Nike Air - Full of Hot Air? (Sport Shoes in general)

Member Name: BestMum

Product:	Sport Shoes in general
Date:	20/05/02 (2511 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Extremely comfortable, Different levels of protection available, Lots of different designs and prices

Disadvantages: Can be a little pricey, Cant be washed on a 90 degree cycle - see below!!!

Our Experience:

My hubby, bless him, I love him to bits but he is a little overweight! He could do with losing a stone or three, which I am sure he wont mind me saying!! Ive been pestering him for ages to start some kind of exercise program. Now he is very well known for spending lots of money on something, using it once, and then burying it in the garage in the vein hope that it might take itself back to the shop for a refund! This includes a set of weights, a £500 12mth gym membership that he used four times, tracksuits, £800 treadmill - the list is endless. Anyway, this aside he approached me recently with that look in his eye - no not THAT look! He wanted to try again. He wanted to be able to chase his little girl around the garden in the summer without needing an oxygen tank on standby. So I said okay, I would help.

We had the idea of buying a mountain bike as we both had fond memories of bike-riding during our childhood years, although he did manage to ride straight into a car when he was younger, which sent him flying over the handlebars onto the ground, whilst knocking out his two front pearly gnashers, which he has since had replaced I might add!! The bike arrived in all its shining glory but before he could ride it, of course he had to have the correct equipment. And I am not talking about a helmet and kneepads, oh-no. I am talking about t-shirts, tracksuits, sports socks, bobble hat, and of course trainers.

We went shopping and determined not to spend a fortune on something he would only wear for a fortnight, I managed to get him into a discount store. He saw the trainers of his dreams immediately..Nike Air. He has always wanted a pair of Nike trainers so he could try in vain to recapture his youth, and have the kudos of owning a trendy pair of trainers. You know what these middle-aged men are like - at least it wasnt a sports car!!

The trainers were quite attractive; cream with an orange logo, complete
ly inconspicuous! We both tried them on and they were wonderfully comfortable, in fact the most comfortable trainers I have ever tried on. They were fairly basic as far as trainers go but would do the job and they were quite reasonable at £50 per pair.

We both bought a pair and eagerly returned home to work out our new training regime. After ten minutes on the bike he tells me his trainers were fantastic and his best ever purchase. He suffers from sore feet and couldnt believe he hadnt found them sooner.

The next week my mum asked him to help her move some fencing in the garden. The only trouble was that the ground was very muddy. Undeterred he began to help but quickly regretted it as he nice new cream Nike Air Trainers became a horrible greeny-brown colour.

When we got home I left him downstairs to clean them as I put the baby to sleep and had a bath. When I came back down I noticed to my horror that he had put them in the washing machine - thats okay, I thought to myself. As long as he has put them on a very low temperature wash. I took a closer look and found that he had actually put them on a 1hr, 90-degree cycle and when I took them out, the dye had run into the main body of the trainer and they were three sizes too small for him!

Its safe to say that I dont recommend anybody putting them into the washing machine and certainly not on a 90-degree wash!! And thus the trainers life came to a very sudden end and were consequently buried in the garden.

****GENERAL INFO****

People tend to judge Nike as being an expensive brand of trainer. Certainly if their advertisements are anything to go by, they need all the money they can get to pay for the footballing talent they display on our screens. One of the reasons Nike shoes are so expensive is the fact that it can take up to three years for a shoe to go from the design stage to the finished product. If you shop around, you can get the older des
igns for a better price. For current designs there tends to be a set retail price.

Nike Air use pressurised gas inside a specially designed bag to cushion the force of impact on the body and then return to its normal shape, thus creating maximum comfort. This bag is located in the midsole, at different locations depending on shoe design. You should always check before purchase if you are a more serious sportsperson to make sure you receive the correct protection. There are various types of Nike Air Cushioning Systems:

-Maximum volume Units - large cushioning area for high impact activities
-Large volume Units - for users who are lighter in weight but still require good protection
-Low pressure Units - for walking and low-impact activities

Prices range from approx £35.00 to £140+.

****SUMMARY****

I would definitely recommend Nike Air whether you are a sportsperson, if you suffer from sore feet, or if you just enjoy a comfy shoe. They are available in all shapes and sizes, and with a price range to suit most. They are very comfortable and provide excellent protection whether you are doing low or high impact training. They can be purchased from any high street sports shops as well as online.

As for our experience, well the trainers I have had to throw in the bin, and as for the bike - oh its buried in the garage somewhere, collecting dust, waiting for the day when it will see sunlight again...

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