Saucony Triumph 24 First Run Review: A Daily Trainer Worth Caring About Again

Introduction

The Saucony Triumph 24 arrives with something to prove. Over the past few generations, the Triumph name went from representing the best of what Saucony could build to a shoe many enthusiasts stopped paying attention to. The 24 aims to reverse that, and based on a first run of around eight miles with strides and hill sprints, it mostly succeeds.

The big question hanging over this launch is not just whether the shoe is good. It is whether anyone still cares about conventional daily trainers when super trainers with race-grade foams dominate attention and wish lists. The Triumph 24 makes a genuine case that the category still matters.

Who This Product Is For

The Triumph 24 is built for runners who want one shoe that can handle nearly everything: easy miles, marathon training, walking around town, and even faster surges. It is an approachable, do-it-all daily trainer rather than a max-stack showpiece.

If your rotation has a single daily trainer doing all the work, this is squarely aimed at you. Enthusiasts with several shoes already in rotation are a tougher call, but it works well as a change of pace from rocker-heavy, ultra-soft super trainers.

The Return of a Forgotten Franchise

Some context matters here. Earlier Triumph versions, particularly the 22 and 23, used a firm PEBA-EVA blend that produced a flat, heavy, unpleasant ride. The weight ballooned to 327g in the 22 before creeping back down to 295g in the 23, but the foam never recovered.

The 24 finally ditches that compound entirely. The geometry is back to something runnable, the upper is more breathable, and the whole package looks and feels like a running shoe again rather than a brick. It reads as an approachable design aimed at being easy to wear, easy to buy, and easy to like.

What Changed: The IncredaLux Foam

The headline update is a new midsole compound called IncredaLux, described as an aliphatic TPU. On the run, it is the clear star of the shoe. The foam feels lively, protective, and energetic rather than flat, with noticeable bounce on toe-off.

Firmness underfoot is similar to previous versions, but the energy return is dramatically better. It handles slow recovery paces without feeling dead, and it also tolerated downhill sprints and brief surges at faster paces without complaint. In short, the foam does the work that the geometry alone cannot.

Specs and Build

Measured fresh out of the box, the Triumph 24 comes in around 275g on average, the lightest Triumph to date. Heel stack measures about 42mm, pushing the shoe above the 40mm mark that defines much of the modern daily trainer field.

The toe box is generously wide, a welcome continuation of Saucony’s recent lasts, and there is comfortable padding around the heel and tongue without excess. The upper breathes well in hot conditions. One minor ding: the pair showed an 8g weight discrepancy between shoes, which is a disappointing quality-control miss for a flagship franchise.

How It Runs at Different Paces

On an eight-mile test run that included easy cruising, strides down to the mid-4-second-per-hundred range, and short hill sprints, the Triumph 24 never felt out of place. Heel landings felt well cushioned, transitions were smooth, and the shoe picked up speed willingly when pushed.

It is not the softest ride in the category, and it will not sink in plush-style underfoot. What it offers instead is balance: enough cushion for long days, enough bounce to keep easy runs fun, and enough snap for tempo work. That versatility is exactly what a daily trainer should deliver.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The ride is not the issue. The looks are. The design language is deliberately conventional, which some runners will find inoffensive and others will find genuinely boring. If aesthetics matter to you, this colorway and silhouette do little to excite.

Price positioning is another consideration. This shoe sits in a category that increasingly competes against $200 super trainers, and it has to deliver a clearly better value proposition to win that fight. The foam gives it a real shot, but shoppers should compare it directly against the higher-priced competition on sale.

Buying Advice

For a runner who wants a single versatile shoe, the Triumph 24 is among the most well-rounded options available. It handles any pace, any foot strike, and any run type without drama. For enthusiasts already stocked with super trainers, it is a harder recommendation, though it makes a fine change-of-pace option for something less aggressive.

If you have been burned by recent Triumph generations, this is the one worth reconsidering. The foam alone justifies the upgrade.

Conclusion

The Saucony Triumph 24 reasserts what the franchise was always supposed to be: a versatile, comfortable, genuinely fun daily workhorse. The IncredaLux foam is a legitimate step forward, the weight and stack are finally competitive, and the fit is dialed. The bland styling is the only real knock, and it is not enough to outweigh the performance. For anyone shopping for a do-it-all trainer, this deserves a spot on the shortlist.