Saucony Experience 17 Introduction

Of all of the mid-range, impartial each day trainers, the underrated Experience collection from Saucony just isn’t one of the crucial common ones. You will note much more Pegasus, Ghosts, Cliftons, or Novablasts on the roads nowadays. The primary motive for that is that the Experience lacks aptitude.

It doesn’t look very thrilling and it doesn’t have an thrilling trip, primarily because of its quaint EVA midsole. The Nike Pegasus and Brooks Ghost additionally lack aptitude however they’ve constructed up loyal fanbases.

Within the Saucony vary, the Endorphin Velocity has much more aptitude than the Experience: it’s softer, extra energetic, lighter and it has a plate in its midsole. Regardless that it was designed to be a pace coach, many runners now use it as a each day coach as an alternative of the Experience.

I reviewed the Experience 16 final yr and I actually loved how versatile it was. I usually choose gentle trainers however I didn’t discover it too agency. What I favored most about it was how simply it might choose up the tempo. It was certainly one of my favorite each day trainers of 2022.

Within the Saucony midsole foam pecking order, PWRRUN HG is on high, adopted by PWRRUN PB, PWRRUN+, after which PWRRUN. The Experience collection has used PWRRUN as its predominant midsole foam for the final 4 variations, because the Experience 13. It is sensible that this yr’s Experience 17 midsole will get upgraded to PWRRUN+.

The Experience 17 now weighs 10.1 oz (286 g), a considerable improve of 1.3 oz (37 g) over the Experience 16. It has an additional 2 mm of stack top. It now measures 37 mm within the heel, 29 mm within the forefoot and it nonetheless prices $140.

Saucony Experience 17 First Impressions

My first run was an 8 km straightforward run. It didn’t blow me away however I used to be actually happy with how balanced and the way steady it felt. What I favored most about it was that the trip felt extra trendy than earlier Experience variations. There was extra rebound and extra cushioning depth.

I additionally appreciated the truth that there was no squeaky sound with every footstrike. This was noticeable within the Experience 15 with its shiny EVA midsole.

The shoe that it jogged my memory of most was the Saucony Freedom 4. The Freedom 4 had a PWRRUN PB midsole which is a step above PWRRUN+ however the rides felt related. The Experience 17 felt extra cushioned and extra comfy than the Freedom 4.

Saucony Experience 17 Higher

The Experience 17 has a easy however efficient higher and it’s made out of a mesh which is of common breathability. My favorite characteristic is the perforated aspect panels which permit air to circulate in.

The tongue is gusseted however Saucony made the error of not including a loop on the tongue so there’s nonetheless some tongue slide. Heel lockdown is nice with out the necessity to use a runner’s knot.

It has a real to dimension match with a standard heel, a roomy midfoot and forefoot however a slender toe field. I’ve to cinch the laces on the midfoot part greater than common to get a superb lockdown and I feel that the midfoot could possibly be a bit extra fitted.

Saucony Experience 17 Sole Unit

When you lowered the stack top of the Triumph and made its midsole wider, the outcome could be the Experience 17. Each Saucony trainers have PWRRUN+ midsoles however the Experience 17 feels firmer and extra steady. It additionally has a wider midsole base than the Experience 16.

There aren’t many non-plated each day trainers that are extra versatile than the Experience 17. Straightforward runs, reasonably paced runs and quick tempo runs are all very comfy in it. It’s a textbook each day coach.

Its midsole is cushioned sufficient so that you can run a full marathon in it and it has clean transitions which make it straightforward so that you can get right into a rhythm. Whereas it doesn’t have SpeedRoll expertise (a excessive toe spring & rocker), it additionally doesn’t really feel sluggish.

The Experience has by no means been a gentle each day coach and I additionally wouldn’t describe the seventeenth model as gentle. The Brooks Ghost Max (and 15) are firmer than the Experience 17 however the different each day trainers are softer and extra squishy. The Experience 17 encourages fast-paced each day runs.

The brand new PWRRUN+ midsole is a giant step up from the earlier one and it offers an honest quantity of power return. It’s not practically as bouncy as ZoomX or Puma’s Nitro foam however it feels full of life sufficient to make each day junk miles not really feel like a chore.

The large distinction between the Experience 17 and different old fashioned trainers just like the Pegasus 40/Ghost 15 is that within the Experience 17, you exert much less power doing the identical tempo. The Ghost 16 will get a brand new nitrogen infused midsole subsequent yr and will probably be fascinating to see the way it compares.

The Experience 17 nonetheless has a thick, detachable insole product of PWWRUN+. This offers much more cushioning and luxury straight below your toes, and provides it a plusher, extra luxurious really feel than one thing just like the Endorphin Velocity which doesn’t have it.

Thick, onerous rubber protects the froth on the outsole and there’s extra rubber than on the Experience 16. PWRRUN+ can also be a sturdy foam so that you received’t see a lot put on early on. That is simply one of the crucial sturdy each day coach outsoles in the marketplace. Because of the outsole being so onerous and thick, it makes a slappy sound when it strikes the highway or pavement. This takes a while to get used to.

PWRRUN+ is extra immune to creasing and compression over time than PWWRUN, so you may count on the Experience 17 to retain its cushioning longer than any of its predecessors.

Saucony Experience 17 Conclusions

The Experience 17 is a superb replace. Whereas it nonetheless doesn’t have a lot aptitude, the broader base and the change of midsole foam makes a giant distinction. The Experience 17 doesn’t really feel flat anymore; it appears like a extremely polished, trendy coach which may deal with most forms of runs. I really feel that the additional 2 mm of stack top makes it much more versatile.

As a mid-range, impartial each day coach, there’s not a lot fallacious with the Experience 17. It has sturdiness and luxury in spades, and it represents higher worth than the Triumph 21 which additionally has a PWRRUN+ midsole.

It has a way more participating trip than the Pegasus, Ghost and InfinityRN that are extra common each day trainers than the Experience.

Its largest downside is that its weight is on the upper aspect for a each day coach in comparison with the competitors however it does have a extra full of life trip than most. I don’t thoughts the additional weight as a result of I received’t be utilizing it for racing or speedwork.

The Novablast 3 which is similar value, is the Experience 17’s largest, non-plated competitor. It weighs over an oz lower than the Experience 17 and it additionally has a contemporary, versatile trip.

The Experience nevertheless is extra steady and extra sturdy than the Novablast.