Everyone is Free . . .

I have always heard how finding good running efficiency & form is so much better and easier when you run barefoot. Obviously, barefoot running has its followers, but I wasn't quite ready to go that far. Enter the Nike Free.

I haven't really been a fan of Nike shoes. My last pair of Nikes was a pair of high-tops well before the whole "Nike AIR" phenomenon started. I've always thought that Nike was made for the lighter runner and even at 225, I couldn't see myself in a pair of their running shoes. But, I have read many good things about the Nike Free and wanted to work on better form without going completely barefoot. On top of that, I always thought that previous versions of the Free looked a little goofy. But the current Free 5.0 V2 is actually a pretty good-looking shoe.

So, I went to the nearby Niketown during my lunch break and bought a pair. They felt pretty good in the store and I could tell a difference right away. I wore them on a 3 mile training run that night and they felt good. I can see why you need to have another pair in addition to the Free (they shouldn't be your primary training shoe) especially since I run down hills quite a bit.

Overall, the shoes feel great and I will use them on my shorter training runs. I'm not sure exactly how much it's helping my form, but it's definitely making my foot-strike feel better.