The State of the Running Shoe Market: December 2011 Running Specialty Sales Data from Leisure Trends | Runblogger

The State of the Running Shoe Market: December 2011 Running Specialty Sales Data from Leisure Trends | Runblogger

This is an interesting post from another great blog that I follow. I think that something that may be overlooked is the number of Nike Frees that are sold to non-runners. The shoes are used as a fashion shoe, aerobic shoe and general workout shoe. Another thing I found interesting was the growth of minimalist shoes, especially in the trail running sector. I think this is a positive thing for the running community.

In the Top-5 of any athletic shoe sales in 2011

Shoe Review: Nike Free 3.0 V3

Nike Free 3.0 V3 Review

Oh the Nike Free 3.0.  For many years I was stubborn and only wore 5.0s, Run +, and Run + 2s.  I now regret my decision after wearing the 3.0s!  The 3.0s have been made by Nike for a number of years and while the uppers always look a little different, they are pretty much the same shoe.

Specs:

Retail Cost: $90.00

Weight: 7.1 oz (standard size 9)

Stack Height (Heel-Toe): 21-14mm

Feel: The Free 3.0 is a great minimalist shoe.  Unlike the 5.0 and Run + series it actually is more minimal than most neutral trainers.  The foam is visibly thinner in spaces and in the ball of the foot and arch there is foam removed for added flexion.  The Free 3.0 also has a fairly wide toe box that is only stretchy mesh.  I like this because it allows your toes to really expand and grip the ground like you would with a proper barefoot stride.  As you can see in the stack height, the heel to toe drop is 7mm.  That is less than most trainers but a true minimalist shoe will have 0 drop. The all mesh upper also provides great comfort and breathability throughout the whole foot.  Like most shoes in the Free line the 3.0 has a sock like feel. Again, like all Frees that are designed for running, the midsole doubles as the outsole and is made of Phylite.

Look: The Free 3.0 looks pretty legit.  I wasn’t a big fan of the original colorways but they have made some great updates.  I went with the plain black and grey.  The black makes the shoe look even more slim and fast than the slimmed down 3.0 already does.  Can’t go wrong with a classic!  The rubber on the sides serves more looks than function.

Durability: I will report more on this as I wear the shoes.  I have worn 5.0s and Run + for thousands of miles per pair.  However, those are held together by thicker mesh and leather.  They should stay together better than the 3.0.  I suspect that these shoes would last at least 500 miles.  However, other than the mesh, I am scared of one thing about these shoes.  It is the stretchy cloth piece that is on the heel.  It reminds me of my first Frees, the original 5.0s and the back ripped out on those after 50 or so miles.  The back ripping doesn’t render the shoe useless but changes the feel and make for a cold run in the winter.

Uses: The 3.0 are light enough to use for workouts like tempos, fartleks, hills.  Pretty much anything that isn’t really fast or requiring of quick turns.  They would also be good as a beginner shoe in transitioning to minimalism.  They still have a little bit of foam on the bottom and are far from zero-drop so your calves wouldn’t take too much of a beating.  If you didn’t want to go the minimalist route but wanted to change it up once a week to strengthen your legs, this would also be a good shoe.

I'm Addicted to Shoes

I remember the day in April 2004 when I began wearing Nike Frees.  I had seen my older teammate, Bryan Kegley, wearing them and seeing as I needed new shoes I thought they would be a logical choice.  At the time I knew nothing of pronation, supination, neutral, motion control, cushion, stability, etc.  I was all about cheap shoes that had cool designs and crazy colors.  This is where the Frees came in.  This was before the minimalism revolution swept running culture.  They were new and fresh.  I just had to get them.  So I did.

Jump to December 2011.  It is now seven and a half years after I began wearing the Nike Frees.  I had never seriously trained in anything else.  I dabbled with flats here and there and had a short run with some blaze orange Asics DS Sky Speeds but we quickly had a falling out.  I had been fairly loyal to my Frees.  Through the 5.0 version 1-4, Free Trail, Free Run +, Free 3.0, and Free Run +2.  Anyway, I had been looking into some different minimalist shoes for a long time.  The Frees really aren't very minimalist these days.  Yea yea, they mimic barefoot running and all but truly they are just cushy, neutral shoes.  Not that I don't love them very much but I was looking for a change.

Enter the Puma Faas 250 (Picture Above).  Puma had been having sales and promoting these shoes hard on Letsrun.com.  Eventually, after stumbling upon a 50 percent off coupon and free shipping I purchased these shoes for 25 dollars and 50 cents.  Even if they didn't work out for running they still look cool, right?

I got these shoes three days ago.  The first run felt great, I was surprised by how light and responsive these shoes were.  My toes had bled during that first run but I was willing to give them another shot.  I did and they proved themselves once again.  My Frees are great for everyday runs but when it comes to workouts I throw on the Katana Racer 2 or Streak XC 2 or 3.  I feel like the Puma Faas 250 could transition straight from long run to 400 intervals.

In conclusion, I like the Puma Faas 250.  However, they aren't going to replace my Frees any time soon.  They will join the rotation along with my Blue Free Run +, Red Free Run +, Streak XC 2, Free Run + 2, and my last remaining pair of the 5.0s.