Maria Barrow reviews the Saucony Liberty ISO shoe in the ‘life on the run collection’, designed to bridge the gap between your running wardrobe and your everyday apparel.
Saucony’s ‘Life on the Run’ collection is designed to marry ‘lifestyle’ footwear with technically sound running shoes, so instead of coming in the colourful shades we usually see these have all been given a denim effect look. I’m keen on wearing trainers as much as possible because they give me the support and comfort I like and need to go about my daily life, so I’m very much the intended audience. However, I was a little unsure about ‘denim effect’, I was envisioning a bold fashion statement I wasn’t sure I could pull off but the Saucony Liberty pair I tested were a subtle blue shade which didn’t make me look like I’d opted for double denim when worn with jeans, and could certainly be worn beyond the running track.
The trainers were extremely comfortable as soon as I tried them on. The upper material is made from a breathable and stretchy ISOfit material which feels like you’re putting on slippers and gives your feet room to move, whilst the full-length EVERun midsole and topsole is cushioned, springy, responsive and supportive. They’re fast shoes which absorb shock well and react to your movement; I’ve been wearing the trainers for a couple of months now on the road and at no point have they given me any problems or niggles. Small benefits which make all the difference include laces which stay tied, a tongue which is attached but doesn’t rub and stays in place, and they’re easy to slip on and off.
One note of caution is that although ISOfit is wonderful for your feet, it’s also not waterproof in the least. This didn’t bother me from a running point of view and is desirable because of weight and comfort but since they’re also supposed to be worn as general footwear this poses problems. Mine smell because they have got wet and although I don’t mind that when I’m running, I don’t particularly like it when I’m sitting on a train and the air con is blowing the smell upwards, towards me and my neighbour.
The Saucony Liberty pair is one of ten in the ‘Life of the Run’ range catering for both men and women. If you’re between sizes I would go for the larger size because they are a close fit – I like feeling enclosed in my trainers so often have them little bit tighter than recommended but it’s not necessary with these. I will definitely be purchasing another pair of these and I love blue shoes so may very well stick with the denim collection.
