Nike Free 3.0 Flyknit

Color: Photo Blue/Black-Chlorine Blue

Intended use: All runs except trail and in bad weather.

Surfaces tested on: Road, synthetic track, 21° C/70° F

Upper: Elasticated, one-piece knitted mesh. Cord based lacing.

Midsole: Injection molded EVA variant, 4 mm heel to toe drop.

Outsole: Carbon rubber pieces under toe and heel, injection molded EVA unisole.

Weight: 217 gms/ 7.65 Oz for a half pair of UK10/US11

Widths available: Only one standard width.

US Retail: $ 140

Fast forward eight months to April ’14, and the new 3.0 Flyknit launched with much pomp and splendor, along with its 4.0 sibling. This also meant the gradual disappearance of the 2013 Nike Free Flyknit, so it’s safe to assume a couple of things. One, either this model is the replacement for the older 5.0 Flyknit, or there’s another 5.0 version of Flyknit in the pipeline? If we had to wager a dollar, option one seems more likely the case. The 3.0 Flyknit comes with a noticeable heel flare, one end of the shoe prominently rounded up. Nike says that this allows gradual transition, but we felt quite the opposite. The flare encourages a mid-heel strike, which is good, but the landings feel hard at the point of foot-strike. There are four pieces of rubber on the heel, and their narrower ends converge right at the foot-strike point. So when you land, these hard edges are felt, and the process seems abrupt instead of gradual. Very noticeable when you’re wear-testing the original Free Flyknit, the 4.0 Flyknit and this shoe together. Another effect of the flared heel is that the grooves around the hexagonal foam pods flare wide, exposing gaps around each pod. These corners ‘catch’ on the running surface, and see quick wear till they are slightly blunted. 

The initial run in the 3.0 Flyknit is slightly noisy if you’re using them on track, where these edges momentarily catch the synthetic surface. They get better with time, though. Bigger gaps also means an increased opportunity for debris to get in, and sure enough, some small pebbles were lodged in the heel after a few sessions of road running.

We would like to have seen the midsole arch curve which is part of the 5.0 midsole. The Free 3.0 and 4.0 midsoles don’t feature this design aspect, and the midsole wall edges shoot relatively straight up. Wasn’t a bother during any of our test runs, but it could be for runners in cases where the foot arch tends to sag over. In the forefoot, the width is narrower than last year’s Flyknit and current 4.0 and 5.0 versions, and the snug upper keeps the foot pinned down. This narrows the forefoot pressure down to a smaller area, making push-offs more focused. This is a trait commonly found in distance racing flats, so the Free 3.0 Flyknit works well for intervals too. The grip? It is average, not particularly impressive, but doesn’t slip. Upper fit is near identical to the 2013 design. One piece knit upper, joined only by a seam in the medial heel. If there was shoe which could be described having a ‘seamless’ fit, the 3.0 Flyknit could certainly be called one. The interior is truly without layering, minus the lining and other components typical of traditional shoe making. But the Flyknit isn’t traditional, a single piece stretchy upper tugging at both sides of the midsole, making them point skywards. The upper volume in its un-stretched state is smaller than the foot it has to cover, so when you put them on, its snaps tight on all sides without slack. There’s Flywire loop lacing in the mid foot, but as the cords travel through ‘tunnels’ and avoid direct contact with the skin, there’s no irritation or localized pressure. Staying true to the changes in other Flywire based models, the number of anchor points have been reduced. The 2014 Free 3.0 Flyknit has only three lace-loops with a more spread over layout, compared to four loops of the previous Flyknit.

Sizing is true to size here, and more so than the 5.0 version – with some updates. The 3.0 Flyknit forefoot is a little pointy in comparison. The older 5.0 toe was squared-off and flat in the front, while the 3.0 has more rounded midsole tip. This affects the room available ahead of the smaller toes; the 5.0 had some forward space in front of the second and third big toe. Flyknit upper featuring a much larger panel with ventilation pores on them. This sits right atop your foot, so side to side stretch pressure has a more gradual delivery. Still very snug, but you can tell the difference between both.

The Free Flyknit 3.0 is best worn without socks, as was the case with the 2013 Flyknit. No seams make the interior environment pleasing to the bare skin, and if you find the Flywire cords a bother, you can remove the lacing and still retain the Flyknit’s unique compression behavior. For non-speedwork runs, barefoot and no laces go together just fine.If you choose to wear a pair of socks, a half-upsize is in order. And if you want a relaxed fit (leaning towards the 4.0 Flyknit), then it’s half-up size in barefoot and one full size with socks.

A quick summary would be – the Nike Free 3.0 Flyknit has a new sole design and profile, the collar bands feel a little more relaxed because of an increase in its circumference, and the overall shoe is lighter by a couple of Choco chips. And yes, $20 dollar cheaper too, which means there’s some money left for lunch or a few gallons of gas, whatever brings you instant joy. And do these small changes lead to corresponding advancements in performance.