I was going to say something to the effect of "real men should not be bragging about owning that many shoes" and maybe a Sex & the City crack, but then I realized that I would be admitting to having watched Sex & the City (and all those shoes being running shoes is deemed acceptable according to "The Mike Ditka guide of Man-Laws" ) On the other hand, if you have all those shoes to match various running outfits.... So, do you have a 2-gig spreadsheet to keep track of the miles on all of those shoes?

i know, it's friggin ridiculous. I basically swipe 'em all up when I see big deals on ebay and other closeouts. I've got a running shoe for everything, hard trails, soft trails, rocky trails, partially rocky trails, light rain, heavy rain, railroad tracks, deer tracks, underwater, overwater, snow, etc. 8 pair of nike pegasi that I rotate through, blah blah blah. I used to track mileage but when my running log was transferred over here, all of my data were lost, so I just quit tracking.

Jimmy- your pre-marathon picture shows your Nike Free shoes, so obviously you race in them. Do you wear these shoes for all of your runs, or do you alternate? When you first switched to the Nike Frees, did you slowly build up miles in them to get your legs/feet accustomed or could you run fairly high mileage in them right away?

Yes. All i use is the Nike Free at this point. I wear the 7.0 and the 5.0. I started with the 7.0, following the directions to slowly integrate it into my running. Then I did the same with the 5.0. I ran the marathon in the 7.0 quite comfortably. I've been doing most of my training and all my short races in the 5.0. I plan to investigate racing flats as the next step. --Jimmy

What directions did you use for the slow integration? Directions that came with the shoes or directions from "Fix your Feet"?

Here's what's going on. 2 weeks ago, my wife did a marathon pace run, as she is gearing up for a marathon in late Sept where she had a chance to place very high. The good news is that she had great pace improvement from her Boston training at marathon HR. The bad news is that the bottom of one foot bothered her the next day on a recovery run. The next day, she could not run at all. The pain was more in the arch, not really the base of the heal pain that is classical PF. My wife bought powerstep inserts that seemed to releive some of the walking pain, and just did water running exclusively for a week. Last weekend, after the posts here, we went out and bought a pair of Nike Free 5.0s for her. When she put them on at the store, her walking limp vanished immediately. She was able to jog around the parking lot pain-free. The past week, my wife has been able to run pain-free in the Frees, but not her other stability shoes. She's pulled off a 70+ mile week (still a down week for her) and a 22 miler yesterday in the Frees. Her feet/legs feel fine from the shoe switch (except the worst foot blisters that she's ever had). So, her delimma is whether or not she can get back to her marathon peaking schedule with the Frees without hurting her legs in another way due to the adaptation time of the new shoe type. I am thinking maybe we go back to the running store today and find a racing flat or neutral shoe that feels good on her foot--and mix that into her shoe rotation. Any thoughts by anyone with an opinion on this would be appreciated...

Yes. All i use is the Nike Free at this point. I wear the 7.0 and the 5.0. I started with the 7.0, following the directions to slowly integrate it into my running. Then I did the same with the 5.0. I ran the marathon in the 7.0 quite comfortably. I've been doing most of my training and all my short races in the 5.0. I plan to investigate racing flats as the next step. --Jimmy

I've recently developed what I think is a "mild" case of PF, ran on it for a week or two, then have not run for the last week and it seems a little better. What's really not helping is I'm on my feet most of the time at work. My first inclination was to get the most cushioned shoe I could find, but then I realized that all I've worn are well cushioned running shoes. Maybe it's time for a change and to strengthen my feet more naturally... I'm thinking of going to the Nike Free shoe (7.0), and noticed there's a 7.0, 5.0, and a 3.0. Do you use these in a progression because each one is a little less cushiony and more flexible? And are you going to the 3.0 next Jimmy (is it the same as a flat)? And one last question - maybe two : I noticed most of the Nike Free shoes offered now are simply Nike Free Trainers or Nike Free Running Shoe, etc., but what's the difference between those Frees and the 7.0-5.0-3.0s? Or would one of those be sufficient without a need to "progress" from 7.0 to 3.0s? Thanks for cluing me in on this! These posts are quite a testament to the possible benefits of wearing the right type of shoe to reduce PF injuries. Bill

My wife just ordered the new Nike Free Everyday shoes. She's only run in them once, but seems to like them. Here's a blurb of info about them... "The original Nike Free was designed to run short distances on soft surfaces to help strengthen the foot. The soft, light, highly flexible design of the shoe appealed to many people but the original Free was not for everyday training on hard surfaces. With the introduction of the all new Free Everyday, runner's who want the benefits of the original Free now have a shoe they can run in well ... everyday. Designed to meet the daily demands of training, the Free is great for the bio mechanically efficient runner who needs soft, light, and flexible."

Hi all,

I also like the sound of the Nike Frees - I run mostly on softish surfaces (dirt paths) and am tired of my high heels

 I also have pretty wide feet though, and have found other Nike shoes (soccer, etc) far too narrow. Do you have any other recommendations for other similar shoes by other companies?

It's hard to get objective results when searching on the internet - there is so much marketing bs about  pronation correction, cushioning, etc!

Sean - jimmy has some very good points on the shoes. I read Dr. Phil's foot book and it was excellent. We have a copy at the library. Perhaps yours does as well. $58 on Amazon. Wow!

 

Anyway, I run in flats and what some might describe as less than flats (Puma HStreets). Having a thin and flexible sole is a good idea. I've not tried the Frees yet but plan to if I get a chance to pick some up on EBay for a decent price. I also ru in Vibrams. No real barefooting for me as I can't get there yet.

 

Once I made the switch (gradual by the way) my lower legs have been very healthy even with higher mileage and more racing. Start by walking barefoot or in your socks at home and as much as you can. Get a pair of flats and run a mile a week and build up from there. In due time, your lower legs and feet will get stronger and PF is a thing of the past.

 

Also, your shoes will last longer. I am approaching 1000 miles on one pair. I can't race in them as they have no treads for traction but they are gret for everyday runs. I may even get to 1500 before the uppers disintegrate. I paid $40 for them so I think I may have gotten my money's worth.

 

Good luck and let us know what and how you're doing on this.