11 Apr Nike Kicks Off Multi-Year Innovation Cycle
Harnessing its proprietary Air technology, Nike debuts the Nike Pegasus Premium – taking the cushioning that runners love from the iconic Pegasus franchise and adding Nike’s first sculpted, visible Air Zoom unit. The new, sculpted Air Zoom unit is the brand’s biggest Air innovation since the launch of the Nike Air VaporMax. (Photo: Business Wire)
PARIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, NIKE, Inc. (NYSE: NKE) extended its position as the undisputed leader of footwear and apparel innovation by debuting a new line-up of products that signaled a multi-year innovation cycle. Brought to life by the full power of digital capabilities and cutting-edge technology, the company is delivering better, faster, more efficient solutions for athletes this summer and opening a world of creative possibilities — including Nike’s first sculpted, visible Air Zoom unit in the new Pegasus Premium running shoe.
The proprietary, sculpted Air unit connects the heel and forefoot and uniquely contours to the natural profile of the foot, delivering an entirely new springy, smooth sensation. Combined with ZoomX and ReactX foam, the new cushioning system creates more energy return for everyday runners.
In addition, Air, Nike’s most revolutionary, ubiquitous and versatile cushioning platform, powers the products Nike athletes will wear on the track, court and pitch this summer. Nike has optimized Air by leveraging computational design and incomparable athlete data from the Nike Sport Research Lab to create footwear that helps all athletes break barriers.
“For more than 50 years we’ve listened to and over-delivered for our athletes with the best of Nike innovation. We always push the boundaries of what’s possible and take risks to help create the future of sport together,” said John Hoke, Nike’s Chief Innovation Officer. “This summer, the difference maker is the massive energy return that Nike Air delivers to athletes. Taking what we learned from our super-shoe technology, we’re introducing new Nike Air Zoom shapes and sensations across all sports.”
The best of Nike’s Air innovation for this summer will debut in the Nike Blueprint Pack, spanning footwear for track and road racing, basketball, football, skate, breakdancing and lifestyle. The blue, white and orange colorway is a nod to Nike’s co-founder, Bill Bowerman, and his obsession with enabling the best-possible athlete performance.
Nike’s world-class athletes, including Dina Asher-Smith, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Eliud Kipchoge and Sha’Carri Richardson, revealed the brand’s 2024 federation kits, which are the most data-driven and visually unified Nike’s ever produced. Based on 4D motion-capture data, with pixel-level precision and specifically designed for each competition, the kits were inspired by the distinct identities and diverse communities of each country and sport.
Nike also revealed A.I.R. — Athlete Imagined Revolution. In this co-creation project between elite athletes and Nike designers, Nike used innovative design tools to create the future of Air. The radical concepts are a view into the future of athlete co-creation, as well as the unlimited possibilities of Nike Air.
“There are now no limits to what we can create with Nike Air,” said Hoke. “We’re obsessing new technologies like AI engines and rapid prototyping to continue exploring the unlimited possibilities. Now we can create Nike products with unprecedented fidelity, velocity and impact.”
“We’re thrilled to celebrate another summer of sport with our incredible athletes and the product innovations that will help propel them to achieve their dreams,” said Heidi O’Neill, President, Consumer, Product and Brand, NIKE, Inc. “What you’ll see this year on the pitch, court, road or track signals a new, exciting multi-year cycle of innovation for us. And this summer is just a hint of the game-changing innovations coming across our entire portfolio that will take us into new markets and market share opportunities.”
NIKE, Inc., based near Beaverton, Ore., is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Converse, a wholly owned NIKE, Inc. subsidiary brand, designs, markets and distributes athletic lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, NIKE, Inc.’s earnings releases and other financial information are available on the Internet at http://investors.nike.com. Individuals can also visit http://news.nike.com and follow @NIKE.