Introduction
Saucony was founded in 1898 as an American brand for athletic footwear and apparel. The company is currently owned by Wolverine World Wide, a publicly listed company with trading code [NYSE: WWW] on New York Stock Exchange. The name Saucony was taken from where the company’s first factory was located on the high banks of the Saucony Creek at Kutztown, Pennsylvania.
Saucony has been a popular brand especially for the running communities with its iconic Jazz, Kinvara series and more recently its Endorphin series. Among the running community, the recent Endorphin series has been highly acclaimed and loved.
Saucony’s Midsole Technologies
Saucony has in total of 4 midsole technologies. This includes:
- SSL CMEVA
- SSL CMEVA is Saucony’s Super Light (SSL) Compression Moulded EVA.
- Used in their racing and track shoes?
- PWRRUN
- PWRRUN is Saucony’s main midsole technology which is an EVA-based midsole.
- This midsole technology is used in Saucony’s key products such as the Ride and Guide. It is also used as the carrier foam in Saucony’s newer running shoes such as Tempus.
- The PWRRUN midsole used in the newer models are of a different blend, but still EVA, as the previous PWRRUN midsole.
- PWRRUN+
- The PWRRUN+ is a TPU based midsole. More specifically, the E-TPU (expanded thermoplastic poly- urethane).
- PWRRUN+ is springy, powerful, flexible, and very durable. And it is 28 percent lighter than its predecessor. Compared to the high-quality EVA foams that are traditionally used in running shoes, PWRRUN+ is noticeably bouncier, dramatically more durable, significantly more flexible, and much more consistent across a range of temperatures. When you run with PWRRUN+ you’ll feel an exceptionally smooth landing, and a lively propulsion.
- PWRRUN PB
- The PWRRUN PB is a Pebax-base midsole foam. It is Saucony’s latest midsole technology and used in the Endorphin Speed and Pro series. Additionally, the PWRRUN PB is also used in the Freedom series (4 and 5). Previously the Freedom 3 was using the PWRRUN+
Saucony Running Shoes Map
In total, 15 data entries have been recorded for the analysis. For the list of running shoes, please refer to Chart 2. The median price of the Saucony running shoes is USD140 while the average price is USD147. The higher average price over the median price is contributed by the inclusion of Endorphin Pro 3 and Endorphin Pro+.
(Source: Daily Running Co/Saucony)
For the full road running products Saucony, it has a min-max range of USD150 with the entry price at USD100, the Axon 2, while the most expensive, the Endorphin Pro+, is at USD250. With the median price budget of USD140, one can obtain the Ride 15 or the Guide 15. Alternatively, runners can also purchase the Kinvara 13 which is Saucony lightweight, low stack running shoes.
Saucony’s Endorphin series starting with the Shift 2 is priced at USD150 and goes all the way up to USD250 with the Endorphin Pro+. The distinctive feature of the Endorphin series is its Speedroll technology, an efficiency booster which helps runner transit through each gait cycle with ease.
(Source: Daily Running Co/ Saucony)
[Red Dot = Weight (RHS) / Bar Chart = Price (LHS)]
[Yellow Bar = Plated / Green Bar = XT900 Outsole]
[Teal Outline = SSL CMEVA / Maroon Outline = PWRRUN PB / Dark Navy Blue Outline = PWRRUN]
There is no clear correlation between the weight of the running shoes and the price of the running shoes. However, exceptions can be observed with its Endorphin series where weight and price are negatively correlated. Generally, the XT900 outsole is used in Saucony’s more pricy running shoes with outlier being the Kinvara 13. PWRRUN PB, Saucony’s latest midsole technology, is used only in its top range running shoes. Do note that the Tempus utilize both PWRRUN PB and PWRRUN technologies with the latter used to provide the structural guidance.
Conclusion & Summary
In the recent carbon plated running shoes competition and trend, Saucony has gained even more prominent with its successful Endorphin Pro and Endorphin Speed. The company continues to innovate its products to compete better in the market, as seen from its latest updates to the Endorphin Pro 3 and Endorphin Speed 3.
Saucony has in its product portfolio a total of 4 different midsole technologies – namely the SSL CMEVA, PWRRUN, PWRRUN+, and PWRRUN PB. At a median price of USD140, Saucony is only slightly higher than the likes of Nike, New Balance but lower than HOKA based on our research. Additionally, Saucony’s product portfolio is clear and distinctive in the use cases of its running shoes. This is further enhanced with the recently update to its Pro 3 and Speed 3. The Tempus, one of Saucony recent release, improves the brand’s offering as it caters to runners looking for certain level of guidance and stability.
We hope that this article has helped you to understand the HOKA’s running shoes better and make an informed choice about which pair is for you. If you like what we are doing here, please do not forget to subscribe to our newsletter for notification of our latest post. Or you can follow us on social media channels such as Twitter and Instagram.
Till next time, just keep running.
Editorial Note (26th July 2022): Post has been updated with distinction between midsole technologies in Chart 2.
