Think they will actually make you faster? Less injury prone?
I love mine for just wearing around. They feel like mocasins with cushion. I’ve done a few shorter runs with good results and will likely increase my training use of them.
If your body is perfect, go for it. Otherwise, beware of Nike. Thy overprice and care more about style than cushion and support. If you’re going to even be running over 20mpw and you have injury in your past (shin splints, knee/ankle probs) then stay away.
Go for Asics 2080-2100s =)
Not sure of the former, not sure of the latter, either, but I like mine and did a lot of early season work in them. I have had no injury problems caused by running this year - I credit good coaching in run form for this, but believe the Free’s were an important part of it early on.
Will go back to them in the off season, once a week for 30 minutes on a track.
I had a pair but ended up getting rid of them recently. They did not do so well for me as I was having some ITB and arch problems. The Frees only seemed to make the injuries worse. Initially they felt great to wear around, but then as I wore them around more (just walking) things started to flair up. Shoes looked cool though, I have never gotten more comments on my running shoes then when I was wearing the free’s.
Have you yourself ever had shin splints or knee/ankle pain? Has this been exascerbated by the Nike Free?
Personally, I have had both severe shin splints as well as knee pain that has completely interrupted my run training for the past 7 or so years. The only thing that has allowed me to run over 20 mpw without pain is going to a non-supportive low profile shoe. I’ve never tried the Nike Free and have never seen one in person. I do think there is some marketing voodoo going on, but if I had to pick between the free and most of the other stuff out there, I’d go for the free right of the bat. I’m still somewhat of a novice to this low profile shoe thing, but I’ve been running exclusively in a set of spikeless xc shoes since March and have ~230 miles (~14 weeks total of running). This is eclipsing my total mileage running for all of last year. Last week I hit my peak mileage (in my entire 16 year running career), and I have regularly gotten in more than 20 mpw over the last couple of months now that my feet are adapting to a lack of shoe cushioning and heel lift.
Personally, for myself I don’t think the Free is ideal, as I think I am already past the hard part of adaptation and I was starting from scratch anyways. But I think for some people, it might be a good shoe - and that doesn’t mean people with perfect biomechanics. Of course, there is way more to it than just putting on the shoe and running all over the place because you can hurt yourself, but that’s another story.
I ran 10 miles in them yesterday at an easy, 8:26 pace. They are a good training tool but not a substitute for my fully reliable, cushion, super durable Asics trainers.
As Nike says in the product packaging, these are more of a training tool, not a substitute for full-time running shoes.
In general though, I like the Nike Free and think it is a good training tool. I’m not sure about the “strengthening your foot” idea but there may be some plausibility to it. I have been injury free since I’ve used them and I did have injuries prior to using them last season before I switched over to Asics for training and racing- between using correctly fitted Asics shoes and the Nike Free I have been injury free.
I intended to just use them only for a portion of my training but I have seen some pretty serious runners racing in them at 5k and 10k’s.
I guess if they work for you then they are an option as light weight race shoe. I weighed mine and found that they are about the same as my Asics Magic Racers (but have more cushion and less stability)…39% less weight than my Asics Nimbus…19% less than my Mizuno Wave Precisions which is a fairly light weight cushion shoe.
I’m not big on Nike for running shoes either because I hate having to sort through the junk (95%) to get to the real stuff. But I do like these.
What Asics shoe are you wearing?
This is great input on the shoe. So, did you switch to the Free’s because you were having ITB and arch problems? What was your workout routine before during and after the shoe (mpw, frequency, duration, intensity)? How long have you been injured? How severe are the injuries? It is interesting that they caused your injuries to flare up just from walking in them. Did you ever try running in them? Have you ever done any barefoot running? When you were running in them, did you try to actively change your running form?
Just a bit of information I’d like to add to my informal database on the subject of minimal shoes. I’m curious if I am just a weirdo who this seems to work for or not. Your info would help me understand better. Personally, I see a high risk in the Free or any type of minimal shoe for people who don’t have running injuries and are just trying to get faster. I see the shoe as a good alternative though to those who are plagued by injuries, and nothing seems to work. As for the person, where that next injury could be right around the corner, I have no idea (which seems to be Pony Boy). I’m in the plagued by injuries camp.
One thing I’m skeptical of the Free about (at least for me since I seem to have found something that works for me) is the amount of heel and cushioning on it. The things I love about it are the cuts in the sole and mesh upper - my shoes have a good enough sole to protect the bottom of my foot, but the upper is kind of uncomfortable, and I get some blisters on my arches when I don’t wear socks. I’m leery to try the Free though because of the heel thing.
I followed the plan of the instructions that come with the Free’s - I walked in them a bit and eventually did a couple of very short runs in them (no more then once in a week). I had ITB issues for a few years, but have gotten it under control so that it does not flair up. The arch/heel stuff started about 6 months before I got the shoes. Anyway, I had read a lot about them and heard a lot of people say that with both ITB and heel/arch injuries that the Free’s can possibly help strengthen my feet to help these injuries from getting worse.
This ended up not being the case for me. Shortly after having worn them, my knee would start to ache - knee pain that I only feel when my ITB start to act up. I also felt like my are was starting hurt while in them. This said, many people have said that the Free’s may initially make your feet feel a bit more sore, as it is a new style of walking and your feet have to strengthen. I personally did not want to take the chance with all of these past injuries getting worse again.
To answer more specifically your running questions, I did not try to change anything drastically in my running when I had them on - it was in the winter and I used them while running on a treadmill. They felt ok WHILE running, it was more the after effects of how my feet and legs felt.
I do have a friend who has a pair he uses for his racing flats and he loves them. He did not do any of the recommended training plans to help his feet adapt, but he is also not plagued with constant injuries before using the shoes.
Have you tried Nike’s Air Structure Triax? They have tons of support, and plenty of cushion. I’ve been prone to shin splints, and these shoes have always felt great. I used them for a few years, but got tired of them because, frankly they don’t look good. They are a bit clunky… So I experimented with comparable shoes by asics, brooks, and mizuno with no luck. I eventually moved back to the Air Structure Triax and don’t plan to change anytime soon.
I kinda feel like Nike gets a bit of a bad rap because they are big and successful. The party line by many “hardcore” runners that “Nike cares more about form than function” amounts to little more than an old wives tale, IMHO. I would guess that they make a larger investment in shoe technology R&D than any other shoe company. The Nike Free is a perfect example. That shoe is all about function and attempting to postively affect one’s running form…the fact that they also happen to look good is a side benefit and shouldn’t diminish the fact that they are attempting to address function over form.
The fact that they may make some mis-steps in how they deploy new technology (i.e., shox), shouldn’t take away from positive contributions they make to the world of running shoes.
As for them being overpriced…I’m not sure where that comes from because dollar for dollar, their shoes seem to be priced on par with asics and all the other major brands.
As for my thoughts on the Free, I use mine primarily for “kickin’”, not for running, and have had no problems. I think that part of the problem is that people mis-use the Frees and then complain about their foot hurting. I saw people running in Frees at the S.D. RNR Marathon and at IM Coeur d’Alene…they are not meant for running marathons in. So, in receiving feedback about the shoes, it’s important to control for the “mis-use factor.”
That said, I don’t think they are for everyone. Like any shoe, some people are going to like them, and some people aren’t. I don’t think anyone can name one shoe that is univerally accepted, otherwise we’d all be running in that shoe.
Just my two cents…
OK, first off thats great if you use them for fashion, but I hope everyone realizes that you should NOT use your running shoes and walking/looking sweet shoes as one in the same.
BAD BAD mistake. You will put on so many miles with those shoes and youd never realize. Definitely no other sports with them (tennis, etc: big nono.)
Heres my last point. I used to run XC in HS and College, very recently. IF you wore Nike you were in an outcast; further you were assumed to know nothing about running if you wore them (however, XC racing shoes by Nike are saweeeet. Who cares in a 5k/8k if your feet hurt a little. the weight/style is all worth it :P)
Why do you think SO many real runners wear asics/brooks? Because they are simply the best. Nike cares too much about other things to care about your feet.
In the end, if they work for you, go for it. I’d stay away, especially if you have had ANY innjury, ANY flat-footedness, and certainly not the perfect body for running…
Noone legit wears Nike and theres a reason.
To answer the original question the Free is a great shoe, at least for what it is designed for. It is not a regular training shoe. It is for drills and form work. That being said trying to give running shoe advice over the internet is about the same as fitting a bike over the internet. Every one has different needs. Just like supporting your LBS, support your local running shop. Most speciality stores can help you.
The problem is Nike never really marketed the shoe that well.
The red and black ones will go well with any M dot tattoo around the ankle/calf region
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I ran in the Free before the LA Marathon and hated it. Which was too bad because I was really predisposed to like it. It was swishy and unstable and I felt like I was running on marbles. Just my experience.
However, I am a big fan of minimal shoe now. After the LA marathon, I used the time of and slow buildup for an experiment. I started running barefoot on the golf course behind my house and ran the rest of the time in old racing flats. Since I was running very few miles this didn’t cause any problems and I slowly built up both my total miles and my barefoot miles. Now I run all my miles, I’m up to about 50 per week in two pairs of shoes. One is a Brooks T3 with the sockliner removed. Strickly a pavement shoe because you can feel ever rock, but I love running in them, up to an hour so far. It really mimicks the “connected to the ground” feel I had running barefoot. I can’t do that anymore since I have yet to see a patch of green grass anywhere in Iraq. 
However, the T3s are the next best thing. My “long run” shoe is a Asics flat, I don’t know the model but it weighs between 8-9 ounces. That is enough cushioning for my feet over the rocks and long runs around the camp here.
I found that when I used cushioned shoes, I had to change them out every 250-300 miles or my feet and lower legs would start to hurt. When I was pounding out hight mileage that meant a pair of shoes per month. Ridiculous.
The key to trying this, if you are interested, is patience, patience, patience. You have to build up slow or your body won’t have time to adapt. I used to be sore for a week after running a race in flats. Now I run 50 miles per week in them and don’t worry about changing out my shoe. When the Brooks wear through the rubber I’ll probably just slap a new rubber sole on them for running on trails. It is much cheaper than 60-70 buck a month on shoes.
Chad
I have a similar opinion to you regarding the minimal shoes deal. Especially the patience, patience, patience thing. I’m now much more sturdy than I was in the first couple of months, but I still have a lot of mileage to go. I think a big part of that is because I don’t have a lot of miles to my credit over the last few years. How long before you got back up to 50 mpw after deciding to run in the T3’s?
Interesting feedback being given on the Free by you and others…good stuff.
Save your money and actually go out and run barefoot. Last year I had injury after injury. I run barefoot at a local park. It is .6 miles around the park. My legs and feet are much stronger this year. I don’t have any pain. I’m flat footed and require orthotics in any shoes I wear. Now that I have incorporated barefoot running I see where the orthotics were hindering me. I try to wear a shoe that pretty much nothing to it so I can feel the road when I race. My brother had a bad case of ITBS and I encouraged him to run barefoot and it cleared up with two weeks. Another person I know who started running pushed to hard and developed Achilles Tendinitis. I mentioned to him about barefoot running. He did that and within 3 weeks he said the pain went away. I’m not saying barefoot running is a cure but it sure does make a difference.
Mike
I ran the LA Marathon March 5. For the rest of March I did maybe 15 hours of running. April was about 20 hours and then I found out I was going to Iraq, so I did a full taper/peak for Duathlon nationals. May I ran maybe 15 hours. June was almost nothing until I deployed and had an hour or so per day. Now at the end of July I am up to six hours of running per week.
Once I started running again, I started at about 30 miles a week and worked up to 50 over about six weeks. That is probably too fast for most, but I had been running in the flats for nearly four months of relatively low miles for me, so I think my body had adapted by then. After that is was more just a question of adapting to the higher mileage.
Chad
if you use them carefully very carefully, build up a program correctly and have decent biomechanics and healthy legs going in they should be a great aid in future running. there is a lot that can go wrong with them as well… for most runners sticking with a standard shoe is probably a better choice but they are a great concept and a quality job at shooting for that concept based shoe. Myself, I never find the time to use mine properly.
Gel Kayano and several other models too. Is best.