TEST: Saucony Triumph 24 - Welcome IncrediLux!

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Over the years, Triumph has cemented itself as a running shoe you couldn't overlook when searching for your next volume training shoe. It has always guaranteed top-shelf comfort. Recent models struggled with identity – each was good in its own way, but the common thread was hard to spot. That changes now. I can say with 100% certainty that Triumph 24 is my absolute favorite from the series, and I'm pretty sure many of you out there will feel the same way.

Saucony Triumph 24 is in a red ocean – in the running shoes' engine room, in the category where most runners naturally start but also return several times a year when the shoe rotation needs updating. The neutral volume trainers. The category includes the most iconic running shoes from all established brands. Therefore, it's a really important running shoe to succeed with, and I must say: Saucony has more than succeeded with Triumph 24 – wow, it's amazing!

Saucony Triumph 24 – The Upper

The upper is made of engineered mesh, which surprises me by being very breathable while also feeling very soft and comfortable. I feared that in trying to build an ultra-soft upper, breathability might be compromised, but it feels very light and airy – which is only a plus in my book. The fit is quite normal around the midfoot, while there's good space at the front, allowing the toes to spread a bit. It's quite nice and also supports a comfortable feel. If you've owned some of the previous Triumph models, you might remember that the shoes were almost so over-comfortable in the upper that it might have affected the lightness needed to feel fresh and energetic in your run. I think this upper hits the perfect sweet spot between being comfortable but also simple – in the finest sense of the word.

Saucony Triumph 24 – IncrediLUX

Now we come to the exciting part. Saucony introduces for the first time the foam material A-TPU in one of their volume trainers. Just the fact that they do it proves that Saucony with Triumph 24 has ambitions for the shoe to once again place itself at the top of this category 'volume trainers', and such features are needed to move the shoe up there.

What is this A-TPU then? Well, first and foremost, it goes by the name IncrediLUX at Saucony – so we also have a new foam material to relate to. The exciting part is that it's made of A-TPU (Aliphatic Thermoplastic Polyurethane) – a material we've mostly encountered in race shoes, a counterpart to PEBA, which we saw used in the previous Triumph model. Triumph 23 contained PEBA (PWRRUN PB), which excelled at being very energy-returning. I experience IncrediLUX as a more versatile foam material – more dynamic, in the sense that it offers both shock absorption and a good amount of energy return. Both PEBA and ATPU exist in different variants, variants that can be fine-tuned towards a more race feeling, or towards a feeling more targeted at volume training. And here I think ATPU has an advantage over PEBA, as I find it more versatile. 

IncrediLUX has such an easy and accessible feel to it, a material that can be used on so many different days. Soft enough for recovery runs, but also responsive enough to run a long distance without feeling like the shoe is working against you in any way, quite the opposite. It just works incredibly well. That's exactly the feeling I believe the Triumph series should offer, and we pull the rating all the way up, where the IncrediLux foam in a Saucony Triumph 24 is a "match made in heaven".

Saucony Triumph 24 – The Great Triumph

Saucony Triumph 24 is big. It's big physically, its presence is big, it has a big personality – can you say that about a running shoe? I feel you can. Triumph 24 certainly occupies a large part of my brain that thinks about running, and that's quite a large percentage – maybe even too much, some might say. The shoe measures a full 43mm in the heel and 33mm in the forefoot, thus a 10mm heel drop – perfect for volume training, where the higher drop will spare the Achilles and lower legs from too deep stretches. If you're making a volume training shoe that embraces most runners, it's typically a high drop you're working with. An important ingredient to give this shoe balance is the wide platform, which is now a very common tool to use when brands want to create stability in a way where the midsole doesn't have to moderate too much on your natural foot strike.

In the end, it's just a long triumph parade from Saucony. With Saucony Triumph 24 on your feet, you get a volume training shoe that ticks all the boxes for what I'm looking for:

1. Balanced comfort in the upper.
2. A midsole that can handle both short easy runs and long steady efforts.
3. High durability.
4. Modern material choices.
5. All in a lightweight package.