I had great success with the Nike Free 5.0/4.5 since buying a pair in early March, but after nearly 1000 km. the heel ripped away from one shoe and I couldn’t duct tape it back together. I had in mind to get another pair, but they are hard to find here, as this is a fashion-driven market and the inventory seems largely controlled by the marketing managers and determined by what they feel compelled to push for this month/quarter/season.
At any rate, today I not only found a pair of the Free 5.0/4.5 model with laces, but also the new Free 4.0. There’s a typhoon blowing cars out of their parking spaces right now out there so I haven’t run in them yet, but the 4.0 looks promising in most respects and perhaps a bit problematic in others.
The one thing I love immediately is that the sole is essentially the same thickness all the way through. The upper is very breathable and sock-like, and stretches a lot. However, there are no laces. Instead, there is a single strap with Velco fastener that is a lot like the single strap on “tri” model cycling shoes. This part is very similar to the old Sock Racer of around 20 years ago. As someone who often varies tightness of laces and even lacing patterns to get the fit I want on a particular day this aspect worries me.
Another difference is the insole has little raised bumps on it, which is claimed to enhance perceptual feel, which to me suggests that they should be worn barefoot or with very thin socks to function as intended.
The single strap will make for the fastest changes in T2 if worn in a tri.
So those are my initial impressions out of the box but not on the road. Maybe I’ll have some more comments to add after a planned 12 km. run tomorrow.
The info that came with my Free 5.0 suggested that they be worn sock-less as well. I am only wearing mine around the house so far but am planning on running in them this weekend. As for sizing, I think they run a bit small, I wear an 8.5 normally but in these I had to get 9.5. They also came with 2 different sets of insoles of different thickness.
Before you go out and buy a new pair, there was a recall on them. My training partner had an issue with the sole too, he sent them back and Nike sent a certificate for a new pair.
Not sure if yours are covered or not, but something to check out.
I saw two different styles of the Frees at the Nike Outlet malls in Orlando. One had laces and one had a big velcro strap - sorry I don’t know the specific model numbers. If you have a Nike Outlet nearby, you may want to check them out, I think they were around $50.
Are the Nike Free Trails different? The biggest problem with the regular free is that you get rocks stuck in the grooves and the rubber will wear out quickly. And of course the heel is too thick.
Are the Nike Free Trails different? The biggest problem with the regular free is that you get rocks stuck in the grooves and the rubber will wear out quickly. And of course the heel is too thick.
The sole is even thicker with the Free Trails. I’ll use them as sneakers for everyday use.
The bright yellow model with black highlights is very likely a sample that was distributed to sales reps before Nike postponed the release of the 4.0 from last year to this year. There was also a gray model. I believe they only made the mens samples in size 9. I was able to get a pair and they sort of fit me, even though I’m a 10.0, so I could be wrong about that. Don’t confuse the Free running shoe with the various other shoes from the Free family that are more like unstructured cross trainers.
If you’ve read my posts on the Free over the past year you’ll recall that I really like the shoe and the theory behind it. I do not advocate it as a racing shoe – it is a training device with the very specific purpose of helping you improve your form and strengthen the small stabilizing muscles in your feet, ankles and lower leg.
The Free 5.0 (which also comes with an insert that says 4.5 on it) was Nike’s first commercial product in the Free family, and as such they made a number of compromises to make it accessible to a broad audience. My least favorite compromise was that the 5.0 has a pretty thick heel, allowing you to heel strike without hurting yourself. The 4.0 has a very thin heel – it’ll start to hurt if you come down hard on your heels.
I believe Nike is set to widen the family of Frees this year by introducing shoes that have both less and more structure than the current 5.0. For example, a 4.0 is more like “barefoot” than 5.0, and 6.0 or 7.0 is more like a structured trainer than 5.0.
They’ve also improved the 5.0 for this year. Somebody in marketing should have his wrist slapped, though, because they’re going to call it the 5.0v2, instead of the much more obvious Free 5.1.
If I remember correctly, the new models should be out in early summer.
Lee Silverman
JackRabbit Sports
Coming Soon to Manhattan