Saucony Journey 18 Introduction
18 is a particular quantity. It was the shirt variety of the legendary Man United midfielder, Paul Scholes who was recognized for his unimaginable passing vary. Scholes was the engine that powered the Man United assault, controlling the tempo of the sport and dictating tempo.
The Journey, on its 18 iteration, is Saucony’s impartial, mid-range day by day coach. Like Paul Scholes, the Journey 18 is a superb all-rounder; constant and adaptable, with none flashy stats. A easy, comfy and dependable coach for consuming up mileage.
It’s a do-it-all workhorse designed to cater to everybody from rookies to elites. Two of the Journey’s fundamental focuses are sturdiness and affordability, so it doesn’t have Saucony’s thrilling racing foams (Incredirun, Pwrrun HG, Pwrrun PB) in its midsole.
With the rising reputation of tremendous trainers such because the Saucony Endorphin Pace & Kinvara Professional, the boring mid-range day by day trainers have misplaced their hype. Usually un-plated, slower and cheaper than tremendous trainers, mid-range day by day trainers are now not held in such excessive esteem like they have been within the days of yesteryear. Nonetheless, the Journey stays a cornerstone of Saucony’s efficiency working vary.
I’ve examined 3 Journey variations up to now 5 years and I’ve discovered that every one of them to be actually stable, versatile day by day trainers. Final 12 months’s Journey 17 was the most effective model to this point: it had extra stack top, extra cushioning and extra power return than its predecessors.
The Journey 17 was a serious overhaul however the Journey 18 is a minor replace. Based on the Saucony web site, it weighs 0.8 oz (23 g) lower than the Journey 17. It has the identical stack top as v17 which is 37 mm/29 mm and its worth stays $140.
Saucony Journey 18 First Impressions
Throughout my preliminary 10 km easy-paced run, the very first thing that struck me was the numerous enchancment within the match of the higher. Not like model 17, which felt saggy and had an extra of fabric, model 18 felt way more dialed in and offered a extra comfy match.
The journey felt remarkably much like its predecessor: balanced, well-cushioned and clean. The forefoot felt a bit bit extra versatile and the cushioning felt ever so barely softer than v17.
The factor that I loved most was how premium and well-built the Journey 18 felt. The thick insole constituted of PWRRUN+ delivered a very luxurious, plush step in really feel which is unique to the Journey and Triumph collection.
Saucony Journey 18 Higher
The higher is essentially the most noticeable distinction between v17 and v18. In model 17, I skilled some tongue slide as a result of though it was semi-gusseted, there was no loop on the tongue for the laces to cross by means of. Model 18 fixes this by implementing a loop on the tongue so now the laces maintain in in place and forestall it from sliding round.
The engineered mesh higher of the Journey 18 has undergone a minor improve, leading to a softer and extra versatile really feel that elevates the general sense of high quality. Moreover, the shoe maintains the graceful lining contained in the collar and heel that was current in model 17, guaranteeing a snug match across the ankle and heel. This design, mixed with the general construction of the inner heel counter, ends in wonderful heel lockdown.
The Journey 18 affords a true-to-size match and options an accommodating design that caters to a variety of foot sorts. This improved match represents a notable enchancment over model 17, the place the higher materials felt extreme and considerably unfastened. In distinction, model 18 offers a extra tailor-made and safe really feel.
Saucony Journey 18 Sole Unit
Whereas the Saucony Triumph 22 has been up to date to a Pwrrun PB midsole and has turn out to be (surprisingly) softer, the Journey 18 maintains its Pwrrun+ midsole so it retains the versatile journey character that made the Journey 17 such an excellent day by day coach.
The Journey 18 is a remarkably versatile day by day coach, and is ready to deal with a variety of working paces and distances. Its distinctive consolation and adaptableness make it a dependable selection for numerous varieties of runs. Whether or not embarking on a relaxed simple run, sustaining a reasonable tempo, or pushing the tempo on shorter distances, the Journey 18 constantly delivers a clean and cozy expertise.
This shoe embodies the essence of a quintessential day by day coach, and caters to the various wants of runners in search of a single, go-to possibility for on a regular basis coaching. It has a little bit of one thing for everybody.
The Journey 18 even has sufficient cushioning depth to run a full marathon in. I used it for a 40 kilometre coaching run and it felt comfy for the whole thing of the run. My legs additionally didn’t really feel beat up or sore after the run.
The Journey distinguishes itself from different day by day trainers in its class by means of its incorporation of a thick, Pwrrun+ insole. This characteristic delivers heightened cushioning and luxury instantly beneath your toes, creating plush and splendid transitions.
This degree of consolation surpasses even that of upper priced fashions just like the Saucony Endorphin Pace, which lack a Pwrrun+ insole.
The outsole of the Journey 18 has an identical design to the Journey 17 however there’s extra forefoot rubber and the sample on the lugs is totally different. The strains on the rubber lugs are spaced additional aside than v17 however I didn’t discover an enchancment in traction. Grip is ok in dry situations however not nice on moist surfaces attributable to how agency the rubber is.
Sturdiness may be very excessive and there’s barely any outsole put on on my pair after 90 kilometres of testing. I count on it to have the flexibility to deal with upwards of 800 kilometres.
Saucony Journey 18 Conclusions
The Saucony Journey 18 is a very polished day by day coach with no main flaws. It doesn’t have the thrilling journey of a brilliant coach, however this can be very comfy, can carry out each kind of coaching run, is very well constructed and has a good worth.
My favorite characteristic is the thick Pwrrun+ insole which offers a premium degree of plushness proper beneath my toes. The Journey 18 will keep in my rotation for simple runs that are brief or middle-distance. For longer runs, I choose one thing with an energy-saving rocker.
The Journey 18, whereas a superb working shoe, presents solely a minor replace from its predecessor. The general journey expertise between the 2 fashions stays largely unchanged. Due to this fact, for individuals who already personal the Journey 17, upgrading to the Journey 18 isn’t a necessity.
Nonetheless, there’s room for enchancment. A slight enhance in stack top would elevate the Journey 18’s efficiency, deliver it according to extra trendy trainers and improve its total cushioning depth. This adjustment would offer a extra plush and cozy journey, and enchantment to a wider vary of runners. The wet-weather grip additionally must be improved.