The Saucony Paramount Max is a max-cushioned training shoe designed for comfort and bounce. Priced at $200, it competes with shoes like the Adidas Hyperboost Edge ($200) and ASICS Superblast 3 ($210). In 2025, Saucony debuted its super soft and bouncy IncrediRun foam in the Endorphin Elite 2 and in the top layer of the Endorphin Trainer. The Endorphin Trainer ended up being a miss with consumers, mostly due to runners misunderstanding the intention of the shoe. As a result, Saucony pivoted this year and created two new daily trainers in its place—the lighter, firmer, more aggressive Endorphin Azura and the max-cushioned, comfort-oriented Paramount Max. With over 40mm of IncrediRun foam in the heel, a 6mm drop, and a weight of less than 300 grams in our men’s size 10.5, we were excited to try it out. Out of the box, we could immediately tell that the IncrediRun foam in the Paramount Max was tuned significantly firmer than the version found in the Endorphin Elite 2 and 3, but as a non-plated shoe with over 40mm of foam, it makes sense that it needed to be firmer to stabilize the shoe. To further stabilize the softer foam, Saucony went with a very wide base, similar in width to the Nike Vomero Premium. The upper is lightweight, soft, and very well executed, featuring a thick, padded tongue. The step-in feel is soft, comfortable, and luxurious. Out on the run, however, we were somewhat disappointed by the overall ride of the shoe. The foam is not as soft and bouncy as it is in the Endorphin Elite 2 and 3, and the rocker geometry feels oddly flat, making it difficult to land naturally on the midfoot. The Paramount Max excels as a protective, highly cushioned, and stable recovery-day shoe, similar to what you get from the ASICS Gel-Nimbus or Puma MagMax 2, but it isn’t as fun, responsive, or bouncy as the new crop of super trainers like the Adidas Hyperboost Edge or ASICS Superblast 3.
