SHOE REVIEW: Saucony Tempus

We’ve all heard it, the word ‘stability’ isn’t the most attractive word to use when talking about a shoe. But Saucony is here to change the narrative. The Tempus is a new generation of stability from the brand to compete with the Nike Infinity React and the ASICS Kayano Lite. The shoe was designed with performance in mind, featuring PWRRUN PB cushioning to keep you bouncing while giving you support for the long haul. The idea of the Tempus is to make it easy to give the stability category the same love as the everyday neutral shoe.

Built on a super-foam-fueled guidance system, the Tempus provides runners with a smoother, faster run. The addition of PWRRUN PB into the midsole gives you max energy return on every stride while the contoured PWRRUN frame supports your foot for optimal performance.

Category: Stability
Drop: 8 mm
Weight: 252 g for men’s size 9, 224 g for women’s size 7
Stack height: 36.5 mm
Available: June 28, 2022
MSRP: $210.00

The upper

If there’s one underrated feature about the Tempus, it’s the upper. It consists of a simple seamless mesh that moulds from the midfoot to the toe box, which is wide fitting for most runners. The form-fit seamless design addresses every point of contact with your foot, going well beyond lacing to ensure a personalized feel, top to bottom. The shoe fits true to size and there’s no bunching of the upper material at toe-off.

The upper of the Tempus is a lot lighter and more breathable than many of the other stability shoes on the market.

The midsole

The main feature everyone is talking about is the PWRRUN PB midsole. For years, brands have tried to sell you stability features; now Saucony is changing the game to make wearing a stability shoe more exciting. The midsole contains a dual-layered component with a PWRRUN cradle and PWRRUN PB landing pad. The foam in the Tempus is the same foam that is found in their performance racer the Endorphin Pro. The PB foam in combination with the stiffer PWRRUN frame gives the shoe a snappy feel at toe-off while providing enough stability for a confident landing.

The outsole

In contrast to the traditional Saucony Ride and Guide models, the Tempus’s outsole is completely rubberized with Saucony’s durable XT-900 outsole, featuring small grippy lugs in common landing areas to provide you with more traction in bad weather. You’ll be able to rock the Tempus without having to worry about slipping or sliding.

The verdict

If you have worn a stability shoe in the past, the Saucony Tempus is the perfect shoe for you to put into your training regimen. The PWRRUN PB foam is a game-changer for long runs or tempos due to the support and responsiveness you get on every stride. As someone with a wider forefoot and narrow midfoot, I found the Tempus fit comfortably and true to size. The upper is incredibly light and excellent for summer and fall running.

I would recommend the shoe for runners who overpronate, and who are looking for a shoe to wear for an upcoming half-marathon or marathon build this fall.