Nike Jumps Into Barefoot Running With a New Knit Shoe

[Barefoot TJ]

Nike Jumps Into Barefoot Running, With a New Knit Shoe
Wired
But while you might think it would concern Nike to be whittling away their shoes to nothing–you could see the Hyperfeel as a gateway drug to total barefoot running–these and the other Flyknit kicks represent a design coup for the company in a few ...

I hate to say it, but if Nike gets rid of the narrow last of their shoes, I might even try to wear these...when I HAVE to wear shoes that is. Yikes! Did I just say that?! Me?! Running Nike Free 0.0?!

 

[bfsailor]

From the article: "It’s an attempt to strip away everything superfluous about the running shoe. (Of course, there is an increasingly large contingent of runners who think that a running shoe is superfluous to begin with.)"

But...wait...I thought the barefoot running movement was dead?

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Exactly! Even Nike, who has tried and tried and failed and failed, still wants to jump on our "bandwagon!"

What I take from all this is that they have publicly announced, with the Frees and now these, that their previous designs were and are superfluous. Ha! Welcome, Nike!

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superfluous

Definition of SUPERFLUOUS
1
a : exceeding what is sufficient or necessary : extra

b : not needed : unnecessary
2
obsolete : marked by wastefulness : extravagant
— su·per·flu·ous·ly adverb
— su·per·flu·ous·ness noun

 

[Sid]

New? Looks like Nike found Bowerman's old waffle iron!

 

[scedastic]

$175
gulp

 

[Barefoot Dama]

$175
gulp

 

[inakilt]

At $160 a pair, I'll stick with the shoes I was born with.

 

[bfsailor]

At $160 a pair, I'll stick with the shoes I was born with.

Exactly.
It amazes me that people will pay $160+ for something that will "approximate" barefoot running, when you can just do the real thing for free!

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I totally agree, you guys. But now that I am among those whose feet have been permanently damaged by shoes and surgery to "correct" that damage, there are times when I HAVE to wear shoes to protect my nerves and prevent my feeling MORE pain; running, for one, if I ever can again. We'll see. Still healing though. Shame a good pair of shoes has to cost so damn much!

 

[inakilt]

They just came out, so I think that the jury is still out on whether or not they are good shoes. But I get your drift.

 

[Nyah]

No matter how good the rest of the shoe could be, there's no way in hell that I'm funneling my toes into that toebox. You couldn't even pay me to wear this shoe.

 

[Sid]

Bah, forget the Nike mass market trash. Looks like NB is going to be the leader in custom footwear. Sign me up!
3-D print tech may lead to custom running shoes: New Balance testing technology to create custom-fit footwear

 

[inakilt]

Bah, forget the Nike mass market trash. Looks like NB is going to be the leader in custom footwear. Sign me up!
3-D print tech may lead to custom running shoes: New Balance testing technology to create custom-fit footwear

Definitely ahead in the cool factor.

 

[migangelo]

there's an ad posted by Nike for real runners to go do a photo shoot in central Oregon. pays $500 a day. think if i tell them i'm a bf runner they'll pick me? doubt i'd get paid if i can't wear the shoes.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

They just came out, so I think that the jury is still out on whether or not they are good shoes. But I get your drift.

I wasn't necessarily calling these shoes good; I was talking about a lot of the good minshoes out there. They're pricey. But hey, they can charge whatever they want.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Bah, forget the Nike mass market trash. Looks like NB is going to be the leader in custom footwear. Sign me up!
3-D print tech may lead to custom running shoes: New Balance testing technology to create custom-fit footwear

Finally! One size doesn't fit all!

I wonder what that will cost?!

 

[sixfootfourrunner]

Ironically, the Nike aqua socks they had out 25 years ago were very similar. As far as I know, they don't make them any more. I had a pair in high school that were actually the current trendy color of lime green. Turns out they were actually an almost perfect shoe!

 

[Sid]

I wonder what that will cost?!

This company is hoping to charge 200-220 euros for their custom shoes.
www.3ders.org/articles/20130530-belgian-retailer-plans-to-custom-made-running-shoes-with-3d-printers.html

 

[Wayne Whiting]

I have mixed feelings about this thread. Having lived in Eugene for four years and benefiting directly from the generosity of Nike, I feel inclined to defend "Uncle Phil." I disagree with the comment that Nike is jumping on a "bandwagon." Bill Bowerman himself was a huge fan of less is more for his athletes. In 2000 designers from Nike asked the coach at the U of O why he had his runners run barefoot a couple of days a week. His answer was that he felt "they had less injuries" with barefoot running.
They went back to Beaverton and started designing the Nike Free at that time. Long before Born to Run was even conceived.

Having said that I also have to ask why minimalist shoes are twice as expensive as crash pad shoes? I also agree with why spend money on shoes that give you a barefoot feel when you can do it for free. I've never spent a cold winter unshod so if it gets too cold, I might try a pair of Hyperfeels.

They say the release date is this fall or early winter. I have an inside source, however, that says not until next April.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I find it contradictory that Bowerman supported less while adding more to the running shoe. A man of contradictions, I would say.