Forums >Gears and Wears>Nike Free RNs
My husband is looking for something similar to Nike Free RNs (i think the 2018 version). I know they are minimalist and barefoot feel....any cheaper suggestions?
rectumdamnnearkilledem
Perhaps the Skechers GOrun Razor 3 Hyper. I can't tolerate anything that isn't super flexible, but also well-cushioned. Unicorn shoes. Nike really has dropped the ball on the Free as a running shoe, unfortunately.
The only downside with the Skechers is that the rubber on the soles is SUPER thin and not even a little bit durable. I think the newer ones will be improved, but the clearance ones are what I have and they are wearing down fast. And they don't really have any sort of tread, so I'm looking for something to wear this Winter. I'm probably going to end up spending 2x what I typically would for a pair of shoes and pick up a pair of the latest version of the Saucony Freedom. It appears that they can easily be bent in half, which is good for me (it doesn't appear that the older versions are nearly as flexible). The Kinvara is nice, too, but that exposed foam outsole doesn't last long and doesn't do particularly well on snowy/icy roads.
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
I see various Nike Free versions in Ross Dress For Less all the time for $20-40.
60-64 age group - University of Oregon alumni - Irreverent and Annoying
6pm.com still has some, too, though not sure what year. 2018ish is probably about the last year I tried and the tongue actually tore on one before I'd put even 30 miles on them.
I thought of another shoe. The Hoka Hupana is really soft and flexible, but also is exposed foam without much in the way of "tread". But they're super light and not massively built-up, like every other Hoka. They're the only Hoka I had any luck with.
I think there's only one "light" Hoka, the Rehi. Almost all of them are over 8oz (mens 9)
The Skechers with the "pod" technology soles move with your feet similar to the Free; GoRun7, Horizon, very early versions of the Ride (before 6) and GoRun (before 5). If "barefoot" is the goal, then there are many cheap "water shoes" from Walmart and others that offer some protection from pokey things, and at $10-20 even just getting 100 miles out of them is acceptable. Most people shoot for 25 cents per mile as a value point on shoes.