product reviews
Real reviews
Name: Giuseppe Guerrera
Store: Zelus Warringah Mall
Age: 39
Shoe Reviewing: Nike Free 7.0
Current running/walking shoe that you wear
Current Training Shoe – Brooks Trance 6
Current Racing Shoe – Brooks Glycerin 4
About Me:
I have an above average level of fitness for my age. I currently run every day of the week including weekends. I run an average of 10km a day, which equates to 70km a week.
Fitness Goals:
Short term Goals
- Run the SMH Half Marathon in May 2007
- Run the Blackmores Bridge Half Marathon in September 2007
- Run the City to Surf 2007
- Take part in the Canberra Marathon next year with the aim of completing the race under 3 hours.
First Impressions of Shoe:
Cosmetically a good looking and well designed shoe. I loved the bright red and white contrast in colors. They felt very comfortable from the word go, and didn’t need any wearing in as they caused no rubbing, and were quite breathable. Compared to my current running shoes they are a lot lighter, more flexible and appeared to be quite springy on the forefoot area.
WEEK ONE
Date: 15/04/07
Type of workout: 10Km Run. 45 Minutes
Notes on shoe performance during workout:
Cushioning and ride of shoe felt good and very light. Upper sole felt very comfortable.
Notes post workout: Slight throbbing of forefoot area
Date: 16/04/2007
Type of workout: 8km Run. 40 Minutes
Notes on shoe performance during workout:
Mid sole feels quite soft and comfortable
Notes post workout: No problems to note.
Date: 17/04/2007
Type of workout: 8km Run. 40 minutes
Notes on shoe performance during workout:
Some initial pressure experienced in the mid sole. Good traction on road in greasy conditions due to early morning dew
Notes post workout: Experiences some slight discomfort on the middle toe (third form the right) on right foot
WEEK TWO
Date: 23/04/2007
Type of workout: 10km Road Run at 3.8m/k pace. 38 Minutes
Notes on shoe performance during workout:
Slight instability in upper sole when running downhill at speed. Good grip on bitumen considering the wet weather conditions.
Notes post workout: No problems noticed feet and legs
Date: 26/04/2007
Type of workout: Slow 15km at 4.5m/k pace. 67 minutes
Notes on shoe performance during workout:
At this stage the shoe is still providing good shock absorption (heel) and good energy transfer to the rest of the feet
Notes post workout: Slight throbbing of the forefoot area of feet.
Considering distance covered legs, back and feet feel quite good
Date:28/04/2007
Type of workout: Interval Training on grass surface (5x1km reps at 3:50 minute pace and 2 minute walk recovery between reps). 30 minutes
Notes on shoe performance during workout:
Felt extra cushioning effect on soft surface. Felt light and comfortable during speed work drills. Pleasantly surprised at the good Insole traction within the shoe. It kept my foot fairly stable during this fast paced workout.
Notes post workout: No problems experienced with any of the above
WEEK THREE
Date: 02/05/2007
Type of workout: Slow 10km run at 4 minute pace per km. 40 minute approx
Notes on shoe performance during workout:
Cushioning of the shoe’s heel counter and forefoot area still feels good. Slow pace jogging definitely suits this shoe as the soft upper sole appears to be at its most stable.
Notes post workout:
Feet, Legs, & Back all feel fine. Feet are quite dry of perspiration considering the 25 degree day.
Date: 04/05/2007
Type of workout: Fast 15km run at 3.5 minute pace per km. 52 minutes approx
Notes on shoe performance during workout:
Shoes performed quite well considering distance covered during this run. However did start to notice the road surface on the forefoot from the midsole area of the shoe in the last 3 km. The heel counter cushioning still performed quite well.
Notes post workout: Slight throbbing of the forefoot area after run
Date: 06/05/2007
Type of workout: 8km Hill Run. 35 minutes
Notes on shoe performance during workout:
Slight instability in upper sole when running downhill. Cushioning in heel counter still performing quite well. Starting to notice road surface on forefoot which is linked to cushioning in the midsole area of the shoe. Grip still performing well up and down hills considering greasy early morning dew on road surface.
Notes post workout: Slight throbbing of the forefoot area after run.
WEEK FOUR
Date: 07/05/2007
Type of workout: Slow jog Up/Down stairs.
5 sets of 100 stairs with 2 minute recovery between sets. 40 minutes
Notes on shoe performance during workout:
Shoe grip performed quite well going down stairs due to the soft outsole.
Notes post workout: (e.g how do feet/legs feel?)
No problems experienced with feet/legs
Date: 08/05/2007
Type of workout: 5km run on grass. 25 minutes
Notes on shoe performance during workout:
Good cushioning experienced in shoe’s Heel Counter and Midsole.
Notes post workout: No problems experienced with feet/legs. Feet quite dry of perspiration considering freakish 25 degree temperature for early May.
Date: 10/05/2007
Type of workout: 10km run.
40 minutes
Notes on shoe performance during workout:
Upper sole still feels great and very comfortable. Mid sole still offers good cushioning at this late stage of review.
Notes post workout: No real problems with legs/feet.
Overall Summary
During the 30 day trail I can report the following observations
Pros:
- Cosmetically a good looking well designed shoe
- Very Light
- Very flexible upper and midsole
- Soft outsole offers good traction on all surfaces
- Very comfortable upper sole
- Well ventilated shoe
Cons:
- Upper sole and insole instability running at fast pace up and down hills
- Cushioning of the midsole/forefoot area of the shoe becomes an issue if running distances in excess of 10km.
The Nike 7.0 is best recommended for short distance running/jogging at moderate pace. It is a very comfortable and snug fitting shoe. This shoe is light weight and is best suited for runners weighing between 70-75kg. The inner sole is fairly stable and stops the feet from rolling around during moderate paced running activities. It also has excellent ventilation for a snug fitting shoe. Cushioning of the midsole and heel is quite good for short distance running (8-10km max).
However the Nike 7.0 does have some limitations in performance (cushioning), when tested on long distances, beyond 10km. The shoe also had cushioning and stability issues when tested in short distance, fast paced runs.
It is also important to note the shoe is not designed for the use of fast paced and long distance running. It is after all a very well designed training shoe and not a runner per say.
In saying this I would not have any hesitation in purchasing another pair of Nike 7.0 for the purpose of integrating it within my current running program.
