4/3/10 - Product Review Nike Free

I bought a pair of these bad boys recently and have been training with them. Awesome fit, I bought a half size smaller then most shoes and perfect fit. Almost no heal, perfect for sprint work on the track. I'm really digging these, great cross training shoe for me when I do lifting/running combo workouts. These cost 85 bucks at nike.com. They were worth it.

I have a mostly pronated foot. When looking for shoes for yourself you need a shoe that gives you what your foot doesn’t. This is different for each person.

Walking and running consists of a phase where the foot makes contact with the ground and decelerates. At this point the foot flattens a bit (pronates) to absorb force. Someone with a flatter foot (Pronater!) is very good at absorbing force with each step.

The push off phase of walking or running requires the muscle of the foot to supinate (or increase the arch in the foot). Needless to say people with higher arches (Supinater!) are good at this part of walking or running.

So someone with a higher arch in their foot needs help with decelerating the foot, therefore a shoe with more support is best for them

Recommendations: You’re screwed. Joking, Any athletic shoe with nice support. Tennis shoes or running/cross training shoes with good support. Remember, your foot is bad at absorbing force so some support is warranted.

Someone with a flatter foot(pronation - like me) needs a shoe that forces the foot to supinate more when pushing off. The prescription? A shoe with a flat sole that forces the foot muscles to supinate better. Remember your foot is great at absorbing foce, the last thing it needs is more foot support to help with that.

Recommendations: Bare Feet, Nike Frees, Vibram Five Fingers, Chuck taylors.