The Nike GO FlyEase

Have you ever felt like putting trainers on are a chore? Or just difficult due to lack of mobility? Velcro was one of the movers in helping when laces were troublesome, but you still needed to undo and do up the straps and put on/ pull off the shoes.

Nike has been working on multiple iterations and created a true hands-free shoe. The GO FlyEase has a bi-stable hinge that enables the shoe to be secure in fully open and fully closed states. FlyEase is driven by a design ethos that champions the value of a suite of systems that work toward a common goal: making shoes easier for everyone.

The tensioner’s unique flexibility completely reimagines kicking off the shoes as basis for accessible and empowering design. By extending the rear heel into a pivoting motion, people can easily slip in and out of trainers.

The trainers are available to a select Nike Members via invite and will be widely released later this year.

Advertisement

Nike x Comme des Garcons Air Force 1 Mid

Embracing the idea that it is not possible to make something completely new. That was Rei Kawakubo’s mantra when working on a Nike x Comme des Garcons collaboration. Initially revealed at Paris fashion week, this has been a highly anticipated shoe.

Looking through the back catalogue of Comme des Garcons and taking a beloved Nike Classic to create a shoe that is still truly AF1 sprinkled with Comme des Garcons greatness.

The two customized styles feature paneled cut-outs with raw edges on the shoe’s leather exterior and Comme des Garcons embossed on its proprioceptors belt. The textured effect is a new application for the AF1.

Offered in both black and white and on sale in select Comme des Garcons retailers, but if you can’t wait, StockX is always the place to go.

Adidas STRUNG – The future of trainers?

Adidas has been pushing innovation over and over with its shoes, 4D lattice technology for the midsole was phenomenal – 3D printing brought mainstream. Now the Adidas Future team has worked on how robotics and athlete data can influence trainers.

They created a software known as STRUNG to create uppers using that data. It selects each individual thread and  and data-mapped for a seamless, lightweight fit. This goes away from traditional methods of knitting where threads can typically only be set horizontally or vertically. With this technology the engineers can determine where every thread needs to set in any given direction, creating the lightest and strongest textile design.

The first product using this technology is FUTURECRAFT.STRUNG which combines the upper technology with the 4D lattice midsole to be the industry’s first ever fully athlete data-coded shoe used for runners that run short distances at 5m/s or faster. Every millimetre of the shoe precisely tuned or “coded” to support movement and performance during these fast runs.

This shoe is an example of what Adidas can do with the technology and is still working toward a shoe that can be released to the masses for later in 2021 or early 2022. It will be interesting what other sneaker makers come up with to compete.

Nike ISPA Drifter Gator promises to keep your feet dry

Nike ISPA, an arm of Nike that has a very specific philosophy – Improvise. Scavenge. Protect. Adapt. Basically pushing the boundaries of their designers to answer questions and the Nike ISPA Drifter Gator does just that.

The Drifter Gator is a shoe that is prepared for any shift in the weather, with an integrated gator that can be deployed and used when needed. It wraps around the leg, forming a waterproof membrane that will keep legs dry during cycling or walking in bad weather. Once you are back inside, roll it up and carry on with your day.

The sole, as on the original Drifter, is built with a lightweight, supple foam compound that includes regrind Nike ZoomX foam — a key component of Nike’s fast marathon shoes. The shoe’s upper shifts from a split toe design to a hearty full toe form to provide stability and prevent abrasion.

The Drifter Gator is due for release on October 8th at £189.95, here in the UK.

get notified