The Zealot is a great looking shoe. It has more cushioning than your standard running shoe, but in no way does it come close to resembling a Gene Simmons Hoka’esk shoe with substantial cushioning though it’s bright neon colors are brighter and bolder than the fireworks at a KISS concert. I like it, a lot.
As of late cushioning in running shoes seems to follow two streams: the super light-weight foam that wears out seemingly before your first run is over or the gel that never breaks down and fells like the weight of two cinder blocks. I feel the Zealot has great balance between support and weight at 8.3 ounces in the men’s size 9 shoe and 7.4 ounces in the women’s size 8.
If you’re not familiar with Saucony’s ISOFIT, it’s a soft mesh upper that wraps around your foot, complete with a floating synthetic casing that allows you to customize the fit to shape around your foot. In short the IOS liner fits like a great sock and I would consider it close to pure perfection for any triathlete looking for a great sock-less running shoe. My toes had room to move, yet my foot was snug and secure in place. It doesn’t get much better. I was even able to get a snug fit over my arch, locking in my heel while the other areas of my foot enjoy freedom to breath. If you like the ride of Saucony’s one piece mid-sole in shoes like the Kinvara, Mirage, and Virrata, then you will feel at home in the Zealot.
Thanks to the new PWRGRID+ the Zealot has almost 20% more cushioning then previous Saucony shoes without compromising too much effort to pop off the ground. The IBR+ rubber is not marshmallow soft, in fact, I’d say it’s on the firmer side giving more support. I’d compare the Zealots feel to the Saucony Kinvara or, perhaps just a bit firmer. The upside of the Zealot’s firmness over the Kinvara would be added durability in part because of the amount of X-T900 rubber on the sole. The shoe is very light without completely sacrificing stability, allowing for some spring in your step late into your run.
Who might want to try the New Zealot? Efficient, neutral runners with a mid-foot to fore-foot strike who want a light shoe without giving up the cushioning found in more substantial shoes. The Zealot features a 4mm drop (25mm heel and 21mm forefoot). A pair of Zealots would make for a great companion shoe for those running in the Saucony Kinvara or Breakthru, Brooks PureFlow, OnRunning Clouds, Newton Energy or Mizuno’s Sayonara who feel they can sense the ground too much toward the end of longer runs.
Andrew Lerner hails from a life of Alpine ski racing in Vermont but, has decided triathlon would be a generally warmer sport especially in his new hometown of Charlotte, NC, where he works at Inside-Out Sports, www.insideoutsports.com. Despite his presence in Panther country Andrew still loves his New England Patriots but, more importantly, ice cream.
