Is the Nike Free really the right shoe to simulate barefoot running? In the author’s opinion, the free was ingenious way to appease the barefoot crowd without destroying the credibililty of their current shoes. It seems they took a regular shoe and made it ultra flexible (mission accomplished) in order to let the foot move more naturally. And if the free was being marketed as a really flexible shoe then great, but it is being marketed as a barefoot shoe, which is where it has numerous pitfalls.
Doesn't exactly look barefoot!!
In a recent podcast on Runners Roundtable Podcast, Christopher McDougall, author of “Born to Run”, states that the Nike Free has too 1) Too much Arch Support 2) An elevated heel and 3) Too soft and too much cushioning. We completely concur with those items as well the need for a fit that lets the toes actually spread in an unrestricted manner. There is no evidence out there to back the claims of heel cushioning and overall support. We see everything the other way around because there is substantial scientific evidence to suggest that barefooters have less impact on their joints then those in ultra-cushy running shoes.
On www.barefoot-running.com we are out to review shoes and how they will benefit or hamper our running. The Nike Free does not appear to offer that natural benefits it claims, but does what Bowerman and everyone since has tried to do and constantly screw up our running so that they can just continue to make money. If you have read Born to Run or ran barefoot you know what it has done for your training. We have experienced a great increase of endurance, comfort, and decreased injury. We want to assist as many people as we can to run better and longer. More to come…
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