Nike have announced their 2019 Free Running Collection which introduces new elements that enable a more barefoot-like feel than previous versions.
The trainers have been designed to give runners the ‘barefoot’ feeling and has specifically been designed for shorter distance routes, so the model’s foam cushioning is lower to the ground, firmer and flatter giving the runner a free range of motion. Nike have used data mapping to test out varying depths to where the foot naturally wants to bend and stretch to enhance the feeling of movement and to allow for more natural foot motion.
The Nike Free RN 5.0 is 26-percent more flexible and 2mm lower to the ground and Nike Free RN Flyknit 3.0 is 1mm lower to the ground than the 2018 models.
Both Freeruns come with minimal uppers, a thin-stretch mesh with a minimal lacing system for the 5.0 and a lace-less Nike Flyknit with a secondary lock-down overlay for the 3.0, were designed to enhance the natural, second skin aspect of the shoes. There is also a small touch from Nike with the smaller Swoosh symbolizing the shoe’s lower-mileage intent.
Check out the imagery below and check out 5 facts about the free runs.
1. Nike began studying natural motion and barefoot running in 1989 in its sport research lab in Exeter, New Hampshire.
2. When work on Nike Free began in the early 2000s, Nike was among the first in the industry working directly to address barefoot running.
3. The first Free shoes were released with a long brochure to explain the benefits of the technology and warn that the shoe wasn’t for everyone.
4. The Nike Sport Research Lab has five kinematic parameters it looks at before deciding whether or not a shoe is deemed worthy of the Free designation.
5. The numbering system in Nike Free’s naming convention follows a scale ranging from 0 (barefoot) to 10 (a standard running shoe) to indicate that particular shoe’s level of cushioning.
Nike Free RN 5.0
RRP: £94.95
Stockist:Â Nike.com
Nike Free RN Flyknit 3.0Â
RRP: £129.95
Stockist:Â Nike.com
