Shoe review: Saucony’s new Ride ISO brings some great new features

Weight: Men’s: 9.7 oz. (275 g); Women’s 8.5 oz. (241 g)
Offset: 8 mm 
MSRP: $160
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Available May 1, just as spring weather is (finally) arriving in most parts of Canada, this is the 11th iteration of the Ride model, one of Saucony’s bestsellers. It continues to be a great neutral all-around running shoe offering plush cushioning combined with some responsiveness. Designed to appeal to a wide range of runners, the Ride ISO will handily take you through all aspects of your training, from 5K to half-marathons and marathons. It’s a great option for a bigger mileage workload, as the Ride is built for a long run, but isn’t so heavy that it won’t perform nicely on a mid-week tempo cruise. There are also significant enhancements to this version. 

RELATED: The 2018 Spring Shoe Guide

The main features of this new version of the Ride are as follows:

Saucony’s EVERUN topsole layer, combined with the PWRFOAM technology in the midsole, provide a comfy, cushiony ride, more than acceptable reactivity, and a shoe that will last you through serious mileage. Granted, with the 8 mm drop and the emphasis on comfort, for most people this shoe will feel more at home on the road than on either the track or a serious trail. If you’re the kind of mostly-road runner for whom track workouts are an occasional obligation, rather than the mainstay of your training plan, you’ll be good to go.

And lastly, in the top part of the shoe, the ISO engineered mesh upper and ISOFIT lacing system mean better breathability, lightness, and a secure and customized fit over the instep. In addition, the woven heel support (unchanged from the Ride 10) offers some structure to hold the heel, without being too much of a good thing.

As a point of reference, the Ride ISO can be seen as the beefier, more mileage-oriented sibling to Saucony’s performance-oriented Kinvara. Its added cushioning, slightly bigger drop, as well as heft and durability means that the Ride will be able to handle the bulk of the long run work, whereas the Kinvara can be left for speed sessions and race day. In terms of other brands, if you’ve ever worn the Nike Pegasus or the Under Armour Speedform Gemini, you’ll find the Saucony Ride comparable.

This shoe’s generous toebox contributes to a fit that’s quite noticeably on the large side, so you may find yourself wanting to go down a half-size.

The shoe is available in four great-looking colourways, and comes with an extra pair of laces in the accent colour, for those who like to customize the look of their shoe.
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