Saucony Excursion TR8

Editor rating: 8.7 / 10

User's rating: based on 7 user ratings

1 star

2 star

3 star

4 star

14%

5 star

85%

Add your Rating

By Brian Price

All Saucony Shoes

Saucony Excursion TR8 Review Facts

See more facts

For the Excursion TR8, Saucony took note of what runners loved most about the shoe and made sure to hold on to the essentials. Many runners reported using these as a light alternative to traditional hiking boots, others mentioned how they loved the comfort and breathability for everyday use.

Saucony Excursion TR8 kept the popular traits, enhanced some features and started offering this shoe through outdoor stores and other online vendors usually reserved for hiking accessories or daily use trainers. This popular installment of the Excursion line was met with many positive reviews and a broader customer base.

Editor's Pros & Cons

Pros

Mesh upper and lacing system creative a protective environment for your foot
IMEVA provides impact protection
Multi-purpose shoe because of the large lugs
Affordably priced

Cons

Heavier shoe, so not for racing
Break in period required
Stack height may be a turn off for some runners
Not suitable for muddy terrains.

Outsole

The outsole of the Saucony Excursion TR8 features XT-600 rubber material in the center of the outsole, with a harder, more durable rubber lining the outer edges. Instead of only the triangular lugs, this is the first version where they used the large multidirectional lugs.

The grip is exceptional on most surfaces. The combination of the 2 types of rubber, as well as the design, make for great traction on a variety of surfaces. The outsole is also very durable, showing little wear after several miles on road and trail.

Midsole

The midsole is substantially cushioned with injection molded EVA material and has an 18 mm stack height. The midsole cushioning runs the full length of the shoe, providing every part of your foot with comfort and support.

Grid technology, found in the heel, helps protect your foot from the consequences of impact and overuse injuries.

Upper

The upper of this shoe is made of knit mesh and synthetic overlays, making it strong, durable, and protective. The inner shoe is lined with plush material for a great next to foot feeling throughout.

The upper also comes in optional Gore-tex material, wicking away moisture and keeping the shoe water-resistant while still maintaining breathability. The durable mesh upper and synthetic overlays give a snug feeling when laced using a traditional lacing system.

Weight

This shoe weighs in at midrange. Although constructed with multiple lightweight features, this shoe is a little heavy for some people. It weighs in at 10.8oz for men and 9.2oz for women, which is a little on the heavy side for a running shoe, but very lightweight if being used as a hiking boot alternative.

Breathability

The Saucony Excursion TR8 is very breathable thanks to the lightweight mesh upper. The mesh is combined with a synthetic overlay which increases the durability of the shoe while maintaining a breezy feeling. The Gore-tex version is slightly less breathable and is better suited for colder, wetter conditions.

Comfort

The Saucony Excursion TR8 is a comfortable shoe. Many runners have compared the feeling of walking on clouds. The different features in the midsole work together to offer impact protection for any stride.

The springiness of the IMEVA material gives the shoe an excellent ride for longer training distances. This is a neutral shoe but still offers considerable support and lots of comfort for any foot strike. The plush inner lining also gives the shoe a great next to foot feeling.

Style

This shoe comes in 3 color variations for men and 2 color variations for women. I personally love the grey/coal/mint color. The color combination is neutral enough that it can be worn as an everyday shoe, but the coral and mint add a fun accent. As with most heavily cushioned shoe, some people might find it a little bulky.

Durability

The mesh of the Saucony Excursion TR8 upper combined with the synthetic overlays makes for a very durable shoe. The outsole with the 2 different types of rubber ensures that you can tread any surface, trail or road, and still have the grip you need. The Gore-tex version is slightly more durable, with the mesh being a slightly heavier material.

Protection

The thick rubber outsole offers excellent protection from anything the trail throws at you. The midsole cushions and protects toes on longer training runs. The plush neck and collar prevent material from getting into the shoe from the top or sides. The lace area is well cushioned to protect the top of the foot.

Responisveness

The IMEVA material makes the shoe feel more responsive and a little stiffer than other 8mm offset shoes cushioned with other alternative EVA material. The midsole technologies give a sort of bouncy feeling at liftoff.

Although the significant amount of cushion does reduce overall ground feel, the shoe maintains its snappy underfoot feeling. Some runners remarked that the shoe was a little stiff for their taste, but this is typical of a shoe with lots of cushions.

Support

The Saucony Excursion TR8 is classified as a neutral running shoe, it borders on being a “light stability” shoe and offers excellent support from heel to toe no matter what it is being used for. It is great for anyone with high arches, over-pronation or supination because of the additional support.

If you need more support, this shoe also comes with a removable insert so that you can replace the insole with something more supportive or custom made. The laces also help to cinch down the foot evenly through the shoe.

Terrain

This Saucony Excursion TR8 is great for any terrain, except for those that are extremely muddy. This can be attributed to the large lug size and sticky grip of the outsole's rubber. Even though the lugs are large, the design makes it a great road-to-trail shoe. The Saucony Excursion TR8 also comes in Gore-tex, which is water resistant and helpful in wet conditions or tall grass.

Price

As with other shoes from this series, the Saucony Excursion TR8 is a very well priced shoe, especially when you consider how versatile and durable it is. The original market price was around $100 USD but it can now be found on some sites for as little as $50 USD for the women’s shoe and $70 USD for the men’s. This is a reasonably priced shoe that you can log many comfortable miles in.

Traction

The sticky rubber sole combined with the traditional rubber and multidirectional lugs offer excellent traction for most terrains, both dry or wet. The XT-600 compresses slightly more than traditional rubber sole material and is better at sticking to a variety of surfaces. This varied traction makes this an excellent shoe for a variety of purposes such as fast packing or hiking as well as running.

Flexibility

The plentiful IMEVA cushion, along with the stability features of this shoe, makes for a somewhat rigid shoe construction, which does add to the support of the Saucony Excursion TR8. It is perfect for gnarly trails or spending hours on end on your feet. This is a great shoe for long comfortable training runs.

Stability

The lacing system which cinches the synthetic overlay around the foot locks the foot in and distributes support and stability throughout. The 8mm heel to toe offset is perfect for someone looking for a stable ride from heel to toe. The stack height is proportionate to the size of the shoe so that you are never too far off the ground, even with the cushioning.

Drop

The heel to toe offset is 8mm which is perfect for neutral runners looking for a little extra stability. There is extra cushioning in the heel for runners with a tendency to land heel first but at the same time, the shoe does not feel overly bulky in the heel.

This is perfect for a variety of foot striking patterns and it provides a neutral range of motion while not requiring an excessive amount of foot strength. The Saucony Excursion TR8 would also be an ideal shoe for anyone looking to transition from a stability shoe to a more neutral shoe. The overall support that this drop provides also makes it a comfortable walking or hiking shoe.

Key Features of the Saucony Excursion TR8

• Neutral level of support
• Heel GRID
• Sock liner provides comfort
• XT-600 carbon rubber outsole
• IMEVA cushioning
• 8 mm drop
• Multi-directional, large lugs
• Quick-drying mesh upper is also breathable

Bottom Line

Whether you are looking for a running shoe, a hiking shoe or an everyday shoe, the Saucony Excursion TR8 has many great features to consider. The support and comfort work well for a long day on your feet or covering several miles of varied terrain.

The neutral colors and the Gore-tex version add to the overall versatility of the shoe, providing a variation for almost anyone. Best of all, with all of the features it provides, this shoe is priced very reasonably, making it ideal for any budget!