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Less supporting shoes, similar to Nike Frees

post #1 of 26
7/30/07 at 3:13am
Thread Starter 
I am attracted to the Nike Frees (the idea, not really the design) and was wondering if any other companies make shoes with the same idea. I'm not looking for Vibram Five Fingers, but a sneaker that emphasizes natural foot strengthening.
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post #2 of 26
7/30/07 at 4:57am
asics!!!! i cant stress this enough asics!!!! get the GT-2000 or gel kayano absolutely amazing in terms of fit, comfort and durability "nike air" is bullshit IMO...the air packs are under so much internal pressure that its just like having a regular sole...i never enjoyed running in my air max 360's, but then i got a pair of the gel kayanos and they blew me away
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post #3 of 26
7/30/07 at 4:59am
Thread Starter 
I actually have the gel-cumulus or something now, it's nice enough. I'm not asking about Nike Air, I'm asking about Nike Free, the barefoot-imitation thing. I want strong feet! I don't want to hurt my precious feet while getting respectable foot strength!
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post #4 of 26
7/30/07 at 7:15pm
Gt2000 and Kayano is about the exact OPPOSITE of nike free. they are basically bomb proof 110% luxury cushioning and support.

I have a pair of Adidas Adventure series model is called Desman, they have almost no heel counter and very flat cushioning, similar in many ways.

But if I were you, I would just go for Nike Free. They started it
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post #5 of 26
7/30/07 at 9:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willsw View Post
I actually have the gel-cumulus or something now, it's nice enough. I'm not asking about Nike Air, I'm asking about Nike Free, the barefoot-imitation thing. I want strong feet! I don't want to hurt my precious feet while getting respectable foot strength!

whoops i must have mis-interpreted your question sorry buddy
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post #6 of 26
7/31/07 at 11:07am
Though still a Nike, I used to run a lot using the Nike Presto Faze which is a discontinued model but still shows up a lot on ebay. Minimal support, slip on with no lacing with a criss-cross web tensioning (or not) depending on your foot strike.
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post #7 of 26
7/31/07 at 6:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willsw View Post
I am attracted to the Nike Frees (the idea, not really the design) and was wondering if any other companies make shoes with the same idea. I'm not looking for Vibram Five Fingers, but a sneaker that emphasizes natural foot strengthening.

i have some merrel's with a similiar idea, which is not much structure. it really forces the foot to get stronger.

are you needing these for running? there's a new designer (read expensive) pair who i can't think of now, will look for it, but it's designed by one of these free runner types.
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post #8 of 26
7/31/07 at 6:50pm
Most racing flats have minimal cushioning. POSE runners (midfoot strikers) used racing flats before the Nike Free was invented. Very similar concept.
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post #9 of 26
8/3/07 at 10:37am
Well, I can't really think of anything that minimalist for running bar the Vibram Fivefingers (which you've already said that you know about). If you're just looking for an incredibly light shoe with minimal structure and cushioning, you could try a pair of Puma Mostros. I hardly notice that I'm wearing them when I first slip mine on, but due to the fact that they have a very thin sole, I do find that my feet can feel sore if I do a lot of walking in them.
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post #10 of 26
8/30/07 at 2:40pm
I've been using a pair of Nike Free 7.0 trainers as my workout shoes for about a month. What makes these shoes different from most other soft/deconstructed shoes (like the aforementioned Puma Mostros) is the fact that they have pretty good lateral support. I think my Adidas Darogas actually are more flexible than the Nike Frees, but the Darogas don't have the same lateral stability. The Nikes have enough lateral support to help prevent you from rolling an ankle, whereas my Darogas and previous Pumas almost invite you to tip over the edge.

The Nikes are kind of ugly (especially in the stock color combinations) but I think they do work as designed. The trainers are not going to work as an everyday walking shoe, and I imagine that you wouldn't want to do a lot of distance training in the running model. But I think they help strengthen the feet when used in moderation.
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post #11 of 26
2/15/08 at 12:50pm
Could anyone comment on the durability of either the Nike Frees or Vibram Fivefingers? I am looking to buy a pair of either, seeing that they are priced similarly, I am hoping for the choice to make my money go furthest.
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post #12 of 26
2/15/08 at 6:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by upnorth View Post
Could anyone comment on the durability of either the Nike Frees or Vibram Fivefingers? I am looking to buy a pair of either, seeing that they are priced similarly, I am hoping for the choice to make my money go furthest.

I had to stop running in free's because I couldnt afford to keep replacing them at the rate they were wearing out. They are not durable at all. I'd get 2 months maybe 3 out of a pair, and I wasn't even putting that much distance into them.
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post #13 of 26
2/16/08 at 11:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by upnorth View Post
Could anyone comment on the durability of either the Nike Frees or Vibram Fivefingers? I am looking to buy a pair of either, seeing that they are priced similarly, I am hoping for the choice to make my money go furthest.

Quote:
Originally Posted by smw356 View Post
I had to stop running in free's because I couldnt afford to keep replacing them at the rate they were wearing out. They are not durable at all. I'd get 2 months maybe 3 out of a pair, and I wasn't even putting that much distance into them.

I've actually had the opposite experience with mine. I just replaced my last pair after 6months because my gf was complaining about the smell Just make sure you get a pair that has mesh instead of that smooth nylon or whatever fabric it is, that breaks pretty quickly in my experience. I have a pair of 3.0s right now and it's great how minimal they are.
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post #14 of 26
2/16/08 at 2:43pm
I wear Bikkembergs shoes a lot. I'm faster in them than running shoes, squat in them, bench press in them, and wear them when I go out in jeans to and run errands and stuff without wearing technical sneakers and looking like a tool in the process.

www.bikkembergs.it
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post #15 of 26
2/22/08 at 2:06pm
I finally got a pair of VibramFF. Not entirely pleased with them, they feel weird and difficult to put on. I am between their sizes and opted for the smaller size. From what I've read, a larger size is probably not a good idea as it slips in the heel. Don't think I will be running in them anytime soon but they are fantastic for my needs. I travel for work and it is not socially acceptable to go barefoot in the hotel gyms. The Vibram FF weigh next to nothing and doesn't take up much space. In fact, I could insert them into my second pair of dress shoes easily. Plus no socks needed.

I might get a pair of Puma for speed work training as it appears to be well received by the Posetech community. Nike free seems very dodgy on the "durability" frontier. I've heard more than 5 complains about quality issue with those although they were decidedly more comfortable than the Vibrams.
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