Nike Free 2014 – A revolution in natural motion flexibility

Focusing around the famous words of coach and Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, “It’s all about the feet – it’s not about the shoes”, the 2014 Nike Free Running collection evolves the simple design philosophy of natural motion that began in 2004.

After 10 years developing designs to best suit the athlete’s body and movement, a key breakthrough came from Nike’s sport research lab date, various athlete insights and extensively studying the foot in motion. While runners move forward linearly, their feet don’t move in a perfectly straight line – they tend to roll slightly when striking the ground. The design team knew multi-directional flexibility was key to delivering natural motion in a shoe. To achieve this, the 2014 collection features three of the most significant developments in Nike Free since its 2004 launch.

Hexagonal Flex Grooves

Data gathered at Nike’s sport research lab and insights from athletes helped inform Nike’s first-ever outsole with a hexagonal flex-groove pattern, delivering multi-directional flexibility and helping enable the runner’s foot to move more freely in all directions.

Anatomical Shape

A more anatomically-shaped heel is designed to roll as the athlete’s foot hits the ground. This body-led approach to designing footwear focuses on mimicking the shape of the foot and aims to allow the foot and body to move more naturally.

Nike Flyknit Technology

An ultra-light Flyknit upper provides a supportive, contoured fit in the Nike Free 3.0 Flyknit and Free 4.0 Flyknit. Securing the foot over the low profile sole, the upper complements the flexibility of the Nike Free platform, allowing the foot to move more freely in all directions. Nike Flyknit technology enables designers to micro-engineer areas of stretch, support and breathability, and to seamlessly integrate Nike Flywire support where needed.

The latest collection allows runners to choose the desired level of flexibility and close-to-the-ground ride that best suits the way they run. The Nike Free 3.0 Flyknit offers the most flexibility with a minimalist sole, the Nike Free 4.0 Flyknit still provides flexibility but with a slightly more cushioned ride, and finally with an outsole double the size of the 3.0, the Nike Free 5.0 is a happy medium between natural flexibility and a traditional running shoe.

The Nike Free 2014 collection is now available online HERE and in selected size? stores, priced from £90.