The other day a large box came in the mail. It weighed almost nothing, maybe 2 pounds if I had to guess. Who sent this box of air? Although my fiance and I were expecting new pairs of Nike Frees, I thought this must be something else. There's no way two pairs of shoes could be inside...
The Nike Free seeks to simulate barefoot running. Wikipedia describes the scaling, "The Nike shoe scale goes from 10.0 to 3.0 with a '10' being a fully supportive shoe, and '0' being completely barefoot."
It takes a strong foot to endure barefoot running or even the simulation of barefoot running, so it's recommended you start with a thicker sole and work your way to thin. I have a 5.0 and they are just right. My feet are adjusting, but I'm not uncomfortable.
The sensation of these shoes compared to a fat-tastic bubbly running shoe is surprisingly pleasant. I feel as I've been taken back to the basics with a shoe that allows my foot to roll gently from heel to toe. The rolling is smooth and uncomplicated, the shoe light and airy, the fit is snug, and there's little room for rubbing or blistering.
Be prepared to feel the ground you are running on, rather than feeling protected from it by inches of gel, nodes, and padding. There's something refreshing and literally grounding about this as it reconnects the runner to the earth.
A short article about the creation of the Nike Free. http://www.fazeteen.com/winter2004/nikefree.htm
Did I mention they come in some kick-ass colors? You can even design your own color scheme. Sassy!
I am looking to buy a new pair of shoes for CrossFit.. Do you guys love your Nike Free's? Any Problems with them? Thanks
ReplyDeleteHey Melissa! My only problem with them...they aren't compostable, fair trade, organic, and they don't remove C02 from the atmosphere. Just kidding. No complaints, really. They are not warm and the shoe laces sometimes come untied easily. Those issues can be mitigated by a) wearing your snow boots to the gym, then changing, and b) buying a pair of those bubbly shoe laces that I believe Nike sells.
ReplyDeleteDo you own weight lifting shoes? These kind of simulate the extra slope of a weight lifting shoe, which is why my fiance likes them. I can see the similarity but can't speak from experience on that.
I do CrossFit barefoot whenever possible to strengthen my feet, but when shoes are needed these are a dream. I hope Nike makes them forever.
Best wishes and thanks for asking!!
~Ellie
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ReplyDeletethe shoe light and airy, the fit is snug, and there's little room for rubbing or blistering. Best shoes for crossfit
ReplyDelete