Nike’s development guidelines for the future are crystal clear: extreme speed, innovation, and concern for the environment.
For a few years now, Nike has been pushing hard on the most extreme innovation, and it has succeeded: the recent world records broken and the success of the latest Vaporfly-derived models are now a debated topic known to an audience beyond even the most technical and passionate.
Not even the recent pronouncement of the World Athletics on the eligibility of certain race shoe technologies (describing without mentioning it the very AlphaFly prototype with which Kipchoge set the world record over the marathon distance in October 2019 in Vienna) prevented Nike from introducing a new line of marathon and track shoes that perfectly reflects its new and aggressive evolutionary philosophy. More speed, more lightness, more cutting-edge technology.
Most importantly, it managed to do so in time to meet the four-month market availability of competition models mandated by World Athletcics. In short, Nike has done the math very well and unveiled three new road and two track models that use in various formulations all of the Portland-based company’s most advanced technologies.
But let’s look at them in detail, explaining which technologies we are talking about.
Carbon fiber
Referred to by many as the main culprit (for good) for the world records broken by the VaporFly and then the AlphaFly prototype, the carbon fiber plate inserted into the midsole is the technology capable of maximizing the return of the energy discharged by the runner to the road. It works a bit like a reverse-mounted catapult: on landing it charges and on take-off it discharges energy, turning it into propulsion.
Zoom Air Pod
In this case, it is a well-established Nike technology used in its “Air” models: these are air-filled pads that, as they compress, provide additional propulsion.
Nike ZoomX
It is the midsole compound in which the carbon fiber plate is sunk (in models that include it): it provides maximum cushioning and is, above all, extremely light.
Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT%
It is the highest performance model, designed specifically for the marathon and directly derived from Kipchoge’s AlphaFly prototype. The carbon fiber plate is present along the entire length, and the ZoomX midsole tapers into the midfoot to make room for the two paired Air Pod units. To comply with constraints imposed by World Athletics, there are no overlapping plates, which-rumor has it-were instead mounted on the prototype used by Kipchoge in Vienna. The rules are met, especially that of market availability for the period of at least 4 months prior to international competitions (read: Japan 2020 Olympics).
The upper has also been updated with a new, lighter and more breathable material called Atomknit, which is a new version of the now historic Flyknit.
Air Zoom Tempo NEXT%
The Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% are considered by Nike to be a training model, more suitable for daily and prolonged use (and therefore, it is assumed, also with a more durable tread than the Alpha NEXT%, which is intended primarily for competition). The midsole is still ZoomX, and the Air Pod units are mounted slightly further back than on the top model. There is no carbon fiber plate, replaced by a composite one with the same function but less extreme energy return than the top model, to make them more usable for the average runner. The price will presumably be more contented than the AlphaFly, and availability is planned for summer 2020.
Air Zoom Time NEXT% FlyEase
It is a model that is technologically very similar to Tempo NEXT% (in fact, the name is the same) except for the name “FlyEase” and the lacing, which abandons traditional laces to use a faster lacing system. The shape of the collar also changes to allow faster insertion of the foot. Same market availability (summer 2020).
Air Zoom Victory
With the Air Zoom Victory Nike takes to the track and does so with a model intended for distances ranging from 800 to 10000 meters. Track models, you know, are extreme in everything: weight, construction and performance.
The technologies are the same as in AphaFly, although used in different quantities. In fact, in the case of the Air Zoom Victory, the ZoomX midsole compound is used predominantly in the forefoot (which is the part of the foot used by the track athlete) and separates the carbon fiber plate from the studding through the Air Zoom unit as well, making the shoe more comfortable yet super responsive.
Air Zoom Viperfly
What are viperflies? Already the name suggests a certain, how to say, “aggressiveness.” It is actually the most extreme model, designed for the 100 meters. The construction of the shoe is a kind of manual: everything is exposed and visible. From the clearly evident Air Zoom unit to the carbon fiber plate that, in this case, has another story to tell: it is not in fact a plate with homogeneous behavior but instead has different compositions depending on the support, thanks to Custom Fiber Placement (CFP) technology. The Air Zoom unit comes into action in the last 20 meters and gives an additional, welcome boost to the athlete. There is also a bit of ZoomX compound in the heel to make it easier to walk post-race.
For both track racing models, availability is from summer 2020.
Concern for the environment
Nike also unveiled uniforms for Team USA at the Olympics, of which it is an official sponsor. In addition to the very distinctive and beautiful colors and graphics (the skate uniforms are remarkable), great attention is given to the use of entirely recycled materials, such as the polyester in the athletes’ ceremonial uniforms.
Innovation, speed but never forgetting an increasingly important and dramatic issue such as reducing the consumption of plastic materials and respecting nature.
