Nike Free Athletic Shoes for Men

Nike Free Athletic Shoes for Men

The Nike Free concept has been around for over than decade and with many fans worldwide, it is not going anywhere soon. From its launch back in 2005, the design has evolved with technology. The Nike Free running shoes are one of the most naturally fitting and lightweight trainers among the Nike men's athletic shoes range.

The Nike Free concept aimed to create a shoe so flexible that it would feel as if you running around with bare feet, which is the most natural way. The flexibility of the sole is their utmost quality. Shoe engineering achieved this goal with a special sole construction that has deep flex grooves in the outsole for natural stride and improved stability. The concept changed slightly in 2016 with the introduction of the auxetic construction, taking inspiration from the deformation of a bouncing ball. The triangular cuts allow the sole material to expand to several directions when your foot strikes, so it does not wear out too quickly.

Earlier Nike Free models came with numbers like 2.0 and 5.0, indicating how flexible they were. The flexibility scale ranged from 1.0 to 10.0, with the former the most flexible and referring to a "bare foot" feeling and the latter describing a traditional running shoe. With the new sole technology, Nike dropped the numbers completely. However, the old models do have modern counterparts. For instance, the Nike Free RN Flyknit stepped into the place of Nike Free 4.0, while the Nike Free RN is a successor of Nike Free 5.0.

Nike followed the principle "every run has a purpose" and divided its shoes into three categories. The Nike Free running shoes fall into the "Run Natural" category, as they are lightweight, unobtrusive, and flexible. The auxetic structure is most prominent in the Motion Flyknit model, while the Flyknit is a bit less flexible. The Free RN uses a different upper material, mesh with Flywire cables, while the first two use the Flyknit technology. The Free RN Distance model is your best option for ensuring comfortable long-distance workouts. This one does not use the auxetic construction, but does differ from the first Free model as it utilises hexagons instead of the traditional square pods.

Nike created many models of athletic shoes, fit for every occasion. If ultimate flexibility is not what you are after, you can try Nike Air Max men's athletic shoes, which provide lots of cushioning and are perfect casual shoes for walking around.