Free Run+ 3 review

I have had this shoe for 6 months or so now and I though I'd finally get around to reviewing it. As always hit up my YouTube channel at: http://bit.ly/NnVLJE   I picked this sneaker up at my local Sports Authority.

This shoe is incredibly light. At 9.3 oz for a size 10, it is the lightest Free run to date. Nike really redesigned this one to make it a true running shoe. I owned the Free run+ 2 and the 3s really feel like a supreme shoe. Its like driving a Lamborghini after owning a Prius for 10 years. It's that much of a difference. I mean build quality, feel, movement, and design really stepped up that much. The 2s felt stiffer and the whole cage overlay held your foot in, almost too well. The free run 3 really changed that in introducing new elements such as the dynamic support fingers and a completely redesigned midsole.

Now about the midsole. The feel of the midsole when you run is exactly how you imagine your foot moving but with a much more plush feeling. I enjoy every minute of wearing these shoes. The heel strike area is smaller but has a deeper, smaller cut. If you just look at the shoes from the bottom you can tell how long Nike designers took to make the shoe. Every cut is expertly placed to optimize the feel of the shoe. The sipes in the arch area are much closer and also are curved to match the movement of natural pronation. The increased arch support and flexibility is greatly welcomed and provides a much more natural feel. Towards the front where your toes lift off are wider cuts making it flex more. Every area on the midsole seems well though out.

Now the upper. I will admit I wasn't crazy about the star pattern on the upper. It has proved itself to be good and bad. I won't spoil the positive mood just yet so lets start with the good. It is incredibly breathable and I would find myself riding my bike and think "Who is blowing air at my feet?". Ok now to the bad. They get soo dirty! Since the star pattern is an overlay to the mesh, it has a smaller than 1 mm depth that can easily trap dirt. The only way to get them out is to press a wet towel onto every little star to suck them out. That is annoying. Moving on, the dynamic support is a welcomed new feature but does not necessarily do its job. I have played soccer in these shoes (school not competitive) not knowing the problems I would encounter. Not only do they lack grip in the bottom but since the upper is so thin and flexible you easily roll your ankle. I found myself falling anytime I did a simple trick or tried to change directions. To simplify that, these are no good for training! Do not expect to be able to run suicides and change direction good. They just are not good shoes for that.

Durability is a problem I have not encountered with my Nikes, but that's because I take pretty good care of them. However, as detailed in the video, the heel strike pad has torn on the inside.  I am very disappointed and I did not expect that to be a problem with these shoes. By the time I outgrow these hopefully the Free Run+ 4 will be out!

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