Barefoot Running Shoes: Power Walking: Nike Free

Barefoot Running Shoes To The Rescue In A Rough Power Walking Workout: With Nike Free 3.0

Since I began power walking I have learned a lot about how the mechanics of power walking and running exercise work on the body, and about how barefoot running shoes or minimalist shoes, and traditional sneakers affect power walking and running.

Since I started power walking and felt the difference of how my feet and legs were working in contrast to running, I felt the need to look into which footwear would be best for the natural movement of my feet.

This brought me to a lot of information about whether barefoot running shoes, also called minimalist shoes, were good for running and I would use this information to inform my power walking.

Barefoot Running Shoes

About a year ago, I had an operation to clean up a torn meniscus in my knee, and it was a pretty bad tear. After the surgery, I did therapy sessions to rebuild the strength in my leg at which time I saw that the therapists wore Nike Frees. Barefoot running shoes were becoming popular at this time and many people were wearing the glove shoes so I asked them about both.

They told me they liked the free flowing barefoot running shoes because they allowed the foot to move naturally. This allowed the muscles in the legs to be strengthened differently, which would align the joints in the legs better and give the legs more natural support.

I was cautioned to work my way up to the glove shoes if I wanted to wear them, because jumping directly to them could cause me more injury because my leg muscles and joints would likely be shocked by the extreme change. I didn’t try either at the time because I stayed away from running for a while.

I just used the sneakers I had to work out on the elliptical machine, before I felt I was ready to start running again. I was very cautious working my way back up to running because I didn’t want to put too much stress on my knee, and I would only run on the treadmill because I felt I put too much pressure on my knee running outside on the pavement.

Barefoot Running Shoes And Power Walking

So after I worked myself back up to running, I was introduced to power walking and I leaned towards getting the glove shoes. I liked the isolation I felt in my feet while power walking with my regular sneakers, and felt I would get even more isolation wearing the glove shoes. I did research and I was comfortable with the idea that wearing barefoot running shoes was good for the natural movement of the foot and leg.

I would need to slowly work my way into exercising with barefoot running shoes because I was accustomed to running in thick padded sneakers that restricted my the natural movement of my feet which had thrown my body out of alignment.

Barefoot Running Shoes Help Correct the Stride

A couple of things come into play here. Runners who tend to wear heavily padded sneakers often over stride, and land hard on the heal first, which sends a shock through the body. Though this is not good, people get used to it.

Barefoot runners tend to land mid-sole to toe, and have a springy step. If you are switching over to barefoot running shoes, then it is a good idea to take your time in making the transition. You will be using the muscles in your legs differently and a quick change can cause muscle and joint damage. Making the changeover should be done slowly to let your body slowly realign itself.

Barefoot Running Shoes: Nike Free 3.0

So the day I went to buy the glove shoes and while I was trying them on, I came upon the Nike Free 3.0 and 5.0 barefoot running shoes. The 5.0 had a little bit more rear sole, and felt like a light sneaker. The 3.0 had thinner soles and felt like I was wearing my foot, like an extension of my foot.

It flexed with my foot, but did not have separate toes like to foot gloves. I was a little weary about stubbing my toes wearing the glove shoes, because I really don’t like stubbing my toes. I really liked how the Nike Free 3.0’s felt, so I decided to buy them and I headed straight to the gym for a workout.

Nike 3.0 And My Workout

I started off with the heavy bag work as usual. The Nike Frees felt good during the heavy bag work. I was able to plant and cut, and my feet felt perfectly stable in the sneakers.

The uppers are made of a flexible mesh material that snugly grab and support the feet, while the soles flex with the natural movement of the feet. I could feel the individual muscles in my legs working, and working together.

I then went onto the treadmill, to show it who was in charge. I set the treadmill for 5.6 miles an hour and power walkedt for 20 minutes, and I ran for a couple of minutes after that. While power walking with the Nike Frees, I found myself landing more on the mid-soles of my feet and my legs were getting pumped.

I could feel my toes grabbing more and my legs being stimulated a lot more, like when I used to weight lift with my legs. When I started to run I found myself doing the same thing, whereas before when I ran with regular sneakers I landed on my heel.

Now I wear these Nike barefoot running-shoes even when I am just walking around and they are conditioning me to land on the mid-soles of my feet, an now I am even walking like this when I am barefoot at home.

Tags: barefoot running, barefoot running shoes, glove shoes, minimalist shoe, nike free, nike free 3.0, power walk, power walking, powerwalk, powerwalking