What do you need to know about Nike Free?

Nike Free hits the same barefoot benchmarks first measured in the lab: balanced heel-to-toe pressure gradients, a 33-degree toe-off angle, and a more neutral pronation pattern. Once the study of barefoot running was complete, the team got started on the initial designs.

Can you run barefoot in a Nike Free shoe?

They can get any shoes they want, and they want to run barefoot! Tobie Hatfield, one of the designers of the first Nike Free, after observing an elite track and field team training barefoot. Nike Free always helps enhance your body’s natural motion, but the barefoot-like-running experiences vary from shoe to shoe.

Which is the best Nike shoe for running?

Nike Free always helps enhance your body’s natural motion, but the barefoot-like-running experiences vary from shoe to shoe. These variances are graded on the Free Scale. The lower the number, the more barefoot-like the shoe.

How does the Nike Free outsole work on the foot?

The Nike Free outsole has laser-siped flex grooves, which release stiffness in the foam and allow it to move as naturally as the foot does. It’s not just the minimal design and breathable upper materials—Nike Free is shaped to the anatomy of the foot so it fits like a second skin and feels like a natural extension of your body.

Who is the designer of the Nike Free shoe?

Tobie Hatfield, one of the designers of the first Nike Free, after observing an elite track and field team training barefoot. Nike Free always helps enhance your body’s natural motion, but the barefoot-like-running experiences vary from shoe to shoe. These variances are graded on the Free Scale.



Nike Free resembles the pressure profile of the bare foot much more closely than traditional footwear. They can get any shoes they want, and they want to run barefoot! Tobie Hatfield, one of the designers of the first Nike Free, after observing an elite athletics team training barefoot.

What are the benchmarks for Nike Free running?

Nike Free hits the same barefoot benchmarks first measured in the lab: balanced heel-to-toe pressure gradients, a 33-degree toe-off angle and a more neutral pronation pattern. Once the study of barefoot running was complete, the team got started on the initial designs.

The Nike Free outsole has laser-siped flex grooves, which release stiffness in the foam and allow it to move as naturally as the foot does. It’s not just the minimal design and breathable upper materials—Nike Free is shaped to the anatomy of the foot, so it fits like a second skin and feels like a natural extension of your body.

Tobie Hatfield, one of the designers of the first Nike Free, after observing an elite athletics team training barefoot. Nike Free always helps enhance your body’s natural motion, but the barefoot-like running experiences vary from shoe to shoe.