We put the new Nike Free Transform Flyknit training innovation to the test, to see how well the training shoe supports even the toughest movements
A training shoe sturdy yet flexible enough to support a range of different movements is hard to find. However, Nike’s latest innovation looks to be a game-changer in every sense of the word when it comes to meeting all of our workout needs.
Meet the new Nike Free Transform Flyknit : a next generation sports shoe whose impressive new-age technology claims to provide a step up from the competition when it comes to adapting to a variety of different workout moves within anyone’s training routine.
What makes them different?
With so many trainers to choose from nowadays, what specifically makes this pair stand out from the crowd? The secret is in its sole which is dotted with a pattern of hard-working tri-stars. Promising both style and substance, they cleverly expand and contract with your foot with every step to give the trainers a greater degree of flexibility and versatility as a result.
Combined with a midsole that expands multi-directionally, lightweight foam cushioning and flexible flywire cables on the forefoot and upper heel, it promises a fit like no other to suit a multitude of different movements to adapt with ease to your training type of choice.
Try out a pair Nike Free Transform Flyknits for 30 days here and put them to the test with Nike’s 30-day challenge
What happened when our Editor-in-Chief put them through their paces?
“I like to mix up my training, and some of my favourite sessions are those that incorporate many types of exercise to get my heart rate up, but also target many different muscle groups in my body. That way, I know I've had a good all-over session that's hit my cardiovascular system and got my muscles really working.
“Some of my favourite sessions like this are with Steve Mellor who runs Freedom2train.com at Claridges Hotel in London and whom I have trained with for four years now. In my sessions with Steve I never quite know what I will be doing: I do weights, I row, sometimes I run, I do lots of stretching, resistance work using my own bodyweight and more recently, I use different machines to help strengthen different body parts. I've found it hard to find a training shoe I can wear that I feel comfortable in and that supports the variety of movements I do - until now. The Nike Free Transform Flyknit is a revelation for these sessions. I do a lot of weighted squats with Steve as well as weighted dynamic lunges and there is a sturdiness to the bottom of this shoe that allows me to grip the floor really hard.
“The thick knitted fabric on the upper part of the shoe also really supports my foot across the top so I feel I can lunge any which way, always have a firm footing and never slip. I can also sprint with ease and if I'm doing a HIIT session, where I have to quickly change direction or go from a burpee, to a lunge, to a sprint at speed, then they allow me to be agile but strong. I feel if I have a firm footing in these sessions then this triggers the best chain of strength throughout my whole body - whatever exercise I'm doing I can really feel the benefit of Nike Free Transform Flyknit not just in my legs, but up into my core and upper body too.”
The GTG verdict
In our experience, a great fitting pair of trainers makes for the most important part of anyone’s fitness kit. Integral for injury prevention as well as providing essential support for getting the most out of your workouts, the initial investment guarantees maximum rewards in the long run. These trainers scored full marks on both fronts for us, providing noticeable extra flexibility and more adaptable movement when compared to other training shoes on the market to increase both performance and pace.
From a wider perspective though, they also ensured that we gained greater workout confidence from better, more dynamic sessions. Fitness motivation levels were increased all round as a result to provide an added incentive to get a training session in at the end of a long day this summer. No matter what the weather forecast predicts...
The new Nike Free Transform Flyknit trainers are £125 and are available to buy online here .
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Written in partnership with Nike.