Nike Free 5.0

Nike Free 5.0

I have never been a believer in Nike running shoes. I always felt that they only look good but when it comes to performance as running shoes, they fall behind Asics and adidas. So it's on an auspicious day that I parted with my money for a pair of Nike Free 5.0.

There has been a lot of literature recently on how humans were made to run barefoot and how modern running shoes (with their thick cushioning and soles) are actually bad for us and causing more injuries than good.

And because most of us cannot run barefoot for safety reasons (think germs, glass, stones, dog poo etc.), Nike came out with Nike Free 5.0 which is supposed to simulate barefoot running. The Nike Free series comes in three versions: Free 3.0, Free 5.0 and Free 7.0 with increasing thickness/cushioning (but still minimal compared to other running shoes). So I decided to go with the middle - 5.0.

When Nike first launched the Free series, it was not very popular and was written off by many runners. A lot of them started getting injuries from using the Free shoes (which is contrary to what it is supposed to do!). The reason was because after years of running in shoes with tons of cushioning and support, these people took the Free and ran 20km, 30km for the first run. When your legs are not used to this minimal cushioning, when you pushed your body to start using muscles that it has never used before for 20km - 30km, it is no wonder that your body will protest!

I decided to be cautious and did the first two runs in this pair of shoes on the treadmill; first for 3km and then 5km. The soft landing of the treadmill does help in lessening the impact. I did not feel anything during the run but I must say that my certain parts of my calf muscles were definitely aching that night (so I assuming that I am using those muscles that I have never used before).

It's too soon for the verdict to be out. I am planning to wear the Free 5.0 for my runs on tarmac around my housing estate. Let's see how it holds up on "normal" roads....stay tuned!