Saucony Zealot ISO 3

Name: Saucony Zealot ISO 3
Brand: Saucony
Rating: 4.5 (6 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 8.6 oz · 4mm drop

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

How it ranks

The Saucony Zealot ISO 3 trails most daily trainers in our data. Durability and comfort are its strongest sub-ratings. The rating rests on 6 runner reviews and 2 other rated shoes in the Zealot ISO product line. Another 6 reviews would set the confidence on this shoe's own reviews.

Bottom-tier

57/100

Overall

Bottom-tier 57

Comfort

Good 81

Durability

Decent 79

Cushioning

Decent 76

Value

Below average 68

Appearance

Bottom-tier 50

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

73/100

Moderate 73

What runners say

“Most comfortable shoe ever worn, both under and over the foot”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Saucony Kinvara 8

“Lasted approx. 550-600 miles for first pair and second are going strong”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante V2

“Quick as far as trainers are concerned, yet extremely durable”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 8

“Enough cushion for long miles, yet with a decent enough pop to the transition”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante V2

“Logged over 700 miles on pair”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 8

“Weight makes it a very versatile shoe—good for a tempo, long run, or recovery run”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Saucony Kinvara 8

“Meets a nice balance between plush cushioning and responsiveness”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 5

“Tongue material near the laces wears down quickly, so laces can eventually start digging into the top of your feet”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GT-2000 5

“Great cushion for long runs, good bounce for fast repeats, and awesome for everything in between”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 5

“Decent fitting upper with a little wiggle room clamping your midfoot and heel onto a responsive and protective stack of foam”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante V2

Prefer this shoe over another

38% 3/8

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Comfort averages 4.5 out of 5 across six reviews, and the five who rated cushioning give it 4.4.
Two reviewers get 550 to 700 miles from a pair.
Averaging 8.0 oz across the men's and women's builds, it is lighter than the 8.9 oz median for daily trainers on sale, and three reviewers use it for everything from long runs to fast repeats.

Cons

Appearance averages 3.3 out of 5, the lowest of its dimensions, and one reviewer says it is not much to look at.
One reviewer has the tongue wear through until the laces dig into the top of the foot, and another sees wear and tear after a few months.
Two of the six reviewers who answered report an injury while running in it.

Zealot ISO 3 rates 57. This shoe has moderate certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Saucony Zealot ISO

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

Rating

40 60 80 100

58 2015 56 2017 57 2017

Release year

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

Zealot ISO 3 This shoe

2017 · 6 reviews

57 Bottom-tier

73 Confidence
Zealot ISO 2

2017 · 7 reviews

56 Bottom-tier

76 Confidence
Zealot ISO

2015 · 10 reviews

58 Bottom-tier

87 Confidence

Reader Ratings

6 ratings

5/5 3

4/5 3

3/5 0

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 8.6 oz
Release: 2017 Q2
MSRP: $130
Drop Height: 4mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Saucony Men's Zealot ISO 3 Running Shoe

4/5

Overall

Ive been a big fan of Saucony for a while and for someone on a budget, but doing low milage (50 MPW), they are great. Definitely some wear and tear after a few months, but you get what you pay for with this one.

Anonymous runner · Aug 12, 2019

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

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

My go to’s

4/5

Overall

I had one pair of the Kinvara’s (18mm forefoot, 22mm heel) and I liked everything about them except that there’s wasn’t enough cushion. This is pretty much the exact same feel except that it’s 4mm more cushion in front and back. A few durability problems in the upper with the previous model, but the 3 gets it right. Great cushion for long runs, good bounce for fast repeats, and awesome for everything in between. This neutral shoe meets a nice balance between plush cushioning and responsiveness.

Anonymous runner · Jul 9, 2019

60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 5

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

Saucony makes some great shoes

5/5

Overall

I have been training in the Kinvaras for the last 3-4 years but decided to try out the Zealots just for some change. I initially did not care for them because I was so used to the kinvaras, but over time I have come to love them. They are quick as far as trainers are concerned, yet extremely durable. I have logged over 700 miles on my pair and intend to keep using them, although admittedly the tread on the soles have worn off quite a bit. Nonetheless, I recommend these to anyone.

thedub · Jan 20, 2019

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

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

Reader review

5/5

Overall

The cushioning on this shoe is amazing. Only problem I've ever had is that the tongue material near the laces wears down quickly, so the laces can eventually start digging into the top of your feet.

Lucash16 · Jul 13, 2018

70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GT-2000 5

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

Great all-round shoe, sad to see it discontinued

5/5

Overall

The Zealot ISO 3 was a huge improvement on an otherwise lackluster shoe. Barring durability, it was surpassed by the Kinvara (and other competitors) in many ways. With the current model, you get a decent fitting upper with a little wiggle room clamping your midfoot and heel onto a responsive and protective stack of foam. The 4mm offset and blown rubber IBR forefoot maintain a good balance, with enough cushion for long miles, yet with a decent enough pop to the transition. Not a snappy racer, nor a sluggish and heavy trainer from years past (only about 8oz or so!), these lasted me approx. 550-600 miles for my first pair and second are going strong. Why oh why have Saucony dropped this shoe?! I'll be going back to a Kinvara or similar for recovery runs, paired with racing flats for most miles. Highly recommend picking up a pair or two on clearout if you're a serious runner wanting cushion and durability without the weight or huge heel wedge.

Anonymous runner · Feb 14, 2018

50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante V2