Friday, 19 February 2010
Nike Free 5.0
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When I started running about a year ago, I picked up some Nike running shoes at a Nike Outlet store in Gatlinburg. Running shoes were running shoes. Right?
While developing my ability to run, I became a huge fan of Evolution Running. Evolution Running was developed after studying the great Kenyan runners who have dominated distance running. Rather than discuss pros and cons of the style, the primary tenet is to get the runner to have a running motion similar to barefoot running.
At this point I began to realize that running shoes aren't just running shoes. I began researching shoes that were good for barefoot running. I came across some articles about Nike's attempt at creating a shoe that mimicking barefoot running. That was the Nike Free 5.0. I became intrigued and started looking for the shoes in the stores. I was told by store reps that they get one shipment a year and they are usually gone within a month. That was problematic. I wanted to try them on before I invested the money in a pair.
After coveting for some time, I decided to bite the bullet and just order a pair. That decision was made around Christmas last year. So I went on-line to find a pair. The only on-line store that carried the shoe was Finish Line. They had a pair in my size and at the time were offering free shipping. Unable to find them elsewhere I purchased a pair. I want to give kudos to Finish Line for getting the order delivered in a timely manner. Especially in the busiest shopping time of the year.
What about the shoe? First thing one notices when picking the shoe up is that it is incredibly light. The second thing that sticks out is how flexible the shoe is. It literally can be rolled up into a ball. The incredible flexibility of the sole provides complete freedom of moment for the entire foot making it considerably easier to run barefoot style than traditional running shoes.
Once I had the shoe on my foot and laced up, it felt like a foot glove. The material is outstanding and felt very comfortable walking around the house. I took the shoes out for a run the following day and they felt great. My foot felt really comfortable. The only thing that took some time to get used to was the lightness of the shoe. After a couple of runs, I was easily able to make the slight adjustments. Now, I can't imagine running without them.
A note on sizing - These shoes apparently are sized the same as other Nike shoes. I normally purchase an 8.5 when buying Nike shoes so I went with that size on the Free and they fit perfectly.
As a final note, a week ago I tried running in my old running shoes because of poor weather conditions outside and I got about 300 meters before I had to stop and head back inside to switch back to my Nike Frees. The old shoes felt like heavy boots compared to the Frees. I think it is fair to say I really like my Nike Frees and recommend them to anyone wanting a shoe for barefoot style running.
While developing my ability to run, I became a huge fan of Evolution Running. Evolution Running was developed after studying the great Kenyan runners who have dominated distance running. Rather than discuss pros and cons of the style, the primary tenet is to get the runner to have a running motion similar to barefoot running.
At this point I began to realize that running shoes aren't just running shoes. I began researching shoes that were good for barefoot running. I came across some articles about Nike's attempt at creating a shoe that mimicking barefoot running. That was the Nike Free 5.0. I became intrigued and started looking for the shoes in the stores. I was told by store reps that they get one shipment a year and they are usually gone within a month. That was problematic. I wanted to try them on before I invested the money in a pair.
After coveting for some time, I decided to bite the bullet and just order a pair. That decision was made around Christmas last year. So I went on-line to find a pair. The only on-line store that carried the shoe was Finish Line. They had a pair in my size and at the time were offering free shipping. Unable to find them elsewhere I purchased a pair. I want to give kudos to Finish Line for getting the order delivered in a timely manner. Especially in the busiest shopping time of the year.
What about the shoe? First thing one notices when picking the shoe up is that it is incredibly light. The second thing that sticks out is how flexible the shoe is. It literally can be rolled up into a ball. The incredible flexibility of the sole provides complete freedom of moment for the entire foot making it considerably easier to run barefoot style than traditional running shoes.
Once I had the shoe on my foot and laced up, it felt like a foot glove. The material is outstanding and felt very comfortable walking around the house. I took the shoes out for a run the following day and they felt great. My foot felt really comfortable. The only thing that took some time to get used to was the lightness of the shoe. After a couple of runs, I was easily able to make the slight adjustments. Now, I can't imagine running without them.
A note on sizing - These shoes apparently are sized the same as other Nike shoes. I normally purchase an 8.5 when buying Nike shoes so I went with that size on the Free and they fit perfectly.
As a final note, a week ago I tried running in my old running shoes because of poor weather conditions outside and I got about 300 meters before I had to stop and head back inside to switch back to my Nike Frees. The old shoes felt like heavy boots compared to the Frees. I think it is fair to say I really like my Nike Frees and recommend them to anyone wanting a shoe for barefoot style running.
Posted by at 3:29 PM in Running
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