The Thickly Cushioned Saucony Paramount Max is a Soft, Bouncy, Stable and Fun Daily Trainer
The new thickly cushioned Saucony Paramount Max daily trainer is surprisingly stable.
The new max-cushioned Saucony Paramount Max daily trainer is surprisingly stable.
Every so often a shoe comes along that makes you want to lace up again the second you take it off, and the new Saucony Paramount Max is exactly that kind of shoe for me.
It’s built around a full-length slab of incrediRUN TPEE foam—the same super-critical compound that gives the Endorphin Elite 3 marathon racing super shoe its rocket-fuel bounce—except here it’s been dialed in for daily miles instead of race day. It’s a massive trickle-down feature that brings top-tier racing foams down to high-mileage workhorse shoes. What Saucony has done with the Paramount Max isn’t a watered-down super-foam trainer; it’s a genuinely different animal, and the soft but decidedly stable ride proves it mile after mile.
I’ve put a healthy stretch of easy runs, long runs, recovery shuffles and a couple of slightly faster efforts into this pair, and the thing that keeps surprising me is how the foam manages to be everything at once. It’s bouncy without being wobbly, energetic without demanding anything back from your legs, and cushy enough that 12 miles feels like 8—but it never once went marshmallowy on me.
That’s the trap so many max-stack trainers fall into: pile on enough foam and the ride turns to mush, all comfort and zero feedback, the kind of shoe that feels great standing in the kitchen and sloppy at mile 12. The Paramount Max doesn’t do that. The broader platform and taller sidewalls keep the whole package locked in place underfoot, so even at a 43mm heel stack, it never washes out in the turns or gets squirrelly picking up the pace.
And that’s largely because Saucony didn’t just chase softness, but it sought out stability at the same time, which is a much harder needle to thread. You feel it most on tired-leg days, the ones where a lesser max shoe would let your ankle roll or your stride get sloppy. Instead, the Paramount Max holds its shape and holds you up, letting the foam do the shock absorption while the geometry does the babysitting.
Price: $200
Approximate Weights: 8.8 oz. (women’s size 8); 10.6 oz (men’s size 9) ·
Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm; 43mm (heel), 37mm (forefoot)
What’s New: The Paramount Max is built around Saucony’s Centerpath design technology with an extra-wide base and intentional foot-seating within the midsole to help stabilize the shoe’s high-off-the-ground structure. The midsole is a full-length supercritical TPEE compound called IncrediRun, the same foam family found in the Endorphin Elite racing lineup but tuned to be about 17 percent firmer than the racing version to hold up to daily-mileage durability while keeping its bounce.
There’s also a removable IncrediRun sockliner that sits on top of the midsole and is roomy enough to accommodate orthotics, which matters for runners who need custom inserts. It’s built around Saucony’s Centerpath design technology with an extra-wide base and intentional foot-seating within the midsole to help stabilize the shoe’s high-off-the-ground construction. The engineered mesh upper has a built-in 3D heel counter, while the outsole is made from XT-900 rubber for durability and traction.
Fit/Feel/Ride: The Paramount Max fits true to size with a medium interior volume and a spacious toe box for comfort and toe-splay. (It is only available in a standard width.) The step-in feel is soft and luxurious with no irritation points and a smooth-fitting gusseted tongue that wraps your feet with a comfortable, compressive sensation. To me, it feels like my feet are really integrated into the shoe as opposed to something that’s just tied to my feet. Plus, it’s one of the most cushy and comfy shoes I’ve ever laced up.
All of those features are great, but what’s most impressive about the Paramount Max is the ride. Yes, it’s soft and bouncy, but it’s also surprisingly stable. And that’s the key to a shoe with this much loft. The foam doesn’t wash out or steer you inward, but instead provides a stable base under each foot. More importantly, the soft/bouncy feeling combines to a smooth, well-balanced and moderately propulsive ride. It can be pushed to slightly faster paces, but mostly it’s Zone 2/Zone 3 type of shoe for long runs, mid-week maintenance/recovery runs or anything you run at your easiest paces.
Why It’s Great: I think it’s great because it feels like a dream on my feet. Every stride serves up exceptional shock absorption and cushioning, but enjoy forward-flowing energy to make it a fun shoe to run in. I ran 12 miles in these shoes at a moderate place and my feet felt refreshed after I took them off. It’s not a shoe that will run up-tempo paces very long—and I wouldn’t even try to force the issue with a 5K race or a 5-mile tempo run—but I did enjoy running speedy fartlek-style pick-up intervals during a 10K jaunt through my neighborhood.
Why You’ll Love It: You’ll love it because it’s so stable, especially if you’re a taller or larger runner who is really looking for shoes with a stable base. It’s not necessarily a stability shoe, but it is very stable. That inherent stability comes from its exceptionally wide footprint and the makeup of the foam, which is opulent and cushy but also provides enough structure to reduce pronation.
Why You Might Not Like It: The only real drawbacks against the Paramount Max are that it’s not a very lightweight shoe and that it’s not very agile. Those are to be expected for a shoe with this kind of girth, and, as you can imagine, it’s not a shoe that feels fast or quick, even though it is nicely energetic.
Pros: It’s definitely one of the most comfy shoes I have ever worn. The tongue, lacing, secure fit and smooth-riding bounciness all contributed to a lively and fun experience.
Cons: Not many, but if you’re looking for a light and lively shoe, this isn’t it. It’s lively in its own way, but it’s not going to be a fast or nimble shoe.
Contributing editor Brian Metzler is the Content Director for UltraSignup.com, who has raced every distance from 5K to 100 miles. He has wear-tested more than 2,000 running shoes and is the author of “Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture and Cool of Running Shoes” (2019) and “Trail Running Illustrated” (2021). He has raced just about every distance from 100 meters to 100 miles, but he’s most eager to share stories about his experiences pack burro racing in Colorado and riding trains to run trails in Chamonix, France.
RELATED: Tracksmith Eliot Ryder Serves Up Smooth, Stable Springiness
RELATED: ASICS Novablast 6 Blends Soft Cushion and Increased Energetic Pop
RELATED: The Hoka Clifton 11 Serves Up a Smoother, More Refined Ride
RELATED: The 5 Best Shoes for Fall Marathon Training This Summer
RELATED: The Adidas Hyperboost Edge Pairs High-Stack Cushion with A Lively Vibe
RELATED: The Saucony Triumph 24 is a Fun, Light and Springy Training Wonder
RELATED: The On LightSpray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper is an Enticing Laceless Trainer
RELATED: Mount to Coast C1 is the Speedy New Kid on the Block
RELATED: The 7 Best Nike Running Shoes on Sale Right Now
