Nike Free - myths or sell

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Im sure this may have been discussed to death though I have some questions regarding the Nike free shoes. I had to endure a compulsary talk at uni yesterday from a fellow from nike promoting his footwear.

He was unable to answer the following questions :

1. the nike free apparently had a study using the shoes along with stretching for the treatment of Plantar fasciitis, the control group also received a stretching program. My question was " by providing stretching to the groups regardless of the fact that both groups have been given stretching, is the researcher introducing a confounding factor that significantly influences the outcome of the study?

He also claimed that the shoes "increased neuromuscular feedback to the brain and the foot" asked what evidence he had to support this theory and how was it measured as i have been lead to believe that orthoses does not increase propriorecepton and he infact is talking out his rear!" the answer i got was i assure you it does...... :bang:

My final question is that if nike free promotes barefoot running........ does it encourage mid-forefoot strike as seen in barefoot running or can i just go by a dunlop volley for 20 bucks which will do the same thing? What are the benefits features that mimic barefoot running or is it just an unsupported shoe that costs a lot of money?


Brendan

 

Brendan,

I have a power point presentation from Nike claiming research carried out on The Nike Free Shoe. I got it when I was invited out to The Nike research labs in Portland Oregon in 2007. The presentation is not on what you have described but on how the shoe supposedly has an effect on increasing intrinsic muscle strength and bulk in the foot and lower limb by analysis using MRI and other equipment. The presentation doesn't have any references but does have some interesting data and some nice photographs. Apparently it was supervsied by Mario La Fortune, whom, I was told is the head of Nike Research, ( a very nice chap, whom I had the pleasure of meeting whilst there). I have used some of the information in some of my own lectures which I have given to undergrad students. I'm not sure if I should or can make it available on this public forum, ( I may need permission),but if anyone wants a copy, drop me a private mail, and I will send it to them.

Cheers
Sean Savage
aka Footsoldier