Saucony Liberty ISO Features Release Date Australia 2017
Introducing the Saucony Liberty ISO
Saucony Liberty ISO Release Date Australia: 13 November 2017
Stop press! Saucony have identified a gap in the market that I'm very familiar with. I am familiar with it because I am the target audience. As a mild to moderate over-pronator, I train in and run marathons in a fairly traditional, stability/guidance shoe with significant medial support, heel counter and sizeable heel-to-toe drop.
However, I have recently been searching for a lighter weight running shoe that is practical for wearing during uptempo training sessions as well as a running shoe robust enough to wear over middle to longer training distances and middle to longer races, such as a 10k, City2Surf, half marathon or even a full marathon. Enter the Saucony Liberty ISO!
The lovely folks at Saucony have created the Liberty ISO to be a shoe that "...performs just like our award winning Freedom ISO, but with added medial support for runners who need just a little more stability." That runner described by Saucony is ME!
You see I already have the slightly bulkier guidance/stability running shoes that are more robust and designed for moderate to severe over-pronation and I already have a pair of racing flats that I run in for shorter speed workouts and 5k time trials, however, what I'm currently missing is a running shoe that sits between the heavier, more supportive shoe and the lightweight racing flat with limited support. More specifically, I WAS missing a shoe that sits between these two types. Now I have the Liberty ISO. Well, not yet…
Whilst I'm yet to road test a pair of Liberty ISOs, if the Saucony marketing peeps are to be believed (and the team at Saucony have not let me down before, so I believe them on this), I've now found my 'in between' shoe. The running shoe gurus at Saucony describe the Liberty ISO as a shoe that is: “The ultimate in cushioning, with full length EVERUN and just enough guidance to get you wherever you want to go.” I must admit I’m pretty excited at the prospect of this running shoe and really hope the Liberty ISO lives up to this expectation. We’ll soon find out!
The running shoe that I'm looking for is a versatile, utility shoe that is both a lighter-weight, cushioned, flexible shoe giving me a responsive ride, whilst at the same time offering mild medial support, correcting my mild to moderate over-pronation and allowing me to run not only shorter but importantly, longer distances as well. On paper the Liberty ISO ticks a lot of my boxes.
The Liberty ISO is a lower 4mm drop shoe, so I'm assuming it'll feel similar to running in my existing racing flats and as I have been wearing a significantly bulkier, 10mm drop shoe for longer distance training recently (training for the Gold Coast Marathon and Melbourne Marathon), I think the Liberty ISO will take a small amount of adjusting to so that I don't create any old injury flare ups. That's simply a case of gradually introducing the shoes to my feet and breaking them in slowly over time.
Weighing in at 275 grams, it is at the lighter end of the scale (no pun intended) for a shoe with arch support to control mild to moderate over-pronation. When I consider my current racing flats are a 4mm drop and weigh around 220 grams and my more supportive stability distance training shoes are a 10mm drop and weigh around 325 grams, the Liberty ISO at 4mm drop and 275g with mild to moderate support fits the running shoe gap that I have very well!
But enough about my needs, it's time to talk the features and specs of the Saucony Liberty ISO:
Saucony Liberty ISO Features
- Full-length EVERUN midsole
- EVERUN topsole construction for enhanced energy return and continuous cushioning throughout the run
- Engineered stretch mesh upper for a dynamic, lightweight fit
- ISOFIT creates a dynamic fit system by adapting to the shape and motion of the runner’s foot
- Medial TPU guidance frame
Saucony Liberty ISO Specs
- Pronation: Moderate
- Cushion: Plush
- Construction Type: Stability
- Surface: Road, Track
- Arch: High, Normal (Mid)
- Water Resistant: No / Water Proof: No
- Drop / Offset: 4mm
- Heel: 22mm / Forefoot: 18mm
- Weight: 9.7 oz. | 275 grams
- PRICE: TBA (based on international pricing available at the time of this article we expect the price to be around A$200-240).
> 4mm Drop details: Shoes with a 4mm heel-to-toe offset deliver a more natural ride, letting your feet and body do more work while relying less on the shoes’ cushioning and stability features.
> Saucony Everun details: A breakthrough in cushioning. Livelier and more responsive, with smoother landings and stronger takeoff.
> Saucony ISOFit details: Revolutionary fit system that morphs to the foot for a custom feel.
Style / the look
The men's Liberty ISO has a racy, lower profile, aggressive yet sleek look. The Blue/White/Black colour has a gradient effect where the front of the shoe starts out in blue, breathable, woven mesh and ends successfully transitions to a whiter, brighter look at the rear of the shoe. Both upper, outer colours blend well with the Everun top sole in blue and midsole in white.
The sole of the shoe has been designed with some nice finishing touches such as a semi-transparent blue sole that allows the word "EVERUN" to pop through. Being designed for mild to moderate over-pronation, the inside of the sole and the heel (points on the shoe you'd expect over-pronators to strike regularly and therefore wear down quickly) have been crafted from more durable materials. Overall we love the speedy, sleek design of the Liberty ISO.
Conclusion
We're really excited to do a detailed review towards the end of the year, as soon as the Liberty ISO is available from Saucony Australia! More to follow soon once the shoe is released in Australia!
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// by Andrew, Team Onsport