NIKE FREE 5.0: My Four Week Review

trackhead wrote:

I don't know that the Free is more "free" than something like the H Street or RC-150.

The one thing that I think the Free gives you over these, is the ability to spread your toes more and use your feet to push off the ground better. The heal is too high, but they allow much more flex in your foot than normal flats, they don't scrunch your toes together so much, IMO.

People keep talking about how the H-Streets are easy and cheap to get online. I paid atleast $70 for my h-streets cause I had to buy them from some store in the mall, I could not find them in my size online for any cheaper.

JoeLAX wrote:

The nike free 5.0 is the worst shoe ever made. I used it for lacrosse training and it ripped to shreds in less than an hour. Also, I pulled nearly every muscle in my leg. Don't buy these shoes.

Lacrosse training? Are you kidding me? That's not what they are meant for dude.

The problem with the design is that the "smart guys at Nike" did a great job building a shoe to mimic what they observed in the test subjects footstrike. The problem you can see in the website video is that the people they tested had HORRIBLE running form. They built a shoe to mimic the footstrike of NON-runners. A serious problem. If you look at the mechanics of the runners on the website, they are terrible. Personally I like the concept, and would love to try out the FREE, but I think there was just a huge oversight in the minds of the designers.

1. Nike is first and foremost a business--the main innovation they have shown starting in the 80's is the clinic they have put on in marketing and making a load of $. 2. Not to scoff at the combined might of all the wallets in the back pocket of everyone reading this thread, but this is a niche portion of a specialized website dedicated to a low-revenue sport. Prior Free versions have tanked in specialty due to lack of a fan base(or possibly the will to market it to create the fan base). This new one with the slits in it, while intriguing, looks to share its destiny with versions 1-4--i.e. the 49.99 rack at the Nike outlets.

Don't worry about any transition, i switched straight from heavy 'traditional training shoes' to T3's right after cross season in november and have been wearing the same pair since then. I've been averaging around 50 miles a week (up from 40 over summer/fall) and haven't experienced any foot or lower leg pain at all.

in the summer and fall i had recurring foot pain and hip pain later in the same leg, and have not had any since i switched. in fact i was out of town and borrowed some trainers from a friend for a run and my foot was a little sore for a few days after.

the only thing ive felt is that my calves/achilles feels fatigued, just tired, not sore or hurt at all, after hard efforts such as short & fast tempos of 4-5 miles. i would switch as soon as possible for you and just start running in them everyday. they take a few days to get used to and youll feel like youre flying at first because theyre basically feathers, but you'll get used to it.

While not a true minimalist shoe according to the lengthy and numerous previous postings on the subject, the Mizuno Wave Rider version 8 with what they call "smooth ride engineering" has the most flexible outsole components available in a mainstream (at least mainstream in running specialty) neutral trainer. I had bad luck trying to train in flats before, but this Rider gave me some of the "tendon waking up feeling" described by weartester Freesickle while still giving great protection from asphalt upon which I am forced to do 90% of my training. If it holds up at all like my experience with the prior versions, it would wear at a rate of 3 frees to 1 rider, I'm guessing.

Attention Minimalist: Why not just run barefoot all the time. Ken Saxton ran 13 marathons last year in his barefeet?? Just build up baby...just built up.

Two part question: If you use the Free's to train, what do you use to race? It may help you as a minimalist, but when it's race time and you're reading to strap in the spikes, are Free's worth training in? Will it feel uncomfortable to use spikes? I'd rather stick to my trainers if thats what keep my spikes feeling like air, cause training's sole purpose is to prepare you to race.

Is Nike serious?

Look at this photograph and explain how this shoe is better than others with low heels:

http://www.paragonsports.com/Paragon/Shop?DSP=40000&PCR=1:102:1055:10443&IID=5-308964&e1src=QFRGL&e1prm=Free+5.0+%28Mens%29

The heel is ridiculously large and would ENCOURAGE cracking your heel against the ground.

You're going to be better adjusted to racing in spikes if your shoe offers similar freedoms to that of your racing spikes.

My H Streets that I run the roads in everyday feel like air -- all the time.

Additional note about the shoes and barefoot running:

http://www.nike.com/nikefree/

If you go to "Videos" you can watch the development process and see that, surprisingly, some of the barefoot runners struck the ground HEEL FIRST.

I have always thought this was very unnatural and almost impossible, but perhaps not.

the heel is deeper than you think man. dont knock em till you try em. I know a guy who runs up to 140 mpw and put about 1000 miles on his.

he must have had a better pair then me, I logged 14 miles and a bunch of normal walking before mine died.

"140 mpw and put about 1000"

hmm that MIGHT be true noone can say for sure.

But ah, im sorry everytime someone says that little buzzers go off in my head.

Mad82,

I don't know about that poster, but as I've said before, I know a runner I train with that had well over 1200 miles on his H Streets and was running 100-150mpw.

Yeah We've been over this before ;), and haveing run alot of miles on H's, i will admit the possibility.

but , to me the frees look VERY flimsy, very much so in the outsole/midsole.

By the way im around 900mi in my H's, and there are starting to tear hear and there.BUT, i also use them to walk around in(when i cant go barefoot that is).

How is Your Eldoret project comeing along?

i thought about grinding the sole of my vents. as you have mentioned.

But decided against it as i Really REALLY hate nike air pockets(alot of rocks were i live).

The Frees look alot like the Air Hurache of the early 90's and the buckle triathlon style shoe that Ingrid Kristiansen wore in the mid80's. I had a blue colored pair,which I loved.Krisstiansen wore a yellow or gold pair.Anyone remember the name of that shoe?And is there a major difference between today's Free and yesteryear's Hurache?

believe what you want. the shoes do look like shit by now. the back heel thing is ripped, and the bottome is worn, but its the truth