In fact some shoes with the heel lock in my experience have caused blisters. With some shoes on the market that include the heel lock you do not get the same feeling of support that you do with the Free Runs. The internal boot as I call it or as Nike refers to it as a, “wrap” (which is appropriate as it does wrap your entire foot) adds stability, comfort and fit. In the 2018 model, Nike continued to use what they call, “Flywire cables” but now these cables connect to an internal boot.Īs you tighten the laces the cables are in turn pulled and you can feel the internal support increase. In past versions of the shoe the laces have been just that laces or laces with some cables to help provide added fit. The newly designed laces also help the overall fit. I was a skeptic a first but after I tried the shoe on… it was super comfortable and form fitting. The material breathes incredibly well but still creates a feeling of snugness (not tightness) around your foot. The upper is constructed out of a material that now includes spandex… yes spandex. It was tough in scrapes and the sole unit recovered well on back to back runs. I am impressed with the durability of the shoe. Just in a well-designed minimalist in nature shoe. But I never felt as if I was running barefoot. It provided support in the heel through the forefoot. I had this in mind when I put this shoe through my tests. This provides a natural feel and a barefoot-like sensation, kind of like an extension of your foot.” Nike is brags that this leads to an, “all natural movement on runs and walks.” It expands and contracts with every landing and push-off. Nike states, “The soft, lightweight sole mimics your foot’s natural movement through its innovative pattern. What I want to address here is the idea of a shoe claiming like it feels that you are running barefoot with an 8mm offset. Saucony is another brand that I am seeing providing the 8mm offset. The shoe has an 8mm offset which is appearing to be a trend in running shoes these days. My recommendation is that the Nike Free Run 2018 be used on soft surfaces and light trails. I never felt stable on the road in the ice as the traction of the Free Run is not designed for running outdoors in the ice. Living in Colorado allowed me to take it out on the road for some snow and ice trials as well. To me this means that I would use these shoes only on the road, sidewalk or treadmill or your neighborhood trails… sorry large pieces of gravel found on mountain trails… the Nike Free Run is not for you. I get Nike’s intent to redesign the tread but in my opinion, the redesign left traction in the past. If you look at past versions of this type of shoe you can see that Nike has never gone with a traditional tread. However (and you can look at the sole picture now) the tread is what I would describe to you as nubs offset by slits and an inverted, ‘Y’ that almost creates what I would equate to a honey comb look. In your standard running shoe you will see what I call a standard tread…think bike tire. The first thing that took me off guard was the tread. Since I did not run in the 2017 model I have to agree that this is an upgrade from the 2016 model. Nike is boasting a better fit in the 2018 model. The shoe is comfortable and like I mentioned fits like a glove. We had been apart for a while but once we got back together it was like no time had passed at all. The first run was like being reunited with an old friend. However, I would recommend that you build up to the longer distances first, so you can acclimate to the minimalist nature of the shoe. However, in my experience the shoe is good for longer distances. Nike states that these shoes are made for the short sprint to the 5k distance due to the minimalist nature of the shoe and the fact that while wearing the shoe it feels like you are running in bare feet. For my foot, this shoe is the baby bear of porridge…fits just right.
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