Nike Free

DoctorK

My Frees gave given up the ghost after just over 3 months -the heel pocket coming adrift as many people have found out.
They are very comfortable etc etc -but there are too many people with torn shoes on here for it to be a coincidence. Build quality needs to improve before I'll buy any more.
To Nike -Good shoe -but flawed. Money wasted really. Sort it out please.

[Deleted User]

Your lucky yours lasted that long. Mine only lasted 50 miles :-(

[Deleted User]

I must be quite lucky then. Still only a small tear in one of the heel pockets after almost a year of wearing them. The tear that is there did appear very shortly after getting them, but as long as any tearing is restricted to the heel pocket, it doesn't bother me too much.

Of course Nike should sort it out, but even with this problem, I think the free's are great.

[Deleted User]

To my experience, the earlier releases of the shoe (pre-2005) appear to be less susceptible to heel pocket tearing. My second pair, purchased in March, died before July was out. My pair I brought in the U.S. last August are still going strong, with no tears.

It's no practicle help, but is quite interesting... sort of...

DoctorK

I know it was a new design but you would have thought Nike would have road tested it well enough to make sure there were far fewer failures.
If it happened with every shoe they made they would be dead in the water.
Great idea of a shoe, poorly made.
Hope it's better now

[Deleted User]

Hi!

I am sorry if this question has been raised before but here it goes. I have been doing all my running in nike frees. I am only running on the tready at the moment as the place where I am living is too hot to run outside. I have been doing runs of 2h 30 in them without any problems and have to say that my Achilles and sciatic problems have gone away. The problem is that I am afraid to run outside in them. Are they too hard, slippery on pavements? Are they OK for vey long runs? At the moment I am training for an ultra and would like to run it wearing the frees. Thank you!

[Deleted User]

spud: which ultra?

[Deleted User]

Running for Beer, it is the Peachtree 50k, in Atlanta, USA, where i am living at the moment.

Are you into ultras???

[Deleted User]

Talking about the nike Frees being so fragile, Nike has lanched a stronger type of frees here. they have more leather and look more like normal running shoes. Very beautiful if i amy say so.

[Deleted User]

I only run very slowly, but don't see why you should have a problem with a 50k unless its very stoney ground.

Ran a slow 50k last Sunday on road without problems.

[Deleted User]

Wow Running for Beer! 50k training run???

Have you tried them on an athletics track? I heard that they can be very slippery. I read the whole thread but am still afraid to run outside. They look so hard... (

[Deleted User]

I wore mine for a 34K on the roads 2 weekend, and my feet felt better than ever. I am planning on doing the London to Brighton in mine in October.

I am frequently going off road in mine, however, I'd be a bit reluctant in using them off road in the wet as there really isn't any tread on them.

[Deleted User]

2 weekends ago is actually what I meant!

[Deleted User]

Manx, do you do ultras?

[Deleted User]

Well, I got the 4's this afternoon. Lower than the 5's. I got the Xtraining ones as I couldn't find the runners anywhere. The soles are similar but the upper are stronger. also, the bit over the heel has double material over it, making it thicker than the 5's.

[Deleted User]

JS: not a 50k training run as such, I just race slow. Come to think of it, most of my races are more like training runs.

I've not found them slippery in comparison to other road shoes, if anything less slippery.

MM: I also use them offroad in most conditions. Am doing the Salisbury trail in a weeks time & will probably run in my frees.

[Deleted User]

JS, I've done the Compton Dowland Challenge 40 miles twice and am in training for the London to Brighton this year (oct). I am hoping to aim for the Grand Union Canal Race in 2006, but we'll have to see how training goes.

And I will be runnng everything wearing my Frees.

[Deleted User]

Has anyone else had their frees delivered by the Nike ID service? I ordered some on 10th June supposedly to come in 5 weeks. On the week they were due I got an email saying there was a manufacturing fault and they were doing their best to fix it, but couldn't confirm when the shoes would be delivered (similar to someone elses post on this thread I think). 3 weeks later I still had heard nothing, so emailed again and was offered 10% off. I wrote back and said that I was expecting a 50% discount given how late the shoes unless they could confirm that the shoes had been shipped, given that they had exceeded their own delivery deadline by 50%. i heard nothing for another week, then I rang them again this morning. they still didn't know when they would be delivered, and couldn't confirm what discount would be offered, so i cancelled my order. I have to say I am extremely unimpressed with the service from Nike and combined with all the people on here who have had problems with the shoes ripping, it seems that they have a bit of a PR issue on their hands.
Sorry - a bit of a rant there! I hope others have had more luck getting the shoes they ordered!

Matt the Brum

Got the 4.0s this morning. They feel like they're full of sand with the pimply insole.

HTA

Hey Newbie - Still waiting for mine and ordered on the 5th June.

[Deleted User]

I like the sound of the double layer on the 4.0s heel...............at last!

[Deleted User]

Manx, I don't know if the running one has the same double layer. I hope so.

Have been running wearing the 4s. They are so hard compared to the 5s. The legs work a lot more.

I don't think I will be wearing them outside or for long runs. i will stick to the 5s and use the4s on the tready.

[Deleted User]

Anyone else running in 4.0s?

[Deleted User]

I see from the thread that some people have had to wait a while for their Frees to arrive - not sure if it helps, but I ordered a pair from Sportsshoes last Thursday and they arrived on Tuesday.

Wearing them around the house for the moment, but am planning to start (gently) running in them in a couple of weeks.

I have been off running since Jan with knee problems - has anyone had any experience/advice of Frees and knee pain ?

[Deleted User]

It's the online Nike order service that has gone belly-up - I've lost count but it's something like 10 weeks now since my order went in and still Nike seems to have no idea where all the orders have gone.

[Deleted User]

Can you get customised 4.0s? I want a completely black pair for work.
(I'll get away with that assuming the boss has better things to do than examine footwear too closely)

[Deleted User]

Heebie, I got the 4 trainers. They are completely black.

[Deleted User]

I can't find 'em on the nike website (but that doesn't mean they're not there!)

[Deleted User]

alas!

The heel fabric has just ripped. Inevitable, I suppose!

DoctorK

Another victim of the tearing of the heel fabric. There are far too many for these shoes to be reliable. Rubbish build quality for a big name.