Saucony Ride ISO 2

Name: Saucony Ride ISO 2
Brand: Saucony
Rating: 4.5 (24 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 9.8 oz · 8mm drop · 27/19mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock.

How it ranks

The Saucony Ride ISO 2 is one of the strongest daily trainers in our data. Comfort and durability are its strongest sub-ratings. Looks scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 24 runner reviews and 1 other rated shoe in the Ride ISO product line.

Excellent

96/100

Overall

Excellent 96

Comfort

Excellent 95

Durability

Very good 90

Value

Very good 90

Cushioning

Good 86

Appearance

Below average 70

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

94/100

High 94

What runners say

“Firmer at first, but breaks in nicely after 50 miles.”

5/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 12

“Perfect balance of cushion for long runs and light enough for up-tempo running.”

5/5 Full review 65 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 7

“Upper feels roomy and supple while still providing lockdown for turning up the pace.”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Freedom ISO 2

“Insole feels hard and lumpy first 8-10 minutes, then settles into a nice groove.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Ride ISO

“Feel less soreness compared to other shoes I have worn.”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 12

“I could see getting at least 500-600 miles out of these before the foam starts to feel dead.”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Freedom ISO 2

“Feet and legs feel like they're being pampered in a luxury car.”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Freedom ISO 2

“Neutral feel provides plenty of cushion while allowing connection to the ground.”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 21

“Restricts foot feel and increases pain on uneven/rough terrain.”

4/5 Full review 75 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Altra Escalante 1.5

“Feels more responsive than most trainers without feeling stiff.”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Freedom ISO 2

Prefer this shoe over another

55% 17/31

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers praise the roomy, well-padded upper and the secure heel hold.
Four reviewers report 250 to 500 miles with modest outsole wear.
The Ride ISO before it scores 93 on ten reviews, and two reviewers who come from it rate this better.

Cons

Three reviewers have the thin mesh upper tear or wear through quickly.
Two reviewers find the cushioning firm, and a third says it feels hard and lumpy for the first ten minutes of a run.
One reviewer finds it too heavy at 9.8 oz for tempo runs or speed work.

Ride ISO 2 rates 96. This shoe has high certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Saucony Ride ISO

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

Rating

40 60 80 100

93 2018 96 2019

Release year

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

Ride ISO 2 This shoe

2019 · 24 reviews

96 Excellent

94 Confidence
Ride ISO

2018 · 10 reviews

93 Excellent

91 Confidence

Reader Ratings

24 ratings

5/5 15

4/5 8

3/5 0

2/5 0

1/5 1

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 9.8 oz
Release: 2019 Q2
MSRP: $120
Stack Height: 27mm heel - 19mm toe
Drop Height: 8mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Odd Cushioning

4/5

Overall

The cushioning is there and seems to help, but beyond that its not very soft or compressible to me. It seems to restrict foot feel while also increasing pain when stepping on uneven/rough terrain.

Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2019

75 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Altra Escalante 1.5

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

very solid training shoe but a bit pricey

4/5

Overall

I get upwards of 500 miles out of these. Good cushioning and the soles cope with more punishment than asics. Great for training but would use vapourfly or equivalent for racing.

Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2019

80 mpw training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Kayano 26

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

Best Trainers Ever!

5/5

Overall

Throughout my 5 years of running (competitively) I have always tried a new brand of shoe after replacing an old pair. This will be the first time ever I buy the same pair of running shoe! These shoes feel absolutely incredible as they are my first ever neutral pair of trainers. Nothing much to say other than give it a shot and dont be afraid to return if need be. While they might be my favorite they could end up being your most hated, just be willing to try!

Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2019

65 mpw training for a half marathon

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

Comfort and Utility

5/5

Overall

Tech Specs: The Saucony Ride ISO 2 is a completely neutral trainer made for chewing through big training miles while keeping your feet happy. It has a moderate heel-toe drop of 8 mm (29/21) and weighs in at 9.8 oz in the standard Mens US 9. Durability: I have put a little over 250 miles on this pair of shoes and there are no signs of accelerated wear. The upper still appears as good as out of the box and while the sole clearly shows evidence of use there is effectively no degradation of the rubber outsole. The cushy sensation of the midsole also seems to not have diminished at all and I could see getting at least 500-600 miles out of these before the foam starts to feel dead. Upper: One of the best technologies Saucony has implemented in its product line is their patented ISOFIT system. This is a more dynamic lacing and upper construction that allows for a more custom wrap around the midfoot without a lot of the negatives of hot spots seen in the "nav band" construction, which was present in older Saucony and Brooks models. Specifically, it allows for a wider range of foot widths and shapes to find a perfect fit. The ISOFIT system on this model allows the upper to feel roomy and supple while still providing the type of lockdown necessary for turning up the pace. Aside from the ISOFIT the upper construction is made of a double jacquard mesh with no overlays, making it extremely breathable and eliminating possible hot spots. The tongue is very well padded, and the flat laces are long enough to double knot which is a huge plus for me! As for the heel counter, it is stiff and supportive, but like the tongue is thick and well cushioned making it have excellent lockdown while remaining very comfortable. Overall, this is probably the most comfortable upper I have ever experienced, and it seems Saucony knocked it out of the park in this area. Midsole/Ride: The ride of the shoe is a product of Saucony's EVERUN and PWRFOAM midsole, meant to increase energy return and provide continuous cushioning respectively. I can confirm these goals to have been met. As a person who generally prefers 4 mm drop shoes like the Kinvara it is not often that an 8 mm drop feels this smooth. Due to this being a completely neutral and well cushioned shoe the drop feels more like ~6 mm which makes it feel more responsive than most trainers without feeling stiff. For long runs, easy runs, and slower tempos (HM pace or slower) this is an efficient ride that your feet will love you for. Outsole: With this updated iteration of the Ride ISO Saucony trimmed down the outsole rubber and replaced the blown rubber outsole with a harder carbon rubber in the forefoot. This hasn't seemed to hurt durability and is probably part of the smoother ride exhibited in this update. The only negative of this change is if you are looking for a road shoe that has solid traction for most trails this update decreased the grip on no road terrain. The carbon rubber seems to wear far slower than the previous forefoot, so this will ultimately come down to preference. Conclusion The Saucony Ride ISO 2 is an excellent update worth passing on the previous model and one of my favorite trainers. Between the Upper and Midsole my feet and legs feel like they are being pampered in a luxury car while I am putting in mostly road miles. It has an MSRP of $120 which is on par with competitors like the Nike Peg 35, Brooks Ghost 11, and Mizuno Wave Rider 22 but has a lower drop, is the lightest, and has probably the best upper. A solid buy.

ricerunner32 · May 14, 2019

45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Freedom ISO 2