Latest revision as of 07:29, 16 November 2017

The Zealot 3 is a well cushioned, Maximalist running shoe that's relatively lightweight. The biggest problem is the cramped toe box is a common flaw that effects most running shoes except for those from Altra or Topo. The new and novel problem the Zealot introduces is "ISOFIT" that may cause problems if you have issues with the tendons on the top of the foot. That's enough for me to downgrade the Zealot 3 from "Highly Recommended" to merely "recommended." (I use The Science of Running Shoes as the basis of how I test running shoes and what you should look for in a running shoe.)

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  Saucony Zealot 3 top

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  Saucony Zealot 3 outside

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  Saucony Zealot 3 bottom

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  Saucony Zealot 3 inside

1 Characteristics

• Cushioning . The Zealot 3 is nicely cushioned, with a thin (3mm) layer of Saucony's version of TPU foam they call EVERUN. TPU foam is longer lasting, and has more bounce than standard EVA foam. Such a thin layer of TPU didn't seem to make a noticeable difference to the feel of the Zealot, unlike a full TPU shoe such as the Altra Escalante that is noticeably bouncy. An obvious comparison for the Zealot is the Saucony Kinvara 8, one of my favorite shoes at the moment. The Zealot is slightly better cushioned than the Kinvara, but also slightly heavier, so it's cushioning-to-weight ratio is not quite as good as the Kinvara. Of course, the Kinvara 8 is an outstanding shoe, and the Zealot is comparable with Hoka shoes.
• Drop. The Zealot matches the claimed 4mm of drop, which is slightly more than I think is ideal, but shouldn't cause many people a problem.
• Structure. While the Zealot uses two types of foam, this is not the typical attempt to control foot motion. Rather, this is an extra layer of Saucony's TPU foam at the top over a thicker layer of standard EVA foam. I found the Zealot to be an unobtrusive shoe, with no midsole protrusions that attempt to limit my natural foot motion.
• Flexibility. The Zealot reasonably flexible, mostly because of the fairly deep grooves in the midsole, and the gaps in the outsole. I found the Zealot flexes very naturally, unlike some shoes that tend to want to bend at a specific point.
• Outsole. The hard rubber outsole covers the vast majority of the contact areas, and all of the high abrasion surfaces. The outsole rubber seems to be reasonably sticky, and I always felt I had good grip. I did occasionally find the deep grooves could pick up stones and temporary, and when this happened, the stones tended to get wedged quite firmly.
• Shape. The shoe is does not match the shape of the human foot, so it's worth considering cutting open the toe box for comfort. The Zealot is certainly not as bad as some shoes, but it's nothing like an Altra or a Topo. (I recommend cutting open the toe box of virtually all running shoes, with the exception of a few shoes like some Altra shoes. When you have some worn out shoes, you should try cutting open the toe box. I've found that it's a big improvement, allowing my toes to move naturally and engage for toe off, as well as reducing the possibility of blisters.)
• Upper. The upper is seamless in the forefoot, but has a couple of seams in the midfoot. These didn't cause me any problems. The upper is fairly soft, and there's a reasonable amount of padding from the midfoot back. I found the upper to be a little thicker than most running shoes, and if you don't cut the toe box open, you may find it a little warm. Sadly, Saucony have continued to screw around with the midfoot, this time with an approach they call "ISOFIT". This consists of widely spaced lacing attachments, which I did not find helped with the fit at all. The main impact of ISOFIT is to make the laces rather uneven on the top of the foot, and I can see that causing some problems for runners who have pain on the top of their feet.
• Tongue. The Zealot has a sock style tongue, but in this case, it's a traditional padded tongue that is attached to the upper with a thinner, stretchy piece of material. This worked reasonably well, and didn't have the issues getting into the shoe that sometimes plagues sock-like uppers.
• Lacing. The flat laces work well and remained tied, with quite a bit of elasticity in the laces to improve comfort. This elasticity somewhat offsets the wide spacing, but not completely, and I'd urge caution with the Zealot as I could easily see this widely spaced lacing irritating the tendons along the top of the foot.
• Heel Counter. The Heel Counter is quite firm, but the hard part is fairly low down, with some softer reinforcement further up. There's plenty of soft padding between the heel counter and your foot, which negates any influence it might have.

Please support this site This review was made possible by readers like you buying products via my links. I buy all the products I review through normal retail channels, which allows me to create unbiased reviews free from the influence of reciprocity, or the need to keep vendors happy. It also ensures I don't get "reviewer specials" that are better than the retail versions. Buy Saucony Zealot 3 at Zappos Buy Saucony Zealot 3 at Road Runner Sports Buy Saucony Zealot 3 at Kelly's Running Warehouse Buy Saucony Zealot 3 at Charlotte Ultra Running Company

2 Update After 200 Miles

The Zealot 3 has shown very few signs of wear over the first 200 miles. The exposed midsole foam has it become dirty where it touches the road, but there's no sign of abrasion. There is a small amount of abrasion on some of the contact patches that are covered by the hard rubber outsole, but these are fairly minor. The upper appears completely on worn, other than where I've cut the toe box open of course. There's been surprisingly little compression of the midsole foam under the ball of the foot, and the Zealot appears to have loads of life left. It's been a comfortable shoe up to the marathon distance, and while I've not run further than that, I think they'd be fine for longer distances. I had very occasional issues with the Zealot picking up stones, and this could be a pain if you run on gravel surfaces.

3 A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes

If you're looking for "the best of the best" running shoe, here are my top picks. Of course, the answer will depend a little on what you're looking for, so I have recommendations for various categories. Best All Round Shoe. The Altra Escalante is my current all-round favorite. It has plenty of cushioning for its weight, it has a very springy midsole, it lasts well, and it has a shape that's closer to the shape of a human foot than most shoes. It's a great shoe for any runner, including those Starting to run. It's also a fairly easy shoe to find due to its popularity. Best Maximalist Shoe: If you want something massively cushioned, then I'd recommend the Saucony Kinvara 8. It's remarkably light and remarkably cushioned, beating Hoka at their own game. Best Optimal Shoe: For those looking to trade cushioning for speed, the Nike Zoom Streak LT 3 was my top pick, but the latest version (LT 4) falls short of it's predecessor. There are lots of great optimal running shoes, which provide just enough cushioning with light weight and minimal frills, but all have their weak spots. Probably the best option at the moment is the Altra Vanish-R, which offers great cushioning for just over 5oz/150g. Fastest Shoe: If you really want speed, then check out the Nike Vaporfly 4%. It's light, massively cushioned, and has a carbon fiber plate. Nothing comes close, not even the now defunct New Balance RC5000‏‎ or New Balance RC5000v2‏‎. There are a number of caveats; it's really expensive, it's really hard to find, and there's a significant injury risk. Best Minimalist Shoe: Merrell Trail Glove. I recommend the trail glove for road running in spite of the 'trail' moniker. It's not a fast shoe by any means, but it's comfortable and will last well. All Terrain Shoe. For trail running, I've become a fan of Altra, and I think their best shoe is the the Altra Timp, though the Altra Lone Peak is really close. Honorable Mention: It's not really a running shoe, but the Vivobarefoot Ra is comfortable, minimalist and can more or less pass as a dress shoe. I've worn mine to weddings with a suit and they've not looked out of place. You can run in the Ra, but the leather means it doesn't breathe well.

For a more detailed on running shoes see the Recommendations for Best Running Shoes. This table lists the key attributes of What to Look for in Running Shoes. For more detailed information, on the shoes see detailed shoe comparison.

It's not a running shoe, but I love the Hoka Tor Ultra hiking boot and I've tested the Altra Lone Peak Boot, the Hoka Tor Speed 2, and the Inov-8 Roclite 325 hiking boots
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