It’s been a long time coming, but we finally got around to getting a pair of Nike Free 3.0 v2 Mens shoes to test out.  We’re pretty excited so we hope you will be too.  We just got this pair in the mail today so we haven’t had a chance to really test them out, but here are our first impressions and observations so far.

Just like the Nike Free 5.0 v4 we were impressed by the style out of the box.  It’s a nice looking shoe and something you won’t be getting puzzled stares unlike some Vibram shoes we know.  The whole shoe looks even more breathable than its predecessors with the sides and tongue all having ventilation holes.  This should be a good thing on those long summer runs.

The Nike Free 3.0′s sole is thinner than the Nike Free 5.0′s sole.  This also includes the heel portion being lower and more natural.  When you slip them on it feels more like ballet flats than running shoes…much more so than the Nike Free 5.0 (don’t ask why I would know what ballet flats would feel like).

For those who complain that the Nike Free 5.0 or it’s newer replacement the Nike Free Run+ is not minimal enough the Nike Free 3.0 is the better choice for them.  There’s less support than any of the other Nike Free shoes we’ve come across, but enough support to those who think FiveFingers is too extreme for them.

All in all, I’m excited to get a few runs in with these shoes.  They feel great.  It might be a little too early to tell, but if you like any of the other Nike Free shoes and you are looking to get more minimal definitely check out a pair of Nike Free 3.0′s.

It’s been a couple months since I have been running in the Nike Free Run Plus so I thought it would be a good time to revisit what I think about them. I have been wearing them every other day for basic everyday activities and running probably 3-4 times a week in them for about 4-6 miles at a time.

I have to be honest, these are currently probably my favorite shoes in terms of comfort and casual ease. First of all they are very light and easy to wear. It really does feel like I’m slipping into a pair of slippers to go out and go running. They are very non bulky and even though the lightness of the shoe may make it feel weak, flimsy and easy for wear and tear, I haven’t experienced it yet (maybe we’ll give it another 3-5 months before another review about durability.

I haven’t tried the Nike Plus tracking system yet but I do hope to soon. I would be nice to see exactly how much mileage I put on these shoes. I’ve compared running in the Nike Free to the KSO’s and I personally enjoy running in the Nike Free’s a bit more. This may be due to the fact that I am not ALWAYS in the Vibram Five Fingers shoes so maybe I haven’t gotten as used to it as many other FiveFinger enthusiasts.

I also enjoy using the Nike Free’s when I do cross training exercises at the gym. They’re also great for lunges although it would be hard to bear the FiveFingers if you are looking for a tight grip on the floor. The breathable front and top side of the shoe is another very noticeable plus.

One point about Nike Free’s is that they don’t come in a variety of widths. For my feet they are a pretty good fit but if there were a wider width size that would be perfect. I’m sure other people with even wider widths may have a harder time getting used to the Frees.

For me the extra protection that the tough Nike Free soles provide are great. I do like the fact that the toes are much more free with the Vibram Five Fingers and the Nike’s still feel restrictive in that respect, not unlike most of the other regular shoes out there, minimalist or not.

For now I’m happy to be wearing out the Nike Free shoes as much as I can and excited to see what other styles of shoes other companies are coming out with to compete. Lets see what New Balance has in stored with their new line of shoes coming out early next year.

Like we mentioned in our first impressions of the New Balance 100 shoes we were very fortunate to have New Balance send us a pair of MT100′s to allow us to review.  Now that is’ been a few months and I’ve been able to spend some significant time with these shoes we thought it’d be good to give you guys are “official” look into these shoes.

If you you want the quick and dirty version of our review be sure to check out video review below:

Intro

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the New Balance 100 (MT100 is mens, WT100 is womens) line of shoes these are their off-road trail-running, minimalist shoes.  I know that’s a mouthful, so I really like to think of these as an off-road barefoot running shoe.  Something where you could technically run with your Five Fingers with, but honestly wouldn’t since your foot would probably be in so much pain you wouldn’t get that far.  It’s great to see that since New Balance declared that there was validity in the barefoot running movement that they’ve dedicated resources to developing shoes that follow this philosophy.  The New Balance 100 and its successor the New Balance 101 are all consequences of that decision.

Style

Out of the box I really liked these shoes.  While maybe not as fashion forward as some of the Nike Free shoes, I liked the simplicity and “earthiness” look to these shoes.   I’m color blind, so I can’t really speak too much as to the color choices, but I know don’t mind them and they seem to match my jeans just alright.

Build

Build quality of these shoes are really good as you would expect from a company like New Balance.  What is deceiving about these shoes especially if you were just to look at the pictures is just how light these shoes are.  it looks like a traditional shoe, but it’s much lighter than you would expect.  I wouldn’t say it’s as light as the Nike Free 5.0 v4 or Vibram Classics that I own, but it comes pretty close (and remember this shoe is designed for off road trail running).

Check out the video below to see how flexible the MT100 is compared to Nike Free 5.0 or Vibram Classic:

The back of the shoe is made with this kind of foam like/cardboard type material that has some flexibility, but also supports and maintains the overall shape of the shoe.  The outer part of the shoe is made with a breathable light plastic mesh material.  It’s kind of trippy since if you hold the shoe up to the light it let’s light through as it’s semi-translucent.

The other part that I thought was cool are the shoelaces.  At first I thought there was something wrong with the shoes since they were all kind wavy and scrunched up.  But then I discovered that that was done on purpose and is what New Balance calls their “Sure Lace” shoe laces.  It’s shaped all bubbly to help prevent your shoelaces from becoming untied.

One thing that will strike you at first about these shoes is the strong chemical smell when you first open the box.  It’s not totally unpleasant, but it’s a pretty synthetic plasticy smell (luckily over time this goes away).  I think of it kind of like a new car smell…

Running

I was a little skeptical how well these shoes would do while running in them.  From the outside it looked like a normal running shoe.  But yet again I was reminded by life’s humble less that you can’t judge a book by its cover.  The first thing I noticed while running in these shoes is actually how flat these shoes are.  It’s kind of deceptive but it’s actually relatively easy to run with a flat foot strike or mid-foot strike in these shoes  After taking another look at the design if you look inside the shoe you’ll see that the heel is not as raised high as other running shoes which allows the foot to be relatively flat on the ground.

Contrast this with the Nike Free 5.0 and it’s definitely no comparison when it comes to trying to run with a more flat footed gait.  The Nike free has a much higher heel when compared to the New Balance 100.

I spent quite a few miles running in these shoes and it’s been quite the treat.  I love the fact that I can focus on running more mid-foot / fore-foot strike in these shoes and i like the fact that there’s more padding than say Vibram FiveFingers Classic which allows me to runner for longer and slightly faster (since the shoe minimizes the impact of the hard concrete, which I normally run on).

Issues

While I really like the shoe there were some small issues that I did have with the shoe.  Just like the Nike Free, the New Balance 100 shoes claim that you can wear them without socks.  Thanks to the breathable outer layer it’s supposed to help keep your feet dry.  In theory this makes sense, but in practice your feet will still sweat (I did at least).

The bigger issue, though, is that I gave myself a nasty blister on the back of my heel.  These were such a joy to run in that I probably over did it.  I did like 3 miles without socks and came home to a blister.  Partly to blame is the stiff back portion of the shoe.  With socks, though, I haven’t had that many problems.

The other minor issue others might have is the smell. I wore these shoes into work a few times and for 8 hours I smelled that chemical plastic smell.  It’s not a very healthy smell (but again it wears off).

Conclusion

I like these shoes a lot, actually more so than my Nike Free 5.0 shoes.  Though not as flexible as the Nike Free, I like how they are more flat than them which in turn allow you to run more naturally barefoot-like.  I like the look the and feel as well.  Unfortunately if you are looking to get a pair that might be hard as many stores seem to be low in stock as they are clearing them out. Check out our shoe page for the MT100 (mens) and WT100 (womens) for places that sell them. Don’t despair if you can’t find a pair as the New Balance 101, the legitimate successor to the New Balance 100,  are just around the corner.  New Balance plans on selling these new shoes in October of 2010.

This is my initial review of the Nike Free Run+ shoes after running 4-5 miles in them on the treadmill. If you can’t tell by the video, I am excited that these shoes are so comfortable. This is what I think so far:Nike Free Usage

• Great for running, very light
• Great for casual wear because it’s so comfortable
• Not bulky but not as minimalist as the Vibram FiveFingers, it’s still a real shoe.
• Has an elevated heel but the flexibility of the shoe makes it so striking on the mid foot feels more natural than it would in another shoe.

Nike Free Style

• I like the simple style of the shoe, maybe my neon green colors isn’t the best for casual and going out wear but the simple breathable design is perfect for my tastes.

Nike+ Technology

• As you can see the shoe is Nike+ technology capable which allows you to place a chip and track your running progress. But this is sold separately and costs about 30 dollars USD.

Overall Impression

• Great Feel, never had such a light running shoe that was actually a shoe (as opposed to the FiveFingers)
• Price is very reasonable, around 85.00 Dollars USD. I could buy 2 of these instead of the Newton Running Shoes.
• Comfortable and I don’t mind wearing them out all day casually.

Video

• Below is a video of my wearing and moving around in the Nike Free Run+ shoes. As you can see they are pretty flexible and light:

The folks over at Travel Country were very kind to send us a pair of the super popular (and from we’ve discovered) and super hard to get Vibram Five Finger Bikila shoes.  Why are they so hard to get?  Because people are buying them faster than Vibram can make!

Anyway, what makes the Vibram Bikila so special compared to the other Five Finger shoes is this is one of the first Vibram’s design specifically with runners in mind.  It has more traction and support than previous Five Fingers and in terms of quality it seems that Vibram used nicer materials to produce a nicer looking five toe shoe.  The extra support makes a lot of sense as one of my past complaints of the FiveFinger Classics has been when you run on concrete it does put more stress on your forefoot. If you are a beginner that can be quite painful.  From the looks of the Bikila it would seem the extra support would go a long way to providing extra comfort for runners.

Once we get to spend some more time with them we’ll post up a follow up review.  For now enjoy these pictures.

In this video I am unboxing the New Nike Free Run+. This shoe is a so called upgrade from the Nike Free 5.0s. Although the differences between the 2 shoes are not that huge, there are a few differences that they talk about. One is the material near the ankle of the shoe. It is softer and gives it more of a “sock” feel to it and is less irritating.

These Nike Frees are also Nike+ ready. The shoe allows a chip to be placed in the shoe so you can record the distances you run using the Nike+ technology. To find out more information about the Nike Free Plus, watch the video and then go to our Nike Free Plus page.

It has been around a year since I have first bought and tried out the Vibram Five Fingers KSO for many purposes. I then stopped wearing them about 6 months ago to test out many other varieties of shoes and just recently started wearing them again and I did miss them a bit.

In this review I want to first talk about what I have been using the KSO’s and what I felt about them after this extended period of use including benefits and draw backs.

Primary uses Vibram Five Fingers KSO’s:

• Running/Jogging on tracks and grass
• Running on the treadmill
• Hiking
• Casual wear all say shopping and walking around

Benefits of Vibram Five Fingers KSOs:

• After wearing the KSO’s consistently, I felt that my legs were stronger and tighter around the calf region. Although anybody who runs and exercises regularly may experience stronger legs, I noticed the KSO’s allowed you to work them out a bit more that usual. You can notice this difference in strength when you switch from Vibram Five Fingers to regular shoes.
• As expected, I was made more aware of where I stepped and how I landed when I ran OR walked.  Because of this I feel that wearing the Vibram Five Fingers shoes would help people become less “clumsy”.
• I still enjoy the general attention the FiveFingers brings when you just wear them out casually. It also allows you to introduce the concept of barefoot running and the shoes that help you gain similar benefits.
• My running style is more refined and in tune to what I needed to reduce pains that I would get when I just ran with no thought of foot/heel strike and where I landed. This benefits would be one of the higher rated benefits of wearing these barefoot shoes.
• After wearing them for a while, I noticed that they are quite durable and they don’t look like a pair of dirty old sneakers even with heavy use.

Negatives of Vibram Five Fingers:

• If you don’t wear them for extended periods of time, you will be sore and you have to ease into them again.
• Getting calluses and more dead skin is still common after extended use of the KSO’s.
• The five finger socks that I wear with these shoes make them a bit uncomfortable. Maybe a solution would be to get a larger size.

Conclusion

• The KSO’s are great, I really enjoy wearing them and exercising in them. The drawbacks are few and the benefits are great. I’ve tried the sprints and classics and think the KSO’s are by far my favorite.
• The next Five Fingers Shoe I definitely have to test out are the Vibram Five Finger Bikilas.

Here’s a Video of how the KSO’s look after 6 months of use:

We love learning about new barefoot shoe offerings on the marketplace, and technically while, Kigo Footwear, is not a brand new company they were new to us .  We learned about them when we stumbled upon them in a Runner’s World forum thread.  Intrigued by these shoes we had to learn more since we hadn’t heard about them before.  So we contacted them and were delighted they were willing to send us a pair of their Kigo Star and Kigo Shel shoes to review and test out for ourselves.

So first a little about Kigo Footwear.  Kigo Footwear is dedicated to making minimalist shoes which not only promote a barefoot lifestyle, but are also eco-friendly.  They accomplish the first part (the barefoot part) by using a very thin and flexible shoe sole which flexes naturally while your foot moves and they accomplish the second part (the eco-friendly) by using materials like recycled nylon linings and water based glues.

Showing just how dedicated they are to eco-friendliness Kigo sent us:

…factory seconds as samples and comps as a way of keeping all of our shoes on feet and out of landfills. They may have a small cosmetic marring, but nothing technical…

We’re all for the environment.  Anyway onto the shoes…

Kigo Shel

The Kigo Shel is unisex shoe for men and women with active lifestyles.  Designed to be a daily walking shoe or a running shoe.

Kigo Star

A woman’s Mary Jane styled shoe that offers a little more fashion for those who don’t want to sacrifice barefoot comfort.

First Impressions of Kigo Shel and Kigo Star

So rather than give a comprehensive review of the shoes before we’ve had enough time them instead we’ll just give you some of our initial thoughts on them:

• Style: I kind of liked it, it looked like something that I could get away with wearing to work (disclaimer my work does have a relaxed dress code)…without people staring at my feet (unlike my Vibram Classics)
• The padding is minimal but you don’t feel as much of the ground as you would with a pair of Vibrams, however it is still a very flexible shoe especially when compared to a Nike Free 5.0… if you take out the removable insole you’ll definitely feel even more
• Slipping into the Shel is kind of difficult…It looks like it would go in easy, but you still need to kind of ram your foot in.  I was worried that this would make it uncomfortable to walk around in, but this wasn’t the case.   My girlfriend who tried the Star had no problems (the opening is larger).  The good thing about this is when you run you don’t have to worry about tying shoelaces or having your shoe hang lose.  It’s a good snug fit
• Traction seems pretty good (based on just walking around my apartment)
• The loop and hook that allow you to fold the shoe down while novel, not sure how useful this will be in daily usage…

Anyway, keep an eye out for our full review of these shoes once we’ve had some more time to get a good feel for them.

It’s been about 7 months since I first received a pair of Vibram FiveFinger Classic shoes.  It feels just like yesterday that I went on my first VFF Classics run, then my second run, and then playing barefoot tennis in these magical shoes.  Time flies while you’re having fun so I thought it would be good to recap how I’ve been doing with the minimalist FiveFingers Classic.

If you want to get the quick report of my Vibram FiveFingers Classic experience check out the video below…

Before I got the Classics i was running in the Nike Free 5.0 V4.  Going from traditional running shoes to the Nike Free 5.0 was the first step in opening my eyes to world of minimalist footwear.  It was amazing how nice it felt in the Free’s to be able to flex my foot while I walked and ran.  However, things gotten taken to a whole another level once I started running in the VFF Classics.  The Nike Free’s are flexible, but the Vibram’s are just in another league of barefooted-ness.

My biggest problem when I started running in the Classics was I tried quickly to run the same time and distance as I could with my traditional running shoes.  The first day my calves and shins (and back even) were all sore.  I just wasn’t accustomed to this new style of running.  One thing that I had to consciously work on as well is changing over my foot strike from heel-toe to mid-foot / fore-foot striking.

The video below illustrates my heel striking running technique, which subsequently got made fun of by the numerous Youtube commenters (got to love those guys).

It probably took me a good solid 4 months of regular running in the Classics to adjust my running style to mid-foot / fore-foot striking.  Luckily since the VFF Classic is super flat it makes this transition a lot easier.  The Nike Free 5.0 with the raised heel makes it a lot more difficult to strike flat-footed or in the mid-foot area.  One consequence of this new running style is that my foot wasn’t used to the new impact points (the fore-foot) so ultimately I could not run as far since the repeated stress of landing on concrete often made my fore-foot quite sore.  In these shoes you feel everything…including just how hard concrete is.  So again, these shoes have taught me the value of patience and to slowly ramp up your mileage (otherwise I can see how you could really hurt yourself).

Up until a few weeks ago I was running in the FiveFingers at least 2 to 3 times a week for about 2 to 3 miles at a time.  My foot definitely had adjusted and was used to running in them as I wouldn’t get sore calves like I did when I first started running in them.  My shin splits have kind of gone away too.  I say “kind of” since I still get shin splints in my left shin, but not so much in my right shin if at all.  I’m thinking this might have had to do with an old tennis injury I had (I sprained my left ankle, actually not playing tennis but juggling tennis balls and accidentally slipping on one).

The reason I stopped running in them is that ever since I’ve go them I’ve kind of ignored the fact that my pinky toe was kind of scrunched.  This made it sometimes a little painful to run as my toe would be crunched into its little toe compartment.  Sometimes it would be more bothersome than other times.  I think this was just a result of my foot naturally shrinking and expanding.  Either way, I started noticing that my pinky toe nail was getting deformed!  So I figure the main problem is that the Classic I ordered while form fitting, are actually a little too small.  For anyone looking at getting a pair I’d order slightly larger than you think.

Despite the deformed toe I’d like to run in them again.  They are nice, even if they do get a little smelly/funky after a while of running in them.  I guess that’s when you need to learn how to wash your VFF’s.  You do get quite a few stares and questions, but as much as I like the attention, I just like the feeling of freedom and ninja-ness that I just don’t get with traditional running shoes.

We are always on the lookout for interesting barefoot or minimalist shoes.  We’ve tested and ran in such barefoot offerings like Nike Free’s and Vibram Five Fingers, however, have yet to try any of the minimalist shoes from New Balance.  Initially we got in contact with them so we could try out their ChiRunning shoe, the New Balance MR800, but after speaking with them they suggested we should take a look at the New Balance MT100 (or for women’s version the WT100). They were even kind enough to send us a pair so we could try them out!

If you were like us, we didn’t even know about the MT100.  So what’s the official word from New Balance?  In their words…

The MT/WT100 is a trail racing flat designed for the most dedicated ultra-trail runners. The 100 features a minimalist upper construction for a comfortable, lightweight ride and fewer internal seams to help eliminate irritation. The upper is also equipped with a moisture management treatment to quickly wick away moisture. A ROCK STOP plate in the outsole shields feet from rocks and obstacles and a unique outsole lug configuration provides ideal traction and speed on trails. The SURE LACE keeps shoes tied to ensure an uninterrupted run.

While reading the description you might not think that this is a true barefoot running shoe, but after reading some initial reviews from on them were were definitely more interested.  One reviewer on Zappos wrote:

This is a great shoe for someone looking to go minimal on trail runs that is. The shoe is extremely light with minimal cushioning and minimal support. Good for speeding over dry, semi-technical trail. Probably not the best choice in mud or extremely rocky trails. Transitions nicely from trail to paved surfaces. I had a little pinching from the ankle collar on one foot, but adjusting the tightness of the laces fixed that problem. It’s almost like running in a slipper. It’s great if you have been reading Born to Run; and you’re toying with the idea of barefoot running and/or getting away from shoes that force your foot into a particular foot strike.

In any case we were glad to see New Balance increase their offering of more barefoot inspired shoes.  A few months ago they released a statement saying how they were committed to invest resources into barefoot running shoes, and it’s great to see how that wasn’t just lip service.

We just got this shoe and haven’t had a lot of time running in them yet, but we’ll do a more formal running review after we’ve had some proper time in them.   But to give you an idea of what this shoe is about check out the video below:

Our first impressions and observations

It’s only natural to compare the MT100 to the Nike Free 5.0 (after all, both of these shoe’s offered by large established athletic shoe companies) so many of our first impressions are in comparison to the Nike Free.

• Shoe is not as flexible as the Nike Free 5.0, it’s slightly stiffer in the heel area, but still a lot more flexible than a traditional running shoe)
• Outer material is actually porous, which allows more air to flow through (you can actually see light pass through as well)
• Bottom sole seems very durable and made to go off road
• There’s a pretty strong chemical/rubber smell of the shoe
• The shoe laces are curly, at first I though it was something wrong, but then found out this is the Surelace technology that’s supposed to keep your shoes tied at all times.  You’d think this wouldn’t be a big problem, but I’ve had issues with my Nike Free shoes staying tied

Overall, I was very pleased by the design and construction of the New Balance MT100.  It seems well built and sturdy.  While it might not be as flexible as the Nike Free, it does seem to be a solid barefoot offering for those who like to run off the concrete trail.