Beth Skwarecki

If the Vibram FiveFingers fit my long toes better, I'd run in those. But since they don't, I bought a pair of these.

I've had trouble with arch pain (NOT plantar fasciitis, something else) with every pair of running shoes I've ever owned, except the Nike Air Presto and - so far - these.

Having eliminated most of the other possibilities, I realize that my arches, being a complex and flexible part of my body, just want to do their job. They can't do that in shoes that have soles like bricks. I went looking for extremely flexible running shoes, and found the Nike Free 5.0 (The 3.0 sounds like more my style, but I couldn't find it anywhere.)

So I had a nice pain-free run today, a 5K route plus I was feeling so good at the end I tacked on another half-mile jog and some hill sprints.

My thoughts on the Free: I love love love the flexible sole, though I think they should have made it more flexible. And why make the heel so thick while the forefoot is nice and thin? Nike, you perplex me.

Overall they feel almost exactly like my old Prestos! The shoe that was billed as "a T-shirt for your feet" and derided by the few real runners that bothered to express an opinion. The only running shoe that ever really sorta worked for me.

Here's hoping every run is as good as the one I had today.