Sunday, May 20, 2012

Nike Free Run + 2 review (v. Reebok RealFlex)

So, yes, I am late to the party but I am really into this minimalist trend lately.  I had been running in my Reebok RealFlex for quite a while and loved the flexibility and lightness of the shoe.  But, I have pretty much worn out the Reeboks.  I have been told I have a neutral pronation.  I also have a very high arch - so high that I have a bone that sticks out on the top of both my feet making wearing certain shoes very difficult.  With typical shoes that cover the top of my foot, I can usually only wear them an hour or two before they start killing my feet.  I love the RealFlex because the upper is barely there and never bothers my foot and has a super flexible sole.  So switching to a new type of shoe is a very difficult and lengthy process for me.
I started looking into getting more minimalist and ran across the Nike Frees and Nike Free Runs.  It was hard to compare where the RealFlex fit in to the Nike system as far as minimalism, but after trying on a Nike Free Run 3.0 v. 5.0 and Nike Free Run 3.0 v. 4.0, I think it is closer to a Nike Free Run 3.0 v. 3.0 (which I could never find in a store) or a Nike Free 3.0 (which I could never find either).  I ended up buying a Nike Free Run + 2.0.  If you don't know anything about the systems, the lower the number the more minimalist and the Nike Free is more minimalist than the Nike Free Run.  The "+", if you don't know, is for the data tracker that slips into the inside sole of the shoe, which I don't have but don't really have a need for at this point.
So here are my thoughts:

There is more arch support in the Nike, which I am not a big fan of.
There is less heal support in the Nike which I am a fan of.  I could definitely tell on my first run that I was sitting back more while running instead of leaning forward.  I had never noticed this before I switched shoes.  I thought my calves and shins would be horrendously sore after my first run in the Nikes (3.5 miles), and though they felt more fatigued than normal, I was not sore the next morning.
I think it will take me some time to get used to the upper because it seems like so much material after running in the RealFlex, but I do like the glove like fit.
As for the sole, I can definitely "feel" the road/terrain more in the Nike than in the RealFlex.
And, of course, the Nikes have made me slow down my time per mile in attempting to get use to a new stride.  I have really been working on reducing my time so this is a big deal for me.  But, its a sacrifice I am willing to make to be a little more natural in my run.  I will just have to keep working at the time aspect.  I don't know that I like the Nikes much more than the Reeboks.  I will have to try the Reeboks again in a week or so and then really see the difference.

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