Freet Connect 2
£75.00 £67.00
Second generation of our Performance multi activity sports shoe with OrthoLite® removable insole for mixed terrain and longer distances.
- Description
- Sizing & Fitting
- Care
- Reviews (5)
- Additional information
Description
- BreatheMesh upper for durable, ultra-breathable peformance. With a little less stretch for a more precise experience
- Minimal TPU seamless film overlay to protect the upper
- ConnectComfort OrthoLite® removable 3mm insole aids shock absorption whilst ensuring excellent ground connectivity. Available to buy for additional shock absorption is our 6mm OrthoLite® insole and/or RockPlate for further protection against sharp rocks
- Freet 5in1 asymmetric forefoot for natural foot shape allowing toes to spread naturally
- Elasticated lace in shoe with Conventional black/red fleck lace in the box as spare/alternative lacing
- GripPus performance outsole ideal for light trail or mixed trail/urban use. If worn purely on tarmac/concrete, this outsole will wear more quickly than our MultiGrip, but provides more grip on the trail than MultiGrip
- Black with Red
- Worn with or without socks
- For wetter, colder conditions wear with our waterproof sock (sold separately)
- Vegan
- Stack height: 7mm with insole; 4mm without insole
Temperate Series (3 Season)
These products feature FreetMesh (BreatheMesh or SilkMesh) and are suitable for everyday & warmer conditions
Sizes 36-49. You are likely to need to go to the next larger size.
Weight 420 grams pair size 42
Devis from Freet Italia goes running in Matera, southern Italy:
You will need to go one size larger than your ‘normal’ EU shoe size. If you prefer a ‘roomy’ fit, then go two sizes larger.
The length and width of the insole of this shoe is as below. Remember the shoe has good volume in the forefoot so the actual comfortable width of this shoe will be a few mm greater than this ‘flat’ measurement. Fit is personal, but most people will prefer to have at least 4 or 5mm spare room in front of your largest toe(s). USA sizing is below the European:
Europe/Rest of World Sizing (metric mms):
Size 36/222mm length, 89mm width, Size 37/228mm length, 91mm width, Size 38/234mm length, 93mm width, Size 39/243mm length, 95mm width, Size 40/247mm length, 97mm width, Size 41/253mm length, 99mm width, Size 42/260mm length, 100mm width, Size 43/266mm length, 101mm width, Size 44/272mm length, 102mm width, Size 45/276mm length, 103mm width, Size 46/284mm length, 105mm width, Size 47/290mm length, 107mm width, Size 48/296mm length, 109mm width, Size 49/305mm length, 111mm
Length and width measurements taken as follows:
USA Sizing (Inches):
Size 36 (USA w5.5)/8 1/2 inch length, 3 1/2 inches width, Size 37 (USA w6.5)/9 inch length, 3 5/8 inches width, Size 38 (USA w6.5)/9 1/4 inch length, 3 5/8 inches width, Size 39(USA w7)/9 1/2 inch length, 3 3/4 inch width, Size 40 (USA w8)/9 3/4 inch length, 96mm 3 3/4 inch width, Size 41 (USA w8.5)/10 inch length, 3 7/8 inch width, Size 42 (USA w9.5)/10 1/4 inch length, 3 7/8 inch width, Size 43 (USA mUSA 8.5)/10 3/8 inch length, 3 7/7 inch width, Size 44 (USA m9.5)/10 5/8 inch length, 4 inch width, Size 45 (USA m10.5)/10 7/8 length, 4 inch width, Size 46 (USA m11.5)/11 1/8 inch length, 4 1/8 inch width, Size 47 (USA m12)/11 1/2 inch length, 4 1/8 inch width, Size 48 (USA m13)/11 7/8 inch length, 4 1/4 inch width, Size 49 (USA m14)/12 1/8 inch length, 4 1/2 inch width
Length and width measurements taken as follows:
Hand wash with luke warm water and mild detergent. Air dry.
Reviews
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Additional information
| Size | 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 |
|---|
Charles –
My post reviewing the Vivobarefoot Primus SGs some years ago attracted a lot of hits and seems to have been widely read. I still love these shoes, I’m about to buy another pair. There’s nothing like them for grip on mud & technical ground if you want barefoot shoes.
My favourite running shoes though, are Freet Connect 2. I’ve done several ultras in these, and they are unbelievably comfortable. Admittedly they were a bad choice for the steep wet grass of the Brecon 50, but for the Bullock Smithy, Round Rotherham and several others they were fantastic.
They have better grip than you might expect looking at the soles. Certainly infinitely better than Merrell Trail Gloves. I think because the soles are much more flexible the soles conform more closely to the terrain. The RRR was fairly muddy, and I didn’t slip so much as once.
The sizing is maybe a tiny bit on the small side – a 48 is comfortable on me, and I normally take a 47.
How hard wearing are they? Don’t know yet, I’ve only done a few hundred miles in them. But after a few hundred miles there’s visible wear under the ball of the foot but the rest of the sole and the uppers are undamaged. My previous connects (the old version) are about ready for the bin, almost, and I’ve had those at least 2 years (and run in them exclusively easter to october). I’d guess they’ve done well over a thousand miles. They’re pretty knackered.
It’s getting to the muddy, slippery time of year when they have to go on the shelf except for parkrun/flat speed training, and the Vivos are my primaries. If I didn’t always run on such technical ground I’d use the Connect 2s over the winter as well. If you run trail rather than fell, and want barefoot shoes that will give adequate grip and maximum comfort I’d absolutely go for these.
Mungy (verified owner) –
Loses 1 star for the lace locking system.
They fit great, feel great, I like the look, grip great etc…but the elastic laces don’t work for me. I think they come with old school laces, if not buy some. They are a great pair of shoes, freet just need to include a cam lock, not the spring system it comes with.
admin –
Thanks for the feedback! We do put the ‘traditional’ lace in the box. The elastic lace should hold ok, but is designed for those who want a more relaxed tension and for those who like to just slip on and off. Noted about the cam lock though, and will investigate.
Charles –
The Connect 2s have just enough structure to be comfortable without being restrictive. I ran an ultra in connects and they were a little too loose. But at the end of 58 miles on saturday, including a lot of road and gravelled bridleway my feet were just a little sore from repeated impact. No blisters, no hot spots, no turned ankles. I’ll definitely be wearing them for the Round Rotherham 50 in October. If they stand up to the mileage my last pair of Connects did I’ll be well happy.
Nicole Shaer –
1) I bought a pair of Freet Connect for my partner, Adrian as they looked so comfortable on a friend in Orkney. Adrian was an enthusiastic runner and climber before a traumatic brain injury in 2016 left him with hemiplegia: left-sided weakness and neglect.
What an incredible suprise it was to discover that the increased stimulation of his left sole, felt through the barefoot shoe, counters the reduced bodily awareness of his condition! In the Freet Connects, Adrian walks more evenly, with better ankle control, to the extent that in Freets he can go without the long-term ankle brace required when wearing standard / cushioned shoes.
Though just a study of one, Adrian’s case suggests potential, clinically significant benefit of barefoot shoes for people who have reduced awareness or sensation in the feet. I wonder what we might all gain by reawakening our bodies to the ground that holds us?
Dr Nicole Shaer, GP, 44, Orkney/ Cape Town:
2) Following a brain injury to my right side, I have a left hemiplegia with accompanying spasticity in my left limbs and a spastic reaction rotates my left foot outwards while walking. The correcting action for this involuntary roll is to press my left big toe down stepping while lifting the little one. I normally wear a foot brace to keep my foot and ankle in a neutral position.
The increased proprioception of my foot and toe position while wearing the
Freet barefoot shoes has allowed me to become more aware of my big toe while walking, thus able to feel it’s correct position on the ground while stepping (as not possible in ordinary cushioned soled trainers) and I do not need the support of the brace when wearing them.
Adrian Kohler, 43, Cape Town
brentander69 (verified owner) –
Just recently bought the Connect 2 and since I already have the Connect it’s time for a little comparison (you can read my review for the Connect before this one if you want). Besides just one color variant there is now welded overlays on the upper. This does give the shoe a tad bit of rigidity which I like. They also have the tieless shoelaces that come on by default with the optional rope laces as with the Connects. I haven’t decided yet it I will cut them off and go with the ropes or not.
OK so the most obvious change is with the insole. It’s now removable and made from Ortholite (you can look it up if you want) and it does have a pretty equivalent dampening vs Poron with the Connects. This also means you can use their new rock plate with it (I also did a review for that). I also believe if the Connects just fit you then go up a size with the 2nd gen as there seems to be a less volume.
With that said the ground connectivity is just a tad less vs the Connects but still very good. Also with the new insole your feet will slide some if you use socks. Since I won’t be using socks very often this is good. Even worse if you use their rock plate and socks then your feet are really going to slide around. In the end for me I give the Connect 2 just a .25 bump in rating over the Connect @4.25 out of 5. The difference was the added welded overlay.