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Saucony Redeemer ISO 2
1
By Steph Coelho
The Saucony Redeemer ISO 2 is a high stability road shoe with generous midsole cushioning. It’s high stability construction actually puts it in the motion control category of shoes, so it’s best suited for those with serious overpronators. What’s different in this second edition of the Redeemer?
The upper is completely redesigned with some significant changes that didn’t please fans of the original shoe. In fact, this second version of the Redeemer wasn’t too well liked by reviewers. They had very few nice things to say about the shoe. Below, you’ll find our in-depth review of the ISO 2 which goes into the significant changes made to the high stability trainer and what went wrong with the update, according to those who tried the Saucony brand trainer.
Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
- Great traction
- Stretchy upper
- Protective outsole
- Decent cushioning
Cons
- Heavy
- Lacks support
- Poor durability
Outsole
Outsole
First, let's take a look at the outsole of the Saucony Redeemer ISO 2. Not much has changed in this area of the shoe. The outsole still features lightweight IBR+ rubber for durability.
The IBR+ material also adds a bit of additional padding to the shoe. The shoe also features XT-900 rubber which provides both durability and traction. In addition, TRI-FLEX technology in the outsole promotes a flexible ride. Reviewers seemed to feel that the outsole was lower in quality than the original version of the Redeemer pointing out its thinner, flimsier construction.
The IBR+ material also adds a bit of additional padding to the shoe. The shoe also features XT-900 rubber which provides both durability and traction. In addition, TRI-FLEX technology in the outsole promotes a flexible ride. Reviewers seemed to feel that the outsole was lower in quality than the original version of the Redeemer pointing out its thinner, flimsier construction.
Midsole
Midsole
The midsole of the Redeemer is also pretty much the same from a design standpoint. There's the same EVERUN cushioning that's meant to be both responsive and comfortable. The shoe is supposed to provide a highly cushioned ride but reviewers noted that the cushioning in the ISO 2 seems to have been changed.
Many found the shoe didn't feel as well cushioned as before. The supportive medial post is still there (it's still a high stability shoe, after all) and this aspect of the shoe performed just fine.
Many found the shoe didn't feel as well cushioned as before. The supportive medial post is still there (it's still a high stability shoe, after all) and this aspect of the shoe performed just fine.
Upper
Upper
Now, let's examine the upper of the Saucony Redeemer ISO 2. This is the portion of the shoe that has been changed the most. Saucony introduced a completely new upper design that's sock-like and is much less structured than before.
The new mesh material is lighter and stretchier and provides a snugger fit. The mesh is engineered to provide a better fit and is combined with ISOFIT technology to ensure each runner feels great wearing the shoe.
There are also numerous overlays intended to provide additional support. That's the intention, but do the changes to the upper really provide a better fit and improve support?
According to reviewers, that's not the case at all. Only a handful of reviewers had anything nice to say about the upper design change. Many reviewers did not like the updated upper and said it lacked support.
Users also complained of a significantly narrower fit with a toe squeezing forefoot area. Overall, reviewers said, the fit was less comfortable. Some also noted that the instep was much tighter fitting.
The new mesh material is lighter and stretchier and provides a snugger fit. The mesh is engineered to provide a better fit and is combined with ISOFIT technology to ensure each runner feels great wearing the shoe.
There are also numerous overlays intended to provide additional support. That's the intention, but do the changes to the upper really provide a better fit and improve support?
According to reviewers, that's not the case at all. Only a handful of reviewers had anything nice to say about the upper design change. Many reviewers did not like the updated upper and said it lacked support.
Users also complained of a significantly narrower fit with a toe squeezing forefoot area. Overall, reviewers said, the fit was less comfortable. Some also noted that the instep was much tighter fitting.
Weight
Weight
The ISO 2 is not a lightweight shoe, as is the case with most high stability shoes. The corrective medial post and generous midsole cushioning add a fair bit of mass to the shoe. The men's version weighs about 12 oz and the women's about 11 oz. Users found the shoe pretty heavy and did not like how it felt on a run.
The extra weight was hard to ignore. The shoe actually shaved off some weight compared to the original version of the Redeemer, but users didn't seem to feel or notice the difference. This might have something to do with the overall poor fit of the shoe.
When a shoe doesn't fit right and pressure points are stubbornly attacking your feet, it's hard not to aggressively feel the weight of the shoe hanging off your foot.
The extra weight was hard to ignore. The shoe actually shaved off some weight compared to the original version of the Redeemer, but users didn't seem to feel or notice the difference. This might have something to do with the overall poor fit of the shoe.
When a shoe doesn't fit right and pressure points are stubbornly attacking your feet, it's hard not to aggressively feel the weight of the shoe hanging off your foot.
Breathability
Breathability
The newly designed upper does win points for breathability, though. The new mesh material is lighter and stretchier and ensures a more forgiving fit. It breathes well, too. Many runners did have issues with the upper feeling too tight, though, so ventilation suffered.
A too snug toe box also reduced the chance for air to circulate inside the shoe. The thinner design of the upper material does help with breathability but reviewers also noted the material felt noticeably flimsy because it was so thin. Inside, there's a foundation sock liner to wick away sweat, which you'll likely need because of the tight fit.
A too snug toe box also reduced the chance for air to circulate inside the shoe. The thinner design of the upper material does help with breathability but reviewers also noted the material felt noticeably flimsy because it was so thin. Inside, there's a foundation sock liner to wick away sweat, which you'll likely need because of the tight fit.
Comfort
Comfort
The Saucony Redeemer ISO 2 just isn't that comfortable, according to most reviewers. The fit is bad, too snug for most. The toe box is incredibly tight fitting. The cushioning doesn't feel right, many felt the midsole felt a lot less padded than in the original. While no one expects a high stability shoe to be featherlight, the Saucony Redeemer is uncomfortably clunky, say reviewers. Overall, it's doesn't offer a great feeling ride.
Style
Style
High stability shoes don't usually feature the sleekest design and the ISO 2 is no exception. It looks as bulky as it feels. For women, the shoe is available in a teal and grey combination and for men, there's a black version with red and grey accents. Overall, the look isn't intended to please the flashy runners out there. It's a plain looking shoe with a simple design that'll blend in with most running outfits.
Durability
Durability
While you'd think a hefty shoe like the Saucony Redeemer would be a super durable shoe, it's not quite the case. Users complained that the Saucony Redeemer ISO 2 felt lower quality than the original because of its fairly thin outsole. The sole is made up of quality materials but the construction is still too thin to feel substantial. The upper, too, lacks durability.
Protection
Protection
The Saucony Redeemer offers protection from overpronation thanks to its high stability design. The shoe protects users from excess pronation with a traditional medial post.
The midsole also provides protection from impact, although some users noted the cushioning felt less significant than in the previous ISO model. The fit is supposed to be snug to protect against instability, but the result is an overly tight feel that doesn't provide as much support as you'd think and users were none too happy with the new upper design. On paper, the stretchy, light upper sounds like a dream, but in reality, it's overly snug and even with a tight fit doesn't provide enough support to wearers.
The midsole also provides protection from impact, although some users noted the cushioning felt less significant than in the previous ISO model. The fit is supposed to be snug to protect against instability, but the result is an overly tight feel that doesn't provide as much support as you'd think and users were none too happy with the new upper design. On paper, the stretchy, light upper sounds like a dream, but in reality, it's overly snug and even with a tight fit doesn't provide enough support to wearers.
Responsiveness
Responsiveness
Don't expect a lot of responsiveness from a shoe like the Saucony Redeemer ISO 2. It's bulky, has a rigid midsole, and midsole cushioning that isn't very bouncy. An 8mm drop keeps users off the ground, too, so a natural ride isn't what's in store with the Saucony Redeemer. Compared to the original ISO model, the update is significantly less responsive.
Support
Support
You'd think a high stability shoe would be quite supportive, but user comments back up the opposite as true. The new upper design isn't supportive enough, despite its snugger fit, the material is apparently too forgiving to provide any kind of substantial hold on the foot. It's strange that users found the feel of the shoe overly tight everywhere but felt the ISO 2 void of support.
Terrain
Terrain
Keep this shoe for the road. It's not built for trail running. It does feature an XT-900 rubber outsole for traction and IBR+ for some extra padding on hard surfaces, but overall the sole is fairly thin and not thick enough for hard efforts on technical terrain.
Price
Price
By now you've probably guessed that the ISO 2 isn't exactly a great buy. Reviewers found little value in the second version of the Redeemer thanks to the shoe's poor durability.
The thin outsole and badly fitting upper are the things that stood out the most in terms of user complaints but in general, most reviewers weren't pleased with the shoe and didn't feel it was a worthwhile purchase.
The thin outsole and badly fitting upper are the things that stood out the most in terms of user complaints but in general, most reviewers weren't pleased with the shoe and didn't feel it was a worthwhile purchase.
Traction
Traction
Thankfully, the ISO 2 does one thing right and that's to provide traction. The high stability shoe, at the very least, provides grip to users who definitely need it to keep upright and stable. The outsole, covered in IBR+ rubber and XT-900 rubber provides pretty good traction on a host of surfaces. Not quite a trail shoe, the Saucony brand trainer is best kept for road running but runners won't have to deal with traction issues.
Flexibility
Flexibility
Okay, so the outsole does feature IBR+ material, which does provide a bit of flexibility and the outsole features TRI FLEX technology, but that's about it for the ISO 2. The rest of the shoe is built like a brick. It's heavy and stiff to provide the support that serious overpronators need.
The medial post doesn't budge to ensure wearers don't roll inward excessively. That means a ride in the shoe is pretty rigid overall and while that's usually the case for this type of shoe, the ISO 2 could use a bit more flexibility to improve its comfort factor.
The medial post doesn't budge to ensure wearers don't roll inward excessively. That means a ride in the shoe is pretty rigid overall and while that's usually the case for this type of shoe, the ISO 2 could use a bit more flexibility to improve its comfort factor.
Stability
Stability
A standard medial post? Check. A good outsole that provides plenty of traction? Check. Unfortunately, that's about it. The new upper design really fails at providing users with any kind of significant stability.
The fit is somehow too snug without feeling secure. The fairly heavy shoe is tough to control, too. Everything fits tightly but all the components together don't add up to decent stability. It's a bit of a puzzle, but reviewers just didn't find the ISO 2 an impressive model in terms of stability.
The fit is somehow too snug without feeling secure. The fairly heavy shoe is tough to control, too. Everything fits tightly but all the components together don't add up to decent stability. It's a bit of a puzzle, but reviewers just didn't find the ISO 2 an impressive model in terms of stability.
Drop
Drop
You'll get a standard 8mm drop with the Saucony shoe. Reviewers didn't have anything bad to say about the heel to toe angle. Both the men and women's shoe have the same drop height. Most runners should feel comfortable with this geometry.
Key Features
Key Features
- NEW upper design is thinner, lightweight, stretchier, very snug
- Interior sock liner wicks away sweat, controls moisture
- EVERUN midsole cushioning
- ISOFIT technology for a very snug fit
- TRI-FLEX outsole for slight bit of flexibility
- IBR+ rubber adds lightweight protective cushioning on the outsole
- XT-900 rubber provides durability and traction
- Medial post for stability
- Interior sock liner wicks away sweat, controls moisture
- EVERUN midsole cushioning
- ISOFIT technology for a very snug fit
- TRI-FLEX outsole for slight bit of flexibility
- IBR+ rubber adds lightweight protective cushioning on the outsole
- XT-900 rubber provides durability and traction
- Medial post for stability
Bottom Line
Bottom Line
Here's the deal, the Saucony Redeemer ISO 2, according to the majority of reviewers, is a poorly designed update. The shoe was not well received by many original ISO fans who had a lot of negative feedback regarding the shoe's newly designed upper.
Reviewers picked at the shoe's fit (apparently uncomfortably snug yet somehow incredibly unsupportive) and remarked that the well-cushioned midsole of before felt flat as if the padding had been reduced. Reviewers also noted the shoe's lack of durability thanks to a very flimsy feeling outsole.
Overall, most commenters found the Redeemer to be an uncomfortable, ill-fitting shoe with very few redeeming qualities. The second edition is not the best choice for a runner seeking high cushioning and high stability because the shoe just doesn't deliver.
Reviewers picked at the shoe's fit (apparently uncomfortably snug yet somehow incredibly unsupportive) and remarked that the well-cushioned midsole of before felt flat as if the padding had been reduced. Reviewers also noted the shoe's lack of durability thanks to a very flimsy feeling outsole.
Overall, most commenters found the Redeemer to be an uncomfortable, ill-fitting shoe with very few redeeming qualities. The second edition is not the best choice for a runner seeking high cushioning and high stability because the shoe just doesn't deliver.
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