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Founded in Pennsylvania in 1898 and relocated to Cambridge, MA in the 1960s, Saucony is one of the oldest running shoes brands.
Over the past couple of years, Saucony revamped most of their shoe designs thanks to two main innovations: the FORMFIT upper construction and from this year the PWRRUN PB sole material.
Saucony classifies their shoes in a very traditional way based on Pronation support, Road vs Trail and Racing/Track shoes.
Within each of these categories live different shoes for different runners. We are going to break the line down to make it easy to understand, and don't forget to keep reading for an overview of Saucony’s main technologies.
Some of Saucony's neutral running shoes have become incredibly successful staples in the running word. They are amongst Saucony's most popular and best selling shoes.
Shoes in this collection are characterised by not having a medial wedge or similar support feature.
In 2020, Saucony introduced a completely new range of shoes, the Endorphin series. Consisting of the Pro, Speed and Shift, the Endorphin series is a complete running shoe rotation meant for preparing, training and racing long-distances.
They all have SPEEDROLL technology to create a forward-rolling feel while the Speed and Pro have PWRRUN PB foam for a bouncy running experience.
Shoes in this collection are characterised by having a medial wedge or support feature and are designed to prevent over pronation. Some of these supportive trainers have mild support features while others have maximum support features.
Saucony makes one of the most popular trail running shoes: the Peregrine - but the other models in the lineup are not to be ignored and they all feature better grip and added durability to conquer all types of terrains and conditions.
ISOFIT is the relatively new upper construction that Saucony places on all their higher-end models.
It is such a drastic change according to Saucony that once a model gets the “ISO” treatment, the numbering starts from 1. For example after the Triumph 12, there is the Triumph ISO and after that one the ISO 2.
What is ISOFIT?
(image from Saucony.com)
It’s an ultra-soft inner sleeve made of stretchable air mesh, that morphs to the foot for a sock-like feel with a floating support cage around it that cradles the foot.
There’s a little more to it. The inner mesh sleeve is actually made of 4 different kind of meshes, on the midfoot, midfoot sides, toebox, tongue…
The external support cage is where the 4 eyelets are and locks the foot securely to the shoes. The cage extends over the heel, leaving a window open.
ISOFIT is quite a substantial change to Saucony’s previous models and it commended a $20 to $30 price increase, depending on the model.
FlexFILM is what Saucony calls their new overlay tech. Instead of sewing plastic pieces to the upper to provide support and structure, the overlays are now melded to the upper in order to both save weight and reduce possiblities for irritation and blisters.
Powergrid+ is the evolution of Powergrid, which in turn is the evolution of the original Progrid technology.
In a nutshell, the “grid” system is a perforated layer between the insole of the shoe and the midsole that acts as a net. Landing your foot over a net design helps spread the shock of the impact on a wider surface.
Powergrid evolved on the Progrid system by utilizing a lighter material.
Powergrid+ differs from Powergrid in the way that instead of being a separate layer on top of the midsole, now the midsole itself incorporates the holes that create the grid system.
EVERUN is the newest Saucony technology and it’s slowly but surely being incorporated in all new premium Saucony running shoes.
As you can see from the image above, EVERUN is an additional layer of cushioning material that lives close to the foot, providing a more immediate cushioning. According to Saucony it provides an 83% energy return and it does not break down with usage.
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