The new Nike Free HyperFeel is available locally at Santa Barbara Running Company.
The new Nike Free HyperFeel takes an innovative approach to shoe technology. This new Nike product, only available in a few stores as of now, has been released as a progression of the Nike Free series with the FlyKnit technology.
My initial reaction to the HyperFeel was ?funky? at first glance because of its sock-like structure. After testing the shoe, however, my opinion quickly changed. This shoe seems great for almost every type of movement, especially for those who want to work with ?free?-type technology.
Frances Chase-Dunn
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Frances
Chase-Dunn is a former NCAA track &
field athlete at UC Santa Barbara and
has coached hurdles at San Marcos
High School. Having dealt with
injuries throughout her career,
Chase-Dunn stayed busy testing out
different types of running equipment
with the goal of preventing injury and
improving performance. Chase-Dunn
loves offering advice on the
latest running products available.
The idea behind the Nike Free technology, for those unfamiliar, is to allow more free movement in the foot, thus translating to the rest of the body. The Nike Free HyperFeel was designed to place minimal ?padding and protection only where necessary? so that the feet are able to move more naturally and make the muscles work a bit harder as opposed to other supportive shoes.
I really found this to be true in my longer, slower runs with the shoe. With a history of using supportive shoes I found that the muscles in my arch were a bit sore the next day after using the HyperFeel for longer runs. My experience seems to support the notion that these shoes allow you to work all the muscles in your feet naturally, and I would expect the soreness not to show for those who already run regularly in the original Nike Frees, barefoot or shoes with less support.
This shoe is one of the closest products to barefoot running that I have seen and would actually recommend to runners. It also has waffle technology on the bottom which gives it a good grip for trail running on dirt. I would be careful with super rocky surfaces, however because it requires your muscles to work more for stability rather than the shoe.
Testing the shoe out from a different approach than just distance and trail running is where I really grew to like this product. Just on the grass, I used the Nike Free HyperFeel to do typical running drills, jumps, squats and other exercises. It was really great for these things because of its incredible light weight and ability to allow my feet to naturally move. It fit snug with the FlyKnit technology and tight ankle band so that there was no extra movement inside.
Frances tried out the newest running shoe in the Nike Free series on a variety of surfaces, including the cement path along Shoreline Park that is familiar to runners of the popular Nite Moves 5k.
I also found a great use for this new product in my sprints. I did a few sprints up the cement path leading from Santa Barbara’s Leadbetter beach to Shoreline Park and my feet felt like they were in spikes! The waffle grip created traction and a strong grip that made me feel as if I was on the track in my spikes again. It’s like a spike, but you can actually take it off the track.
Although the shoe is made for runners who want more natural movement and less support in their runs, I think the HyperFeel really has a more broad range of uses. I think it may have a great place as an all around exercise shoe and excellent sprint shoe alternative to spikes. It allows you to use your body and leg muscles more naturally for movement, and also saves your feet and the track your running on more than a pair of metal spikes would. It could even be used for weightlifting and gym workouts. If people get past the ?funky? look and tendency to say no to the unfamiliar, I think this shoe might really take off as a great all around free-moving product.
KEY FEATURES OF THE NIKE FREE HYPERFEEL
COMPRESSIVE FLYKNIT: A highly elastic, compressive flyknit upper conforms to the foot and holds it close to the lunarlon insole.
CUSHIONING: A highly flexible, drop-in lunarlon insole replaces the traditional midsole and sockliner of the shoe.
TRACTION: The ultra-thin rubber outsole has lugs designed to specifically match the foot’s interaction with the ground. Deeper lugs in high-wear areas improve grip.
Santa Barbara Running Company, an authorized Nike Specialty Store, has locations in Santa Barbara and Goleta.
