Latest revision as of 16:16, 27 August 2015

Nike Free are running shoes that are light weight, with very flexible soles. Even without my modification to create the Modified Nike Free, it's a good minimalist running shoe and a half way house to a zero drop shoe. There is no outer sole (the hard rubber that meets the road), just a robust midsole (the cushioning part). The midsole has deep groves cut into it to allow the shoe to flex more than is possible with a traditional shoe. There are lots of different models of Nike Free, but I would recommend using the Free 3.0 Flyknit. (Most Frees have a number that indicates how flexible they are. The idea is that 10.0 would be a traditional shoe and 1.0 would be barefoot.)

1 Nike 3.0 Flyknit Characteristics

• Midsole. The midsole of the Nike Free is different from other shoes, with deep slices creating a remarkably flexible shoe.
  • Cushioning. The Nike Free is quite firm shoe, more of a minimalist shoe than a softly cushioned one. This is perhaps a little surprising given the thickness of the soul and its flexibility.
  • Drop & Shape. While there is only a 4 mm drop, the firmness of the soul makes it seem a little larger. There is relatively little "arch support" and the sole does not cup the heel. The midsole tapers very gradually from under the ball of the foot to the toe, and the midsole also tapers at the rear to create a slight walk. A little unusually the midsole also tapers at the sides of the ball of the foot, which reduces the lateral stability of the heel a little. While this can be a little old when walking or running with a heel strike it may help to build up the stability muscles.
  • Structure. There two densities of foam used in the midsole, but this does not appear to be for stability or structure, but rather for changing the cushioning characteristics.
  • Flexibility. Because of the deep grooves cut into the midsole, the Nike Free is remarkably flexible in all directions.
• Outsole. There is almost no outsole, just a few small patches of hard rubber under the big toe, and around the outside of the heel. As with most Nike Free shoes most of the underside is exposed midsole.
• Shape. The shoe follows the traditional shape of a running shoe, which has excessively tapered toe box, rather than following the shape of the foot.
• Upper. The name "Flyknit" indicates that this shoe is made of a single woven piece of fabric that has different thicknesses and flexibility in different places. There is no tongue, just laces pull parts of the upper together. The Nike implementation works better than most, but I still tend to prefer a traditional upper, and find that the single piece was put a little too much pressure on my foot.
• Tongue. As noted, there is no tongue, and very little padding above the top of the foot.
• Lacing. The laces have relatively little to do in this shoe, as the tension in the upper keeps it in place.
• Heel counter. This shoe has no real heel counter beyond a slightly thicker piece of reinforcement that extends up about an inch up from the midsole.

2 Gallery

The (unmodified) Nike Free 3.0 Flynit.	Nike Free	A close up of the deep grooves into the midsole that gives the Nike Free its flexibility.
A top level view of the Nike Free alongside the Altra One.	A view from the rear of the shoes, showing the rounded sides of the Nike Free.

3 A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes

If you're looking for "the best of the best" running shoe, here are my top picks. Of course, the answer will depend a little on what you're looking for, so I have recommendations for various categories. Best All Round Shoe. The Altra Escalante is my current all-round favorite. It has plenty of cushioning for its weight, it has a very springy midsole, it lasts well, and it has a shape that's closer to the shape of a human foot than most shoes. It's a great shoe for any runner, including those Starting to run. It's also a fairly easy shoe to find due to its popularity. Best Maximalist Shoe: If you want something massively cushioned, then I'd recommend the Saucony Kinvara 8. It's remarkably light and remarkably cushioned, beating Hoka at their own game. Best Optimal Shoe: For those looking to trade cushioning for speed, the Nike Zoom Streak LT 3 was my top pick, but the latest version (LT 4) falls short of it's predecessor. There are lots of great optimal running shoes, which provide just enough cushioning with light weight and minimal frills, but all have their weak spots. Probably the best option at the moment is the Altra Vanish-R, which offers great cushioning for just over 5oz/150g. Fastest Shoe: If you really want speed, then check out the Nike Vaporfly 4%. It's light, massively cushioned, and has a carbon fiber plate. Nothing comes close, not even the now defunct New Balance RC5000‏‎ or New Balance RC5000v2‏‎. There are a number of caveats; it's really expensive, it's really hard to find, and there's a significant injury risk. Best Minimalist Shoe: Merrell Trail Glove. I recommend the trail glove for road running in spite of the 'trail' moniker. It's not a fast shoe by any means, but it's comfortable and will last well. All Terrain Shoe. For trail running, I've become a fan of Altra, and I think their best shoe is the the Altra Timp, though the Altra Lone Peak is really close. Honorable Mention: It's not really a running shoe, but the Vivobarefoot Ra is comfortable, minimalist and can more or less pass as a dress shoe. I've worn mine to weddings with a suit and they've not looked out of place. You can run in the Ra, but the leather means it doesn't breathe well.

For a more detailed on running shoes see the Recommendations for Best Running Shoes. This table lists the key attributes of What to Look for in Running Shoes. For more detailed information, on the shoes see detailed shoe comparison.

It's not a running shoe, but I love the Hoka Tor Ultra hiking boot and I've tested the Altra Lone Peak Boot, the Hoka Tor Speed 2, and the Inov-8 Roclite 325 hiking boots
Older shoe reviews: Saucony Hattori Review, Mizuno Cursoris Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, Hoka Clifton Review, Saucony Virrata 2 Review, Brooks PureCadence 3 Review, Brooks PureConnect 3 Review, Brooks PureFlow 3 Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, New Balance 980 Review, Brooks Transcend 2 Review, Hoka Huaka Review, Patagonia EVERlong Review, Asics 33-DFA Review, Hoka Conquest Review, Saucony Cortana Review, Puma Faas 100 R Review, Saucony Fastwitch Review, Nike Free Review, Asics Gel Lyte 33 Review, Skechers GOmeb Speed Review, Skechers GOrun Ultra Road Review, Nike LunaRacer Review, Altra Paradigm Review.