Nike Free 5.0 Running Shoes Review
The Nike free has been around for a few years now, predating the much hyped and well received Newtons. I had my first pair of these in 2003 while I was in New Zealand – and they are super comfy, think your favourite pair of slippers.
Coaches and running experts around the globe are highlighting the benefits of bare foot running, as it encourages fore foot and mid foot running, which is a more effective way to run using less energy and promoting a more natural running gait and strengthening the foot and lower legs.
Recommended For: Runners looking to improve on forefoot running technique, over pronators go for free 5.0, while neutral runners buy the Nike free 3.0.
Nike Free 5.0 general info:
“Free feet” are “just like bare feet” and the Free is:
“….a revolutionary shoe that lets your feet move naturally. A shoe that awakens the foot’s sensors. Feet become stronger, more flexible. And ultimately perform better.”
Nike Free 5.0 Sole Unit:
The midsole of the Nike Free 5.0 features a Waffle outsole construction for a lightweight cushioning along with traction and durability. The mid-sole also provides enough durability to double as an outsole, dramatically reducing the weight.
There are deep, gender specific carves (sipes) molded along the length and width of the midsole, and these are what creates the barefoot feeling: you don’t have a piece of foam to flex anymore, but almost independent “blocks” that adapt to your foot while it moves during the running gait.
Nike Free 5.0 Upper:
Although looking minimalistic and simple, the upper of the Nike Free is engineered specifically to achieve the barefoot sensation as well. The last is the model around which a shoe is built. The last for the Nike Free is different from a traditional running last in the way that is more contoured to emulate the shape of a bare foot. (have a look at the video to better understand).
The Nike Free 5.0 is at the middle of a flexibility scale where 0.0 is the equivalent of running bare foot and a 10.0 of a standard running shoe. Nike also has a Nike Free 3.0 and the Nike Free Everyday is between the Nike Free 5.0 and the standard running shoe at 10.0.
The flexibility index of a Nike Free (3.0, 5.0 etc.) does not only refer to the sole unit, but also to the upper which has to have the same ration between support and freedom as the midsole.
Even before you start running in a Nike Free – just by trying it on – you can feel that you are wearing something completely different, as the upper fits like a sock and is most likely more breathable than your average cotton sock.
Nike Free 5.0 Opinion:
They are very very very comfy, but how do they stack up as a running shoe? Buy them as a training aid not as an everyday running shoe, as there is little cushioning and support – But that is also the beauty of these shoes. They will improve your running technique and running gait. Which will will in the end make you more effective runner.
