Saucony has made various improvements on the ISO upper over the last years. The ISO-fit is designed to fit various feet of different runners because it wraps your foot for a sock-like fit.
The Ride has a narrow fit just like the Guide while the Hurricane and Triumph have a softer upper for a wider fit.
The Ride ISO is narrower than the Ride 10 due to changes in forefoot width or the ISO strength.
This article reviews the Saucony Triumph ISO 4 vs the Saucony Ride 10 to help compare the two running shoes product lines. Read on to find out which of the two is a better fit for you.
The Saucony Triumph ISO 4
All Saucony’s top technologies are integrated into the Triumph for a truly unique experience. It competes with top brands such as the Nike Vomero, Brooks Glycerin, New Balance 1080 and Asics Nimbus.
The shoes are attractive and come ready to wear. They’re designed and cushioned for great running experiences. The ISOFIT upper molds to your feet and the shoes break from the first use for truly amazing runs.
The Triumph ISO 4 is durable enough to last several miles of regular runs. They can go up to 100 miles without deteriorating in quality and performance.
The ultra EVERUN midsole on the sole unit develops excellent energy return to propel you forward. The ISOFIT technology on the upper stretches as you run to accommodate your foot motions.
The sole unit is totally revamped. The rubber on the outsole is similar to what’s used on its predecessors, but the tread pattern is different.
The ISO 4 features five vertical breaks in the outsole to increase lateral flexibility with your strides unlike the lateral breaks used in its predecessor.
However, the outsole doesn’t support all-weather runs due to lack of full traction control.
The traction can feel washy on terrains with light ice, snow, mist or rain. On the contrary, the washy feel doesn’t come up in heavy rain or soaked terrains.
The true potential of the ISO 4 is in the midsole. The lively EVERUN material runs on the entire unit length to give amazing energy return on your runs each time you crash to toe off.
The topsole also features the EVERUN material for a bouncy feel that propels you forward. You’ll experience energy return from every stride you make right from your first step in the running shoes.
The two application of the EVERUN technology on the shoes results in great rides.
The 8mm offset and 28mm beneath the heel offers sufficient padding for long distance runs.
- Lace closure for secure fit
- Full-length EVERUNTM Midsole for enhanced energy return and continuous cushioning throughout the run EVERUNTM Topsole construction for enhanced energy return
- Updated ISOFIT design creates a dynamic fit system by adapting to the shape and motion of the runner's foot
The Triumph ISO 4’s upper is superb, feeling good from the word go. The mesh material on the upper is breathable without being porous in the rains.
Although your feet gets wet in the rains, you don’t feel uncomfortable.The ISOFIT technology is integrated in the form of ISO eyelets that cover the whole lacing system.
This ensures that the upper adjusts and adapts to your foot movements all around for conformity. Your foot is secured in place and locked into the shoe without hampering movement, making the shoes like no other.
The upper is tighter on the heel area, splays on the forefoot and conforms through the midfoot section. The result is a great upper feeling on your foot during runs.
The tongue may bunch towards the shoe’s top, but this may be more of a manufacturing fault or lacing issue than a drawback common on all the Triumph ISO 4 running shoes.
Pros
Cons
- Lace closure for secure fit
- Full-length EVERUNTM Midsole for enhanced energy return and continuous cushioning throughout the run EVERUNTM Topsole construction for enhanced energy return
- Updated ISOFIT design creates a dynamic fit system by adapting to the shape and motion of the runner's foot
The Saucony Ride 10
The Saucony Ride 10 has undergone major changes from its predecessor, the Ride 9s.
According to Runner’s World, the shoe has the “Best Update.” The responsive cushioning supports long-distance runs.
Designed for neutral runners, the optimal cushioning sees it compete with top brands such as Mizuno Wave Rider, Brooks Ghost, the Under Armour Speedform Gemini, and Nike Pegasus.
You read about the comparison of the Ghost versus Ride here.
The available color options such as the red and orange colorway is vibrant and bold for an appealing look for all-day runs. They’re great when it comes to speed dialing up for fast runs.
The shoes offer great strides in various running conditions, thanks to the sole unit. The cushioning offered supports all kinds of runs. The Power Foam technology on the midsole cushions your foot on each stride for comfort. Together with the EVERUN topsole, the shoes increase energy returns.
The premium materials used on the running shoes give a good feel on your runs. However, the insole can slip to the side during long runs. Although this doesn’t happen all the time, it can be a concern to any runner.
Based on the TRI-FLEX technology, the outsole may not provide perfect grip any serious runner or athlete wants. The outsole performs well on all dry terrains, but slips on wet surfaces.
However, the outsole offer greater flexibility in the shoes for increased responsiveness and smooth transition from heel to toe when landing off.
The upper is in a fitting size and comfortable. With every stride you make, the seamless design of the upper offers greater flexibility throughout your runs. The new woven heel feature locks your heel into place for great comfort and stability.
- EVERUN top sole
- Woven heel support
- Engineered Mesh
The upper wraps your arch from the midfoot and locks it into the shoes using the molded supports. It secures your midfoot and heel from moving inside the shoes.
It transitions into the wide toebox to support natural counteraction impacts on your foot whenever it lands on the terrain.
Pros
Cons
- EVERUN top sole
- Woven heel support
- Engineered Mesh
- Powerfoam midsole
So, what’s the Difference?
The Saucony Triumph provides soft, smooth rides for long-distance runs. On the other hand, Ride 10 offers soft, comfortable rides for neutral runners going for long runs.
Triumph ISO 4 and Ride 10 are both neutral cushioning running shoes for users with little to no need for support and stability.
Unlike Triumph ISO 4, Ride 10 doesn’t feature the ISOFIT technology on its upper. Instead, it features no-sew overlays to wrap and conform to your midfoot whenever it needs support.
The midfoot has many underlays and a few overlays to offer custom fit together with the upper pulling tightly through the saddle.
Therefore, Triumph ISO 4 offers a more secure fit that adapts to your foot than the Ride 10 shoes. Both shoes feature engineered mesh to minimize the number of overlays used on the upper and the forefoot.
However, Ride 10 has a more open forefoot than Triumph ISO 4’s. Even so, they provide comfort in the toebox area.
The back of both shoes feature overlays, but those on the ISO 4 lie more on the heel side as support frames. The Ride 10 features them right behind the heel.
Both shoes offer lightweight support on the upper.
The Triumph ISO 4 features the EVERUN cushioning on both the midsole and topsole while Ride 10 only has it in the topsole. Therefore, ISO 4 is cushier than Ride 10.
Based on running shoe lab tests findings, Triumph ISO 4 offers more cushioning on the forefoot and heel areas than Ride 10. This is the case for both men and women’s running shoes.
Although both shoes offer high level cushioning, ISO 4 gives softer rides than Ride 10. However, both shoes don’t support overpronation and thus offer no support and stability. The shoes are designed for neutral runners.
However, good ground contact gives the shoes some stability. The Triumph ISO 4, according to lab tests on running shoes, offer greater stability than Ride 10, but neither is above average.
The forefoot on both shoes feature zigzag patterns on the rubber outsoles, but deep flex grooves on Ride 10 run horizontally while those on ISO 4 run vertically.
The latter is more flexible than Ride 10 (horizontal grooves are more flexible), but stiffer according to lab tests on running shoes.
ISO 4 is stiff while Ride 10 offers moderate flexibility. Whereas women’s ISO 4 weighs about 9.5 ounces, Ride 10 for women weighs 8.4 ounces.
On the other hand, men’s Ride 10 weighs 9.9 ounces while ISO 4 weighs 11.3 ounces. Therefore, Saucony Ride 10 are lighter than ISO 4.
Both shoes are ideal for soft, comfortable rides. However, ISO 4 delivers softer rides than Ride 10.
Unlike ISO 4, Ride 10 is more basic and thus lower in price. Even so, it’s a good substitute for ISO 4 if you’re looking for similar neutral performance at reduced price.
Conclusion
Ride 10 and Triumph ISO 4 shoes are popular. Ride 10 reduces in grip on wet terrains, but they’re lightweight and increase energy returns on hill repeats, tempos, track workouts and even easy or LSD runs on dry weather.
On the other hand, Triumph ISO 4 offers optimal cushioning for runs. They’re more powerful than Ride 10 and thus cost more.
If you want more cost-effective running shoes with similar experience, opt for the Saucony Ride 10.
Last update on 2023-09-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API