I have a pair of five fingers, and tore my calf, a while back. Classic case of too much, too soon. Didn't listen to you guys.
Anywho, I've given up on barefoot, and just want a lightweight, minimalistic neutral shoe.
I was thinking about getting Nike Free, but am concerned it would be like running in my Vibrams, and don't want to tear my calf again. Or take the time to only run a mile here, or there to get used to it.
Any thoughts ? I know there is no right shoe for everybody...
- Anya
#2867
Does Nike even make the Nike Frees anymore?
Personally, I do most of my non-BF running in either my neutral trail shoes or racing flats, depending upon whether I'm on trails or roads.
Run to Win25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)
Does Nike even make the Nike Frees anymore? Personally, I do most of my non-BF running in either my neutral trail shoes or racing flats, depending upon whether I'm on trails or roads.
Yeah, my local shop has them. My current shoes just feel so huge and clunky. I want to be light and free.
But, I just can commit to barefoot. And my toes cramp when I try to use my Vibrams, not to mention the calf thing.
Half Fanatic #846
I haven't run in VFFs, but I have worn out a couple of pairs of Nike Frees (5.0 and 3.0). The Frees seem like they would be closer to the feel of a regular shoe than VFFs. However, the Frees are light and very flexible with a fair hint of barefoot effect - probably not really "minimalist". I used the Frees to help me transition to BF.
If you could find a pair of Nike Free 5.0s to try on that would probably be the best thing to do before you bought. I had trouble telling the difference between the 5.0s and 3.0s - I would probably get the 5.0s (supposedly "halfway to barefoot" on a Nike scale of 1-10) if I order another pair, since I really liked the feel. I don't know about the plain ol' Nike Frees (also - don't get any of the older V1 or V2 models which are usually on sale because they don't last long; they were notorious for falling apart at the heel which has been properly reinforced in later versions V3(?) & V4 which I got very good mileage out of).
Currently, I'm finishing off my 3.0s, wearing flats, and going barefoot. But I took over a year to strengthen my feet.
Good luck!
"I don't always roll a joint, but when I do, it's usually my ankle" - unk. "Frankly autocorrect, I'm getting a bit tired of your shirt". I ran half my last race on my left foot!
thanks for the info. Wish I had more time to excercise my feet and the ability to change shoes while running, etc. It's the overdoing too much-too soon that I'm worried about. But, I need to make the switch if I ever want to go beyond 8 miles again. Stupid IT Band. Or should I say, stupid shoes?
Queen of 3rd Place
Ex runner
Road racing flats might be a good choice for you, I have over 600 mi on a pair of the Adizero Mana that I really like. The Nike "lunar" series is nice and light, too, I have a pair of Avant Run + that I adore, they are look clunky but actually are very light and there's not a ton of heel rise. They have a somewhat squishy feeling which you may or may not like.
Thanks , I'd like to try those Lunars maybe.
I have a pair of Nike Free 5.0s. I would consider them a lightweight trainer (9oz?). It took me a little while to transition to them, and now I'm hoping to transition to flats on my next purchase. I don't have much desire to go barefoot either but I would also like to use a "lightweight, minimalistic neutral shoe." They aren't even close to running in the VFF's. The Nike Free has a significant heel, unfortunately.
I wonder how many miles you should start off doing in the lightweight shoes?