There's no shortage of people booing at the big corporation, saying they're 'rubbish' 'bad for your feet' blar blar... but ...is this just a anti-Nike thing? ...or is there any truth behind my friends of friends stories?

Surely top athletes wouldn't just sign with them for the money? Or am i being nieve?

Please....has any body anything good to say about Nike? (And If so, which ones?)

Cheers

R

Yeah, I'd be interested to know people's thoughts on this...i'm a student doing a dissertation on Nike and the loss of its reputation as an authentic and technical sports brand in favour of its fashion status...

What do you guys reckon? Would you choose Nike trainers above, say, Asics or Mizuno?

Personally, I can understand why the onus they have put on fashion in recent years might have diluted their credibility in the athletcis world...but are their trainers actually any GOOD for runners?

I quite like Nike trainers, my personal choice are Perseus/Perseus 2.

However, I did have a problem with one pair. I had been wearing the original perseus trainers, and then got myself a new pair of perseus 2. I did a half marathon in my new trainers, and ignored what I thought was a small stone in one of the shoes, after the first mile. After 4 miles it was apparent that I had a blister, and by the end of the race my shoe was filled with blood, and had also rubbed the back of my heel making that bleed too.

The next pair I got have been totally fine though, as have all the other pairs I have owned, so I have no idea what could have caused the blister I experienced with the first pair of perseus 2's, and there have been no permanent problems as a result.

Not for me..they get a big X not a tick!

I use nike structure triax 9's and they are great shoes. If nike are really no good, would the likes of Paula Radcliffe and co. have any dealings with them.
I know money plays a big part in everything, but top runners wouldn't use bad shoes.
Would they ????
.

Nike are currently number 2 on the running footwear table for the UK. They make some very good technical running shoes and they also make a lot of fashion trainers. As long as runners keep to the specialist range (Bowerman Series - introduced in 2000), they shouldn't go too far wrong.
There is always issues with the big corporate brands, partly because they are so successful. Doesn't mean they don't make good shoes though.

I used Nike Pegasus for quite a while and got on with them really well. I switched because all the shoe shops told me I shouldn't be wearing them. Who knows if that's right or not? I used them for two marathons fine - the only downside was that, at most, I only ever got 300 miles out of them as opposed to the 450-500 from other pairs of shoes.

Nike let there customers down because they change there shoes massively from year to year! They recently made a big change to the Nike Pegasus, a shoe which was traditionally broad in the forefoot and you could put an orthotic in. It's now completely changed shape, much narrower and as a result fewer people are returning to by the shoe.
Many specialist retailers don't stock Nike shoes because they feel they're not technical enough, using an air cushioning system is not ideal! Podiatrists and physios recommend a gel cushioning system in your shoe as well as the usual EVA based midsole. So Nike just doesn't stand up to it's competitors Brooks, Asics, Saucony, New Balance. Brooks and Asics are the most technologically advanced, Asics is Japanese which says it all and Brooks is American and only makes running shoes/apparel so spends a lots of money on research just in running. Some of the Nike shoes are good for people with very wide feet but beware as they change all the time! So you're probably better off with a shoe that you know will still be available next year!

I was a Nike fan when I started running and wore lots of their shoes.
They did start with the Bowerman range to try to maintain consistency.
There are lots of elite runners in Nike so theycan't be all bad!
Paula does NOT have wide feet!

Paula mostly runs in racing flat and racer trainers which have a much closer fit and are more curved to make you run faster. In general the training shoes are broader, especially around the ankle. This is useful for people with wider ankles or overweight/obese people wanting a trainer.