Saucony Freedom ISO

Name: Saucony Freedom ISO
Brand: Saucony
Rating: 4.6 (53 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 9.1 oz · 4mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Saucony Freedom ISO 2 replaced it

How it ranks

The Saucony Freedom ISO is one of the strongest daily trainers in our data. Durability and looks are its strongest sub-ratings. Value scores well below its other sub-ratings. Most runners who came to it from another shoe preferred it. The rating rests on 53 runner reviews and 1 other rated shoe in the Freedom ISO product line.

Excellent

94/100

Overall

Excellent 94

Durability

Exceptional 98

Appearance

Exceptional 97

Comfort

Very good 91

Cushioning

Good 89

Value

Bottom-tier 57

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

97/100

Very high 97

What runners say

“EVERUN technology is very efficient. It's rigid but also bouncy and feels good from mile 1 to mile 600+”

4/5 Full review 31 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Guide 9

“Nice combination of some comfort without being so cushioned that they don't feel like they can run fast”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 8

“Over 450 miles and you would have to look very closely to even be able to tell where it is worn”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 8

“Rare combination of responsiveness while still being cushioned”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Newton Kismet II

“Comfortable fit while feeling light and springy even as they approached that 500+ mile mark”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 9

“Close to 800km on them and the bottoms barely show any sign of wear”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 9

“Excellent blend of cushioning plus speed”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 3

“Soft ride but doesn't make you feel slow like soft shoes tend to”

4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 33

“Sizing feels about 1/4 size too small while the heel feels too loose”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 3

“Put over a thousand miles in them and they are still going well”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 7

Prefer this shoe over another

53% 28/53

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers report outsoles holding up past 500 miles with little wear.
Reviewers use it for easy runs, tempo work and marathons.
Many describe cushioning that stays springy while keeping road feel.

Cons

It lists at $160, fourteen reviewers call it expensive, and value is the lowest-rated dimension at 3.9 out of 5.
Uppers often tear or look ragged before the sole wears.
Eleven of forty-two reviewers with a fit answer say it runs small, and seven find the upper loose enough to feel unstable cornering.

Freedom ISO rates 94. This shoe has very high certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Saucony Freedom ISO

Each dot is one version of the Freedom ISO, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

94 2017 89 2018

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Freedom ISO 2

2018 · 18 reviews

89 Good

90 Confidence
Freedom ISO This shoe

2017 · 53 reviews

94 Excellent

97 Confidence

Reader Ratings

53 ratings

5/5 31

4/5 21

3/5 1

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 9.1 oz
Release: 2017 Q2
MSRP: $160
Drop Height: 4mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Pretty Amazing Shoes - Good for regular training, speed session and marathons

4/5

Overall

These shoes surprised me. They were comfortable, flexible and good for a variety of runs. They were supportive in long runs, steady in tempo runs, stable in speed session and excellent for marathon and half-marathon races. I've ran a couple PRs in them. I've had a couple pairs of these shoes. And when I knew they were going to be replaced with the ISO2, I picked up several extra pairs of the FreedomISO to keep. My only issue is that they are good for about 500 kms. After that they feel dull and lifeless, and they give me sore spots in my calves and achilles, a sign that I need to change shoes. Not happy about this. And the price.

Anonymous runner · Jul 3, 2019

28 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Free Motion

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

Reader review

4/5

Overall

Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2019

30 mpw

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 3/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 3/5
Value: 4/5

The shoe equivalent of Pringles, couldn't just have one.

5/5

Overall

The upper in conjunction with the ISO are super comfortable on the top of my foot. The only issue I have had with the upper is that the tongue doesn't have much cushion, and I have had it rub my skin a little raw if my socks don't get pulled up high enough. The Everrun sole is a nice combination of some comfort without being so cushioned that they don't feel like they can run fast. The rubber on the bottom is great, I've never felt like I might slip in places & conditions I have lost traction with other shoes and it keeps the bottom from wearing. I've got a pair with over 450 miles on them and you would have to look very closely to even be able to tell where it is worn. I don't frequently wear them for 5K distance, or even 10K, but they have been my go to shoe for racing anything above 10K. They are a good versatile shoe that I can train and race in. I liked them so much I have 4 pair in my rotation.

Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2019

35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 8

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 4/5

Best Pair of Shoes I've Owned

5/5

Overall

Easily the most comfortable pair of running shoes i've owned. Despite being a more hobby jogger than anything (not racing regularly), I have been able to put more than 500 miles on 4 pairs of the ISOs. In that time, Ive had 1 blister (running an ironman so it likely came from the biking portion too) and one injury on a nagging leg thats bothered me in previous shoes, only taking me out for a week or so. Comfortable fit while feeling light and springy even as they approached that 500+ mile mark.

Anonymous runner · May 30, 2019

40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 9

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Bouncy and soft cushion

4/5

Overall

Not terribly responsive, but feels fast and has enough structure to do a lot of training in it. A very versatile shoe as it could be used for longer road races and training without injury concerns.

galensucks · Oct 3, 2018

50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 3