{"id":4653,"date":"2023-06-09T06:02:23","date_gmt":"2023-06-08T23:02:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/light-and-supportive-sauconys-versatile-freedom-crossport-is-my-new-run-to-gym-shoe\/"},"modified":"2023-06-09T06:02:23","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T23:02:23","slug":"light-and-supportive-sauconys-versatile-freedom-crossport-is-my-new-run-to-gym-shoe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=4653","title":{"rendered":"Light and Supportive, Saucony\u2019s Versatile Freedom Crossport Is My New Run-to-Gym Shoe"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Even though I live a mile away from the gym (and I kinda hate driving), the run-to-workout strategy has always felt somewhat unattainable. Why? What I look for in running shoes\u2014even for a short distance\u2014is almost <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/training-shoes-vs-running-shoes\/\">exactly the opposite<\/a> from what I look for in shoes to lift weights or take a HIIT class.<\/p>\n<p>Like many runners, I love a high stack of foam to cushion my ride (rocker bottom? even better!). But the idea of lifting a single weight in such a shoe is enough to make most trainers cringe: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-shoes-for-weightlifters\/\">For strength training<\/a>, you usually want minimal cushion and a flat bottom for stability, plus a wide toe-box so your toes can splay and ground into the floor when lifting.<\/p>\n<p>Sure, brands have released plenty of shoes over the years aimed to be versatile enough to take you from running to cross-training. But only one thus far has me jogging to my local gym for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lesmills.com\/us\/workouts\/fitness-classes\/bodypump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BODYPUMP<\/a>, jogging home, then squeezing in another mile or two because I don\u2019t feel like stopping. That\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.saucony.com\/en\/freedom-crossport\/54183W.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Saucony\u2019s new Freedom Crossport<\/a> ($150), a shoe designed for both the roads and the gym.<\/p>\n<div class=\"theme-main-2020\">\n<div class=\"wg-inline-shopable\">\n<div class=\"pb-[20px] sm:pb-[35px] sm:flex justify-between\">\n<div class=\"w-full\">\n<figure class=\"block w-full wg-inline-shopable__figure p-0 m-0 mb-[25px]\">\n                <a data-vars-event=\"product image\" data-vars-info=\"Saucony+Freedom+Crossport\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saucony.com\/en\/freedom-crossport\/54183W.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n                  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Screen-Shot-2023-06-08-at-11.34.18-AM.png\" class=\"block w-full no-pin\" alt=\"\"><br \/>\n                <\/a><figcaption class=\"text-center text-caption--article text-gray-light block mt-[10px]\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.saucony.com\/en\/freedom-crossport\/54183W.html\" class=\"wg-inline-shopable__subtitle-link\" data-vars-event=\"product name\" data-vars-info=\"Saucony+Freedom+Crossport\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-h3 mt-0 mb-[5px] wg-inline-shopable__subtitle\">Saucony Freedom Crossport \u2014 $150.00<\/div>\n<p>                          <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-big mb-[5px] wg-inline-shopable__content mt-[10px]\">\n<p><strong>Sizes: <\/strong>5-12<br \/>\n<strong>Widths: <\/strong>Medium only<strong><br \/>\nColors: <\/strong>4<br \/>\n<strong>Category: <\/strong>Neutral<br \/>\n<strong>Heel-to-toe drop:\u00a0<\/strong>4 mm<br \/>\n<strong>Weight:\u00a0<\/strong>7.4 oz<br \/>\n<strong>Sustainability:\u00a0<\/strong>This model is vegan, and made with recycled materials<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"inline-shopable-pros\">\n<div class=\"inline-shopable-pros-title\">\n<p><strong>Pros:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Versatile designs allows for running and strength training\n<\/li>\n<li>Responsive, with a subtle rebound\n<\/li>\n<li>Lightweight\n<\/li>\n<li>Breathable\n<\/li>\n<li>Snug, secure fit\n<\/li>\n<li>Wide, stable toe box\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<div class=\"inline-shopable-cons\">\n<div class=\"inline-shopable-cons-title\">\n<p><strong>Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Not a lot of cushion\n<\/li>\n<li>Not as stable as traditional training shoes\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>          <!-- CTA --><\/p>\n<div class=\"wg-inline-shopable__button\">\n<p>  <a data-vars-event=\"product cta\" data-vars-info=\"Saucony+Freedom+Crossport\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saucony.com\/en\/freedom-crossport\/54183W.html\" target=\"_blank\" data-written=\"true\" class=\"no-underline text-link base-button base-button--primary text-white mt-[15px] enabled \" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n            Shop Now      <\/a>\n            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <!-- Image -->\n              <\/div>\n<div class=\"border-b border-tan mt-[40px] mb-[40px]\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>What Saucony\u2019s Freedom Crossport feels like to run in<\/h2>\n<p>No, the Freedom Crossports don\u2019t have the cushy, running-on-clouds feeling that I usually love in a shoe. Though they do have a thin stack of the PWRRUN PB (the same foam that makes Saucony\u2019s racing shoes so bouncy), I don\u2019t really feel it. Instead the shoe feels quite firm and responsive, with a very subtle rebound.<\/p>\n<p>I probably wouldn\u2019t want to tackle a long distance without a bit more cushion, but I don\u2019t mind the low stack and 4mm heel-to-toe offset for the shorter distances that I\u2019ve been running in these shoes\u2014mostly two miles round-trip to the gym, or on easy three- to four-mile runs. (On the softer surface of a treadmill, I notice the firmness of the shoe even less). Plus, it\u2019s probably a good thing for a cushion-loving runner like me to have a more minimalist shoe in the rotation, since most podiatrists agree that variety is good for your feet.<\/p>\n<p>I wasn\u2019t sure how the shoe\u2019s added stability for cross-training purposes (it has both lateral and medial guardrails) would feel on the run, but the Freedom Crossport is indeed a neutral shoe and feels like it.<\/p>\n<p>Other features I appreciated on the run: The shoes are relatively lightweight at 7.4 ounces (light for a running shoe and <em>very<\/em> light for a cross-training shoe), and I found the upper\u2019s mesh to be super breathable, and the sock-like fit to be snug and secure.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1074599\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1074599\" style=\"width: 533px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1074599\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IMG_6314-533x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1074599\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Lauren Wingenroth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Testing the Freedom Crossports at the gym<\/h2>\n<p>In addition to trying the shoes at several BODYPUMP classes (which involve a high number of repetitions with medium-to-light weights), I also tried the shoes at dance cardio classes at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theakt.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AKT<\/a>, which have sections of weighted work as well as stepping and jumping up and down from a box. (I didn\u2019t have the chance to go to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barrys.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Barry\u2019s<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.orangetheory.com\/en-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Orangetheory<\/a> in the shoes, but I think they\u2019d excel in those treadmill-to-strength style classes.)<\/p>\n<p>For the most part, I felt stable and supported in the Freedom Crossports during both of these types of workouts, with the wider platform offering a more solid base than a typical running shoe. The shoe really shined in plyometric work and explosive movement where I felt the responsive foam giving me that extra energy return.<\/p>\n<p>In certain types of movement, though, the Freedom Crossport still felt very much like a running shoe: I wobbled a bit more than I\u2019d have liked during balance exercises, for instance. And since the shoe still has a bit of curvature at the toe, it doesn\u2019t allow for that sensation of pressing your toes into the floor that more serious weight lifters probably want.<\/p>\n<h2>Who the Freedom Crossports are right for<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for a traditional running shoe or a traditional training shoe, you might want to look elsewhere. While the Freedom Crossport works just fine for both types of activities, the compromises it makes to be so versatile means it\u2019s not <em>quite<\/em> perfect at either.<\/p>\n<p>But if you\u2019re like me and often find yourself in need of a shoe that can transition from running to other kinds of workouts, or you\u2019re a casual runner\/gym-goer and don\u2019t want to invest in two separate shoes, the Freedom Crossports more than suffice.<\/p>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Even though I live a mile away from the gym (and I kinda hate driving), the run-to-workout strategy has always felt somewhat unattainable. Why? What I look for in running shoes\u2014even for a short distance\u2014is almost exactly the opposite from what I look for in shoes to lift weights or take a HIIT class. Like &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4654,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4653"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4653\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}