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

Great Feel but expensive and not super durable

5/5

Overall

If you can shell out for this one, it is pretty great. I've had some foot issues in the past, but this shoe has been all that I've ever wanted: lightweight, low drop, very comfortable. My first pair developed a hole on the outside of the upper, which was frustrating, but that second pair has been great for the first couple hundred miles.

Anonymous runner · Feb 6, 2018

50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v4

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

Great Shoe

5/5

Overall

All around great shoe. Feels luxurious on your feet. Nice durability, which makes up for the price tag. The full length evarun does exactly what its supposed to. The lacing system is excellent.

PrimalCabbage · Feb 6, 2018

70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 3

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

Freedom ISO Review_Bay

4/5

Overall

Great trainer; lightweight, responsive and comfortable. Appropriate for both slower/moderate long-distance running and shorter, intensive quality-based reps, with great adaptability in between.

Anonymous runner · Feb 6, 2018

40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

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

Saucony "boosting" it

5/5

Overall

Great daily trainer that makes the asphalt feel like the trail. The cushioning material is all one piece, and takes forever to break down, letting you put thousands of miles on a single pair.

Anonymous runner · Feb 6, 2018

80 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Energy BOOST Original / 5 year anniversary

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

Incredible Midsole, Tight Fit

5/5

Overall

The Saucony Freedom is all about the TPU Everrun midsole. Complete game changer; if you are still running on EVA, you are missing out. I have two issues with this shoe; one is personal, and one is echoed by many others. -the personal issue is that it just sits up way too high. I am used to a thinner midsole, and I felt a little unstable in the Freedoms -the objective issue is that these fit fairly narrow. The length seems fine; maybe a TINY bit short, but there is definitely a squeeze around the midfoot and toebox. ***I was able to alleviate both of these issues by removing the insole and running directly on the TPU midsole. It is actually quite comfortable, and the shoes fit a half-size wider AND lower to the ground. All of that being said, these and the Altra Escalantes are my current rotation. Both have TPU midsoles; I feel like I get a little more comfort from the Altras and a little more performance from the Freedoms.

theJeff · Feb 6, 2018

65 mpw training for a half marathon