response as a result. I gave it a few runs, but I found it hard to push the pace without feeling I was expending perhaps a little more energy than I wanted to. That can sometimes be the business of going mushy.

HOWEVER, that’s not to say it was a bad thing, and I could see about 50% of runners who love cushion adoring the softness of these. And, just to be clear – I really like these as well. As a high/middle-speed runner (7:30-8:00 min/miles most days), these have found a place in my world for treadmill miles or no-pace-pushing runs. Just the last week I put in 11+ miles of 8:06/mi pace and my feet felt great about it.

They end up being a little heavier than the 21’s and are more bulky, wide, and more stable—again lending to this sort of recovery or slower shoe location (though 8:06/mile in these without feelings of fatigue showcases it

The Triumph 22 also has an Ortholite sock liner, which is firmer and less bouncy than the midsole foam beneath it.

Outsole:

For the outsole, XT-900 carbon rubber provides good traction in all conditions. There’s not much to say here outside of the fact that it looks and functions optimally. I haven’t had the ability to test these in PNW wet conditions, but there is ample coverage that I really don’t anticipate it being an issue at all.

Overall:

I can’t remember a time when an update from one year to the next looked so starkly different than in this version of the Triumphs. Putting them side by side, they almost look like entirely different shoes. I’m not here to say that the 22’s are not a good shoe—far from it actually. We have really liked it for what it is, and its comfort level for wearing out and about is super solid.

The most important thing is knowing what you are getting yourself into. If you are looking for a slight update from the 21’s, you may not find it here. If you want something that skews towards comfort and cushion, then you definitely will. Go in with these expectations, and we think you will be happy either way.