Nike Free Gym Preview

Well Nike is jumping deeper into the barefoot market with the launch of the Nike Free Gym. The Nike Free Gym is a women's barefoot shoe that they are marketing towards yoga. The design of the shoe looks like they borrowed a lot of ideas from other barefoot shoes.

Below is what the Nike site has to say about the Nike Free Gym:

The super-lightweight Nike Free Gym Women's Training Shoe delivers a barefoot-like experience plus cushioning and traction to help you move naturally and comfortably in any direction.

Benefits

· Split-toe design allows for a natural grip and better balance
· Deep outsole flex grooves for a barefoot feel with traction
· Strap engages the full arch, providing the right fit for you
· Shoe lining made of natural fibers derived from volcanic rock to absorb sweat and odor

Design - The Nike Free Gym Shoe has a minimal, no-sew upper that eliminates stitching, allowing for enhanced flexibility and comfort. Strategically placed mesh provides ventilation while synthetic material at the forefoot and midfoot provide support. For a perfect fit, an arch strap wraps up from underneath the foot and attaches to the outside with an adjustable hook-and-loop closure.

Cushioning - Soft, cushy memory-foam heel pods accommodate a variety of heel widths for comfort when not wearing socks. And, a molded sockliner conforms to the foot for added comfort and support.

Traction - This unique shoe helps prevent slippage inside and out. A traction pattern inside--under the foot and big toe--reduces slip for excellent grip when worn without socks. The rubber outsole has a herringbone pattern for durability and multidirectional traction.

I Must say I like where Nike is going and I love to see the big brands producing barefoot shoes. I like how some people have called the new Nike Free Gym a performance slipper, I think that's a good name and there are alot of other barefoot running shoes that fit well within that description aswell, I'm thinking of Soft Star shoes off the top of my head.

The Shoes look like they are a true barefoot shoes, they are very light, weighing in at under 5oz. The toe box looks wide with the spilt toe giving your toes more freedom. It doesn't look like they are zero drop, but look close.

Here is the big question! Is Nike embracing the barefoot movement or saying Minimal is better, still buy Nike. I think it's the second.

I'll look for a female reader to review a pair, Happy Running.

Kennyo

Nike Lunar Trainer Shoe Review

Here's a review of the Nike Lunar Trainer's, they are not a barefoot or minimalist Running shoe but are very popular and a lot of people are asking about them. I understand everyone won't ware minimalist shoes so I like to help those who don't swell.






The following is what Nike wants to tell us about the Nike Lunar Trainer.

The Nike LunarTrainer+ Men's Running Shoe is ideal for the runner with a neutral to mildly overpronated gait. The LunarTrainer delivers plush cushioning, springy response, barely-there comfort and mild pronation control. Mesh upper with internal bands for lightweight breathability, comfort and a snug, secure, locked-down fit.
Reflective elements for enhanced visibility in low-light conditions Internal heel counter with external overlay wraps the medial side for a snug heel fit and extra support.

OrthoLite sockliner molds to your foot's shape for a custom fit, comfort and support LunarLite cushioning for soft yet responsive shock absorption Phylite carrier bonded to LunarLite foam for smoother transition at heel strike and to moderate pronation Molded sipes along the carrier's base for enhanced flexibility and a more neutral, efficient stride Outsole Waffle Pistons for increased cushioning and response Rubber in high-wear areas for durability and traction Nike+ readyWeight: 9.1 ounces.

Review:

With countless training shoes in the market, the Nike Lunar Trainer is an attempt to give a different look and feel for runners and athletes out there.

It surely didn't fail in design department. I've had people commenting they looked 'nice.' With such a radical sole design, I thought "What was Nike thinking?" It had a few jagged lines horizontally sidelining the base of the shoe. While it does give the impression of space walking, it certainly kept me wondering on the functionality of it.

If your used to minimalist shoes you'd find the Lunar's large sole a little hard to get used to. Personally, I am not a fan of too much cushioning and support in running shoes. Too many running shoes focused too much on giving the 'running on pillow' feeling, that they lost focus on making the shoes light and responsive enough for natural running gait.

The Nike Lunar Trainer, build with very light materials, managed to keep the pair light, so that helps with the larger sole.

Nike states that after your run your legs shouldn't be exhausted, Nike claims this is due to the spread of pressure points which spreads out across the shoe, on each step. This would help greatly in cutting down the micro damage when running.





To understand how this works, you've got to dissect the shoe to see what is inside. Inside that fluorescent sole is actually the Lunar Lite foam core (white color). And this is the stuff that actually distributes the stress when running over a larger area.






It's 30% lighter than it's outer Phylon (fluorescent) core, which makes it ultra light.
"They feel good, real good. Very light, yet still provided plenty of cushion and support for long runs. A little less cushion than the Moto, less than the Vomero.

They are extremely responsive and the cushioning rebounds very quickly. Different than any other shoe I have tried. When walking around the house, they fell like marshmallows, but when you start running, they firm up and support your feet.

The Mesh upper fits tight to the foot (a good tight), and even though the top of the shoes touches my toe, It doesn't aggravate it.

Bottom line, it's pretty good. The light weight feeling when running was great, although it did feel like running in sandals because of the large sole. And it's a trainer shoe, so you could use it for other workouts in the gym as well. Should you get it? If you wanted some attention grabbing pair of trainers, then it's not a bad idea to get them.

Nike Free Sparq Trainer Review

This review or should it be called a rant, was posted by a reader, I love to share your thoughts so keep them coming.  S/he didn't leave their name,,,

But the shoe I love love loved was the Nike Free Sparq Trainer. They are the best shoe I have found for running (until someday when I work up the determination to adapt to running in Vibrams again). And they are amazing just to walk in, which is at least as important to me as a running shoe since I do a lot more walking than running.

It seems like you all are rather dismissive of flexibility at this site. That is my favorite thing about minimalist shoes: the side to side, front to back all around flexibility. My legs really feel so much more alive, all the way up to my thighs, from wearing them. And I don't feel like my foot is in a cast, which is how 99% of today's shoes feel (was it always that way?). I don't mind a bit of cushioning when I'm on my feet all day (but I absolutely hate "support"). Just make the cushioning even, shoe designers.

Vibrams are a great idea in some respects, but for walking around in the winter or walking on hot asphalt in the summer, they suck.
I run naturally on my forefoot anyway, but I resent the extra cushioned heels that often make it impossible to run on your forefoot. The Nike Free Sparq trainers definitely had more heel cushioning that I want or need, but at least it wasn't enough to ruin them for me since the heels do not affect my foot strike.

So what did Nike do? They discontinued the Sparqs almost immediately, and the successor Nike Free Trainers have become more and more like standard Nike foot casts. Not only that, they are making them too narrow like the other "free" shoes (the Sparq trainers were the perfect width for me). I refuse to buy them.

Does it just seem like there must be someone evil at Nike trying to squelch any sort of innovation or good shoes? Or are they stupid? I think if you go to their website and try to find your way in, you will realize they are stupid, stupid, stupid. The website is like a Polish joke (or an Irish joke, or Italian joke, or whoever they make fun of for being stupid in your neck of the woods). But I haven't ruled out evil. They are not mutually exclusive (e.g. Sarah Palin, the Tea Party)

Nike Free Review

Back in 2005 Nike introduced the world to the Nike Free. The Nike Free has become the shoe that helped bridge the gap between barefoot running and traditional running shoes.

Nike introduced the Nike Free well before the Barefoot movement took off after the release of the Book Born To Run, that hit the best seller list in 2009.

In the book Born To Run, it talks about how alot of professional athletes and coaches are having their athletes train barefoot.

The Nike Free is a perfect shoe for a shoe company because it has some minimalist running shoe features but is still very mainstream.

Tradition running shoes allow you to run anyway you want without immediately feeling the effects,  but running barefoot your body naturally improve your running gait and strengthens foot and legs muscles.

Nike says "The Nike Free is designed as your second best choice after running barefoot."

 From Nike Site:

BAREFOOT-LIKE FIT WITH EXCELLENT SUPPORT

Taking a cue from the intricate workings of the bare foot, the Nike Free Run Running Shoe is designed to maximize the foot's natural range of motion while providing protection and cushioning for a smooth ride.

BENEFITS

Inner-sleeve for a snug fit and enhanced breathability Bonded synthetic overlays for super-strong, flexible support Fused Phylite midsole and outsole for an ultra-lightweight, resilient ride Deep flex grooves along the outsole for a natural range of motion and flexibility

FIT
Designed to keep the foot in place without restricting movement, the Nike Free Run+ 2 features bonded overlays for excellent support. Lightweight and flexible, these thin strips are attached to the mesh upper for a streamlined fit. The inner-sleeve provides a snug feel, yet it's dynamic enough to move with the natural motion of the foot.

CUSHIONING

Without sacrificing the feel of barefoot running, the Nike Free Run+ 2 delivers a plush, cushioned ride. Phylite material seamlessly fuses the midsole with the outsole, creating a one-piece design that's as resilient as it is durable. The molded sockiner mimics the curves of the foot for a comfortable, supportive fit.

FLEXIBILITY

Deep flex grooves along the outsole allow the foot to move naturally in multiple directions. The heel features a "Center of Pressure" design that provides additional cushioning on contact, maximizing overall flexibility.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

• Asymmetrical lacing system to help reduce pressure over the top ridge of the foot
• Waffle lugs at the outsole for impact absorption and traction
• Nike+ ready

Runnerword Says: The Free is not designed for everyday running; rather, it was built as a training tool to help strengthen your foot. That said, Nike made this version more stable by both removing some of the segmentation from the midsole and flaring it for a wider base of support. Thanks to the deep forefoot grooves, our lab tests found the shoe to be the most flexible in this guide. We recommend the Free for runners with normal to flat arches who want to strengthen their feet by doing strides on grass or by walking around the house in a superflexible shoe.

My Final Words:
To start off I would like to say that the Nike Free is a great shoe.  If you are reading this to make up your mind between the Nike Free and the new Reebok Realflex I would say hands down buy the Nike Free. My reasoning behind that is that the Nike Free is closer to a barefoot style then the Reebok Realflex. Now if your reading this to compare the Nike Free to Vibram Five Fingers then I would say buy the Vibrams, but the Vibram Five Fingers are totally different from the Nike Free. The Vibram Five Fingers are a true Barefoot type shoe and the Nike Free does a good job at getting close. I own a pair of Nike Free's and I think you'd enjoy them aswell.

Nike Free Vs. Reebok Realflex