Saucony Freedom ISO Review

Falling in love with running shoes because of the design… that´s not a thing that would happen to me every day. Mostly, I take a look at the parameters first and according to the technical aspect I evaluate whether it might be also a good design option. Saucony Freedom ISO worked for me exactly the other way around! Almost design version of this model seems as a really futuristic pair of shoes. “But wait! And what about that technical parameters?” I have asked myself after beholding this beauty the first time.

Well, that is actually even more interesting than the futuristic design itself :-). I would say that beside the cushioning technology that the company uses, the most important part for me personally is the great fit of the shoe itself. And after putting these Saucony Freedom ISO on my feet, I can say I felt really amazing… The ISO lacing system is highly customizable so that although I have very huge, wide arches, the shoe surrounded the whole arch and toe part very naturally and for me, it worked just great.

Even after running around 18 kilometers at the time, I didn´t feel any discomfort. The upper of the shoe is made of Knit material, a highly structured woven fabric which is extremely durable as it is composed of only one fibre. You can be sure then that the shoe will not even in extremer running conditions tear and fall apart but will stay resilient to any damage.

What is often accounted to this shoe as a bonus is the structure of the seamless tongue, surrounding the whole instep and making the feeling of being well, comfortably fixed in the shoe when running. I must say, I haven´t really noticed this as an exceptional point and only started thinking about it after reading one expert article about the shoe on the web. What I found as a negative in the beginning for me was the low heel part of the shoe which gave me a feeling the shoe can take off at any time. At some point I got used to the low heel upper of the shoe and after some time stopped thinking about it when running so I guess it really is just a question of getting used to it.

And now the most impressive part, the midsole and outsole. By entering the market with Freedom ISO, Saucony really positioned itself as a prime competition for Adidas Boost technology. When comparing the well known EVA typical for other model of shoes, Everun foam cushioning in the midsole of Saucony is highly similar to that Adidas technology. Here, we can find the TPU absorption, that is much more elastic and behaves very lively on the track. According to the shoe producer, the energy return from treads should reach up to 83 %.  Although you might have already heard about the energy savings attributes, the splendid rebounce for your feet and great absorption of shocks, I am pretty sure you will only understand all of this as soon as you put them on.

The feeling of being light and full of energy like jumping “antelope” is the best I can describe it. For me, absolutely unusual responsiveness accompanied by the rubber outsole resistant to any hard surface such as concrete or asphalt. For running in the city, it is the best option.  The outsole in general, for me in this specific case is the most “sexy” outsole I have ever seen.

 After getting over the point I wanted to eat the whole outsole, I realized it´s because of its crystal shaped rubber pieces that I personally think feel like gripping the ground even on other kind of surface when it is wet or snowy. Simply, the outsole really seems to me as a great choice for different weather conditions. And its colors? I am pretty sure, you will love that!!! The main model has a transformation from red heel part to yellow which is well accompanied by blue upper and thus, the overall impression is very unusual.

I could also mention there are many reflexive spots thanks to which you will be well seen pretty well after trying a night run out.That also surprised me in a nice way and other stuff still worth mentioning. The only real negative that has been strongly pointed out in the last year when this beauty “started being sold in the world” was their price… Seriously, the original price was really a lot!!! Thank God we are past this point and when I checked the prices this week, it was doable. So that, yes! These awesome futuristic shoes won’t be a disappointment for someone searching  for a lightweight durable shoe, both short and long distances 😉