“We were looking to do it in an expressive way — let’s reduce everything else around it and let the Flywire come to life.”- Eric Avar
Nike Flywire gave the notion of “Flight” some extra might. The Nike Air Hyperdunk went over the head of its opponents by borrowing a concept from one of the modern world’s most impressive architectural feats — suspension bridges. By applying super-strong nylon filaments for precise support akin to the cables of a bridge, the Nike Air Hyperdunk was able to radically reduce weight by providing support material only where it’s needed. Once the Nike Flywire proved its mettle in testing and converted any skeptics, the team’s approach was to create a design that allowed most of the shoe to fall away into the background to make the Flywire in the midfoot the focal point. Another new Nike innovation, Nike Lunarlon, would also make its first appearance in a basketball shoe as a key performance element of a design that borrowed elements from a shoe that, at the time, was only the stuff of legend, the Nike Mag. The Nike Air Hyperdunk seized the global stage when some of the USA Basketball athletes took to the courts of Beijing looking to recapture glory. This was a seminal moment for both American hoops and the future of basketball footwear design.
Nike Zoom Kobe IV, 2008
“I sat down with Kobe and he was very clear — ’I want the lowest, lightest weight basketball shoe we can make.”- Eric Avar
Somewhere down the line, someone assumed that excess height and plenty of padding was the only way to protect players from themselves. That assumption became a certainty, until the myth was shattered. The Nike Zoom Kobe IV proved that a low-cut profile and superior support could work in unison — even for one of the most versatile players in basketball history. Kobe, a fan of the “beautiful game,” global football, noticed how athletes in a sport that stopped and started as abruptly as basketball weren’t asking for high top shoes. In fact, some of the world’s greatest goal scorers opt for the most minimal boots that can be designed.
Nike Flywire’s innate minimalism with an iconic outrigger, twinned with the reptilian Black Mamba upper and comic book villain inspiration, all added up to a look that stood alone. Bringing all this style in a performance low top further shaped the Nike Kobe series aesthetic moving forward, but more importantly the Nike Zoom Kobe IV changed a convention forever.
“It makes you think differently about everything you associate with breathability and durability.”- Leo Chang
What instigates a game-changing innovation? A visit to China by Innovation Kitchen Designer Shane Kohatsu sowed some creative seeds for a new way of looking at sport footwear altogether. Seeing games played on the unforgiving blacktop in China in mesh running shoes and even hiking boots inspired a quest to create a balance of supportive, breathable and anti-abrasion elements that would unlock design entirely. The Nike Zoom Hyperfuse’s layered, lightweight composite construction was a definitive solution. To showcase the purity of the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse’s construction was to showcase the innovation itself. It took to colors in a way that leather just couldn’t — stacking layers and translucent materials meant a richer look than ever before, and the end of the white or black with a team pop color formula entirely.
“It’s about simply communicating the features of the shoe — everything has a purpose.”- Leo Chang
The signature shoe needs to reflect the athlete’s personality as well as his or her needs. Kevin Durant’s KD line has to encapsulate his remarkable versatility as well as his humble nature — confident without cockiness — resulting in designs made for all-around play and a complete range of motion. Kevin’s main needs are simple, though. In an exchange with lead designer Leo Chang, Durant exclaimed, “I want it light and I want it tight to my foot. That’s the key thing. Light and tight!” As part of a silhouette that’s lower than before to give Kevin some extra freedom, versatile lockdown is embodied in the Nike Zoom KD IV’s key feature: the Adaptive Fit strap. Built on conversations, there’s personal stories told within the Nike Zoom KD IV too. The detailed outsole commemorates Kevin’s relationship with family, his first coach, Big Chucky, D.C. and his home city, Seat Pleasant, Md.
“We’re always trying to evolve platforms and technologies — can we make it more responsive, lighter, more natural motion? There is no finish line.”- Eric Avar
A lot can change in four years. As the biggest global stage for sports is set up again in a new location, it’s time for the Nike Hyperdunk to make another statement. The landmark innovations of 2008 — Nike Flywire and Nike Lunarlon — have evolved significantly for basketball use, perfecting the formula for breathable, responsive, durable, locked-down performance. Now, under the hood, a new technology emerges that will change the way Nike links physical sport to digital services — Nike+ Basketball. The Nike Hyperdunk+ 2012 was designed by a collection of Nike Basketball’s best designers — Eric Avar, Leo Chang and Tracy Teague, among others; a true team effort that resulted in the fully-loaded version of Nike’s top innovations and the ultimate team shoe. Advanced Flywire uses high-strength cables that are loose when at rest and dynamic when the foot is in motion, tensing to stabilize the foot on the footbed. Lunarlon foam cushioning takes over as the primary cushioning system. The result is a soft, yet responsive, foundation. The element that truly changes the game forever is a new Nike+ Pressure Sensor built into each shoe that collects information about the user’s movement and then wirelessly transmits data to his or her phone. This is basketball footwear that senses the wearer — it literally comes alive. Most importantly, it inspires a baller to do more. Just Do it has leapt off the magazine pages and computer screens and into shoes. Now that’s progress.
