Saucony Freedom Crossport Introduction
The Saucony Freedom Crossport is a shoe designed to jump between running and working out like its predessecer the Freedom 5 or other shoes like the Nano x3, Nike Metcon or even in my opinion the Saucony Kinvara.
The Crossport took a jump from the Freedom 5 with Powerrun PB foam and a PEBA midsole to better transition between running and lifting.
The Crossport has a much wider toebox to allow your toes to splay and really feel the ground to giving you stable sidewalls to keep you planted during a squat session.
The Crossport is a neutral shoe ready to take on your day at the gym. It is great for box jumps, step-ups, squats, deadlifting, running and more.
With a 4mm heel to toe drop, this shoe sits close to the ground letting you dig in when needed without feeling like your rolling off of the base like some shoes do.
Saucony Freedom Crossport Impressions
I am a huge Saucony fan so when I got this shoe I was more than ready to hop in and take them for a spin!
With other Saucony shoes, the designs are always on point, with the great colorways, overlays, foams and tread patterns.
The very first workout I did to break the shoes in was a 5k just to really get a feel for the shoe and they performed excellent. Yes they are a crosstrainer but with the Powerrunpb foam, I bounced right along the road without any pain or discomfort and transitioned from road to gravel without a problem as well with the tread utilized on the bottom.
The traction was great and well purposed.
Secondly, I did a HIIT workout with some box jumps, kips, split squats and more. I never felt an issue with these shoes. They are light enough to stay in control yet stable enough to carry me through the entire workout!
Untill I did some side to side movements I thought these shoes were perfect! But upon doing some cutting movements I found some heel movement that I really didnt enjoy. Not every shoe will be perfect so I cant say that this would deter me from purchasing them but it was a slight complaint!
Saucony Freedom Crossport Comfort and fit
The crossport fit is a wider yet true to size design built from a synthetic material to stay in place and hold you firmly in the shoe.
The toebox is seamless so you do not have any snags or odd feelings and it which allows the toe to be comfortable and open enough to really settle in.
The midfoot and heelcounter have a few overlays to give more stability without getting in the way or irritating the foot or heel. The tongue itself is gusseted giving a strong lockdown on the foot with no movement.
With no overlays on the toebox, it allows for breathability. At no point in any of my runs or workouts were my feet sweating or hot like in some of the past saucony shoes I have worn. The synthetic material does allow for water or rain to bead off a bit and not get soaked immediatly but in no way are they waterproof. Id say atleast waterresistant for minimal time!
The heel counter is wrapped in leather to really hold you in there even though I had quite a bit of movement when transitioning to side to side movements. I would suggest revamping that but it was a solid attempt for this crosstrainer.
At a pricepoint of $150 I believe its a solid shoe with movement in mind. Though a price drop to maybe $120 or $130 would probably excel this shoe in the crossfit market; saucony did a very good job at making a crosstrainer with running on the backburner.
The shoe is wrapped in a synthetic upper material which really grabs your foot and keeps you intact. The tongue itself is gusseted so no slippage or side setting can happen, which I think every crosstrainer should havr this option!
Is the Saucony Freedom Crossport good for running?
For short distance runs even up to 5k id say these shoes work great! I enjoyes running in them.
Is the Saucony Freedom Crossport good for HIIT / Crossfit?
HIIT workouts are perfect for these shoes! Flexible, comfortable and dependable!
Is the Saucony Freedom Crossport good for weight lifting?
The Crossport isnt the best option for “heavy” weight training but it will get you through most weight training activities with ease!
Is the Saucony Freedom Crossport good for dance classes?
For dance classes you could most definately use these shoes, they may not be best for ballet because the wide toebox wouldnt give you a hard base to toe stand on like they do in ballet but to move around and really feel your groove, they could work.
Is the Saucony Freedom Crossport good for general gym use?
I believe general gym usage is where these shoes really excel! From light workouts to strength training to even kickboxing, they aee comfy, light, have a wide base to let you stay planted and overall look amazing too!
Is the Saucony Freedom Crossport good for other types of training?
A day on the boardwalk or walking around the theme park with the family does work well for these shoes, i had a bit of irritation from the arch but the more i wore them the less it was! I really enjoyed these shoes for casual outtings!!
Saucony Freedom Crossport Conclusions
In my opinion this shoe is great!
I have two minor inconveniences:
- The arch of the shoe pushes up in an odd way when normal everyday wear but during activities I never had an issues. So if anything for me I just wont wear them casually!
- The other was the heelcounter movement I felt in lateral transitions. Once again nothing I would actually complain about but is worth noting.
Overall the crossports held up really well. Running wise I put about 15 miles in them without any discomfort or issues.
For a crosstrainer, these shoes performed the best during a run compared of other shoes!
For my workouts, they propelled me forward in all activities.
I really enjoyed the soft cushion and the traction these shoes gave. Id suggest these shoes to any of my friends if they really wanted a shoe that is made to perform in all elements!