What to do with clunky Nikes?

[Hello0610]

Hello people,

So, I'm in my early stages of transitioning to running in VFFs (and minimalist footwear). Unless something big goes wrong, I'm guessing i'll be doing most of my running in minimalist footwear in the future. I hope to get a pair of New Balance Minimii soon (or something of that sort).

Anyway, my last pair of Nike Lunarfly were great shoes, and are now starting to fall apart. So that's good timing as I move into minimalist running. However, before I began running in VFFs, i also bought a pair of Nike Lunar Glide 3s on sale, figuring i would need to run in them eventually. Now, I'm not sure what to do with the Lunar Glides.

I guess what I'm wondering is, has anyone had experience running in a shoe as minimalist as VFFs and a shoe with as much padding as Nike Lunar Glide 3s? Should I give it a try (since I have a pair of nice Nikes now sitting around, and i don't wanna waste a good pair of running shoes)? Or is it pointless, and will i find that it's uncomfortable? Thanks, BirthdayShoes world.

[acc]

Cycle it with your VFFs until you don't feel any pain wearing VFFs. Or sell them and buy a pair of NB Minimus or NB Minimus Zero?

As long as you take it slow with VFFs you'll be fine.

[Mr. Leigh]

If the Nikes are new and you have the original box, you could recoup your money by selling them on eBay.  I had a few pair that were new in the box, that I had never gotten around to wearing, and I sold them on eBay.  I also sold some gently used ones as well.  You could then use the money to buy the New Balances that you have your eye on, as acc mentioned.

[Jeepman]

You could always donate them to those in need. The Warrior Dash always has a shoe donation spot setup at their races. They clean the shoes and then give them to people that need them. Very cool IMO.

[qcassidy352]

Keep 'em. You never know when you might want/need a pair of cushioned shoes - like if you're comin back from injury. It's possible but far from certain that you'll never want to wear cushioned shoes again.

[The Yeti]

I used old Nike frees I had on a hike on the rockwall trail in kootenay park in BC last summer. I had screwed up my knee coming down crazy hills with a heavy pack on. I'd keep them for injury recovery, biking, or dirty jobs.

You never know when you'll need a shoe that you don't care if you ruin!

[DrBig74]

You could always donate them to those in need. The Warrior Dash always has a shoe donation spot setup at their races. They clean the shoes and then give them to people that need them. Very cool IMO.

I am with Jeepman.  Donate them if you can.  There are a lot of people in need out there.
Is there anyway to send them to a kid that actually makes them?  (Just joking!)

[Hello0610]

Thanks, guys, for the comments. Yeah, I like the idea of donating them. Really, I'm just trying to get them out of the garage so I don't have to worry about not using a pair of good shoes, so donation is a great options (I'm sure someone could use them a lot better than I can). Thanks

[Stefanie]

I'd keep your old shoes that aren't TOO uncomfortable for a little while.  You should always have at least one pair of non-minimalist shoes, just incase (HEAVEN FORBID) you were to have an injury that set you back and you needed to rest your foot in a coffin for a couple days/weeks/whatever.  I am saying this because it happened to me =(

However, I do hate Nike (I have the 2.0 frees and they cause plantar fasciitis at the end of the day).  So I'd go with donate if you have another alternative.

[JustinB]

I'd keep your old shoes that aren't TOO uncomfortable for a little while.  You should always have at least one pair of non-minimalist shoes, just incase (HEAVEN FORBID) you were to have an injury that set you back and you needed to rest your foot in a coffin for a couple days/weeks/whatever.  I am saying this because it happened to me =(

However, I do hate Nike (I have the 2.0 frees and they cause plantar fasciitis at the end of the day).  So I'd go with donate if you have another alternative.

I still have a couple pairs of old sneakers.  I use them for Batting Practice (the torque on the foot tears up a toe real fast) and also sometimes I just want the cushioning.  I play on 5 different teams so injuries/aches and pains happen, sometimes i just desire the extra cush.