Nike Free 5.0

Name: Nike Free 5.0
Brand: Nike
Rating: 4.4 (54 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 9.2 oz · 7mm drop · 21/14mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Nike Free v7 replaced it

How it ranks

The Nike Free 5.0 trails most daily trainers in our data. Looks and cushioning are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 55 runner reviews.

Bottom-tier

53/100

Overall

Bottom-tier 53

Appearance

Excellent 93

Cushioning

Decent 70

Comfort

Below average 68

Value

Bottom-tier 59

Durability

Bottom-tier 54

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

Confidence

97/100

Very high 97

What runners say

“Feel light and unrestricting, yet still have enough support for long runs and high mileage marathon training”

5/5 Full review training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 15

“Not a lot of forefoot cushioning; not recommended for athletes running 55+ miles per week”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon

“After 300–350 miles the shoe starts to deteriorate and legs feel sorer”

5/5 Full review training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 15

“Great for heavy runners wanting minimalist feel with good cushion”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon

“Feels slow and took a long time to break in; quite stiff for a few hundred kilometers”

4/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Free 3.0 V5

“No significant injuries; flexibility builds foot muscles”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw

“Flexible shoe lasting about a year of 50–70 mile weeks”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon

“Light, very flexible, gives good feel of road”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon

“Very smooth; love the feel of ground with cushion underneath”

5/5 Full review 80 mpw training for a half marathon

“Lasted 400+ running miles plus 1000+ miles walking”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon

Prefer this shoe over another

30% 10/33

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Averaging 8.2 oz across the men's and women's builds, it is lighter than the 8.9 oz median for daily trainers on sale, and reviewers find it light enough for fast running.
Reviewers praise the flexible ride, several saying it gives ground feel with some cushioning under it.
Two of fifty-three reviewers who answered report an injury, and eight describe years of running in it without trouble.

Cons

Reviewers rate durability 3.8 out of 5, and four find it worn out between 300 and 400 miles.
Two reviewers report blisters or needing to size up for the toe box.
Two reviewers say there is little forefoot cushioning and would not run high mileage in it.

Free 5.0 rates 53. This shoe has very high certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Reader Ratings

55 ratings

5/5 26

4/5 28

3/5 1

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 9.2 oz
Release: 2014
MSRP: $115
Stack Height: 21mm heel - 14mm toe
Drop Height: 7mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Reader review

4/5

Overall

Erick · Apr 5, 2015

40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Ride 6

Comfort: 4/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

Reader review

5/5

Overall

Perfect compromise for my feet -- low rise, but with some cushioning.

Anonymous runner · Apr 4, 2015

40 mpw

Comfort: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

Reader review

5/5

Overall

The Nike Free's been an excellent training and racing shoe for me over the past 3-4 years. I began using it as a way to improve my ankle and foot strength in lieu of more aggressive minimalist options. I typically use the shoe for most if not all of my regular training runs, and occasionally for longer workouts (tempos/marathon pace runs). For me, the Free strikes a good balance between a more traditional trainer and a racing flat. I prefer them over more traditional trainers, because they feel light and unrestricting, yet still have enough support for the long runs and relatively high mileage that marathon training demands. The only downside I have found is that the shoe wears out a little earlier than a normal trainer. After 300 to 350 miles I can typically feel the shoe has started to deteriorate, and my legs will be a little sorer than usual until I switch to a new pair. I've had success with the Free as my marathon racing shoe. I've had several disappointing races in flats. I won't list the specific shoes, but my calves would often cramp or fatigue relatively early on me. This is a problem I've never encountered with the Free. My two fastest marathons (2:34 at Boston 2013 and a 2:35 at Philly 2012) have come while wearing the Free, and in both races my calves held up until the final 2-3 miles. While those times aren't exceptional, I barely broke 18 minutes for 5k in high school and college. Comparatively speaking, I've been very successful since moving up to the marathon and I believe the Nike Free, among many other things, was a part of that success.

Anonymous runner · Apr 4, 2015

training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 15

Comfort: 5/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Reader review

4/5

Overall

15th pair of the nike free 5.0. I wear them only for normal runs / long runs and light workouts. For workouts I wear the streak, and the nike victory for track workouts.

Anonymous runner · Apr 4, 2015

90 mpw