Free Your Mind

I got another pair of shoes. Yeah, I know, my wife already told me. I have a problem. So what did I get this time, you ask? Nike Free 5.0 V4's. There are a number of reasons I decided to try these out. I have been reading a lot of articles and blogs about barefoot running. Not sure I will ever get to the point where I am comfortable doing that. Nike Free, however, are an alternative to barefoot running; supposedly they mimic the freedom and movement of naked feet but offer the protection you (I) beg for. I did some research (read: surfed the net) on the Free and came across this article. Read it. It talks about the history and development of the shoe. Well worth the time. Nike actually put some effort into the research and production of this shoe.

So what's so special about this shoe? In my opinion, it's the sole. The waffle fill sole permits the shoe to move in just about any direction. For example, pick up your shoe and flip it over. Now try to twist and bend it. It doesn't go far, does it. The Free's waffle sole allows it to move, twist and shift in any direction. Supposedly this lets your foot react in a more natural way.

The Free is not meant to replace your regular shoes. It is a training tool to make your feet and legs stronger, thereby making you faster. It is recommended that you start off slow with these bad boys, let your body get used to them--otherwise pain and discomfort. Nike even has a training schedule to help you get use to them.

So you probably noticed the oddness of title of the shoe--Free 5.0 V4. There appears to be 3 types of Free's: 7.0, 5.0. 3.0. This should make a little more sense when you see my list below that I got from the official Nike Free website.

10 = Average Running Shoes
7 = Beginning Foot Strength Training, Everyday Support
5 = Increased Foot Strength Training, Medium Support
3 = Advanced Foot Strength Training, Minimal Support
0 = Barefoot

I bought the 5's before I realized this. I doubt it would have mattered though. I don't think I would go through 3 set's of shoe to gradually get my foot use to minimal support.

I decided to try them out on my long run today. It worked out that I would be using the treadmill for today's run. I planned to only do a mile in them, but I was enjoying them so much I went for 2. After the switch, running in the Karhu's was odd. Or difficult. It is hard to explain the feeling. One, the Karhu's are a lot heavier. Two, it almost felt like I could feel the extra support/constriction of the Karhu's. It took me half a mile to settle in and to stop thinking about it.

Moral of the story is this: I dig the Free. Not sure how much it will help, only time will tell. But it is hard not to recommend them. In fact, as soon as we got home, the wifey ordered herself a pair (from Running Warehouse of course).

Any experience with the Free?