Saucony Liberty ISO
Price: $160
Specs: 4mm heel-toe offset; 22mm (heel), 18mm (forefoot)
Weight: 10.0 oz (men’s size 9); 8.6 oz (women’s size 7)
The Scoop: A new shoe in the Saucony line, the Liberty ISO is a midweight performance stability trainer that serves up plenty of energetic pop, a modest amount of cushioning and a little bit of support. The special sauce of this shoe is Saucony’s dual-purpose soft and springy Everun foam, which absorbs and disperses the impact at foot strike and also returns a noticeable amount of energy at toe-off. (There is both a full-length Everun midsole layer and an additional layer of Everun under the footbed). The ISOFIT wrap system—essentially 10 independent “fingers” of soft, stretchable mesh fabric integrated with the laces and the seamless mesh upper—creates a near-custom fit by adapting to a foot’s size, shape and movement. Stability is enhanced by a TPU guidance frame on the medial sidewall and a thicker layer of rubber under the medial side of the outsole.
Who’s It Best For: Runners who appreciate a bit of stability to offset overpronation and long-run foot fatigue will enjoy this shoe.
Plus: The gusseted tongue helps complete the Liberty by working in conjunction with the ISOFIT wrap to snug down the foot and accentuate the ability to maximize the energetic and stable ride.
Minus: Our wear-testers found the Liberty to be a tad heavy and a tad firm compared to other models we tested. The extra weight and firm feeling and probably most attributed to the full coverage of rubber on the outsole. Most of our wear-testers suggested it isn’t a deal-breaker because of energetic qualities the shoe provides.
