by Larry Eder
Allyson Felix wearing Nike Vapor Track & Field kit with AeroSwift Technology
Mo Farah wearing Nike Vapor Track & Field Kit with AeroSwift Technology
There are many stories of Nike competitiveness in the Berm. One story, passed on from generation to generation is about the late Bill Bowerman, who, until his last years, would meet with some of the running shoe developers.
Bill Bowerman did not suffer fools. He also did not suffer poor product. There were more than a few designers and developers who felt the focus of Mr. Bowerman’s unhappiness over their product. There are stories of shoes being thrown across tables, and yes, tears shed.
Those stories are badges of pride among the first generations at Nike. Like the Vikings telling stories around warm fires at night, stories at Nike are discussed over coffees, hot teas and via various modern methods of communication.
Part of the DNA at the the former Blue Ribbon Sports is that one does not follow in technology, one leads. Form and function are not just important, they are demanded.
Hence, the Nike Vapor Track & Field Kit with AeroSwitf Technonology. As Nike has become part of the global sports world, they have made it part of their goal to create products that amaze the athletes and fans.
We present to you, the new Nike kit for their track & field federations, the Nike Vapor Track & Field Kit, with that combination of form and function that would make even the late Bill Bowerman smile.
All photos in this article courtesy of Nike communications
Nike’s new, faster Nike Vapor track and field kits featuring Nike AeroSwift technology are designed to enhance overall human potential for speed and at the same time address the specificities of each athlete and event.
Made from innovative, lightweight Nike AeroSwift technology featuring recycled polyester, the kits reduce and simplify construction in an effort to minimize weight. This performance hybrid is made possible by an advanced manufacturing process that pairs a four-way stretch knit with breathable, engineered mesh that also integrates Nike AeroBlades.
Allyson Felix in Nike Vapor Track & Field Kit with AeroSwift Technology
Engineered into the apparel in strategic areas — identified via hundreds of hours of wind tunnel testing — Nike AeroBlades disrupt and improve the air around the athlete, resulting in the greatest drag reduction of any Nike track & field kit to date. And unlike past aerodynamic technology, which was specifically designed for sprints, Nike AeroBlades assist all runners. “In past years, we had focused on sprinters,” Ken Black, Nike Creative Director, explains, “but this year we wanted to create an innovation that went across all running disciplines — from sprint to mid-distance to marathon, to name just a few.”
Mo Farah with Nike Vapor Track & Field Kit featuring AeroSwift Technology
The kit’s adaptability is also visible in its construction. Complementary products have been developed for distance, sprint and field events, which provide athletes with options specifically developed for distance, sprint and field events, meaning athletes can tailor the kit to their personal preferences, based upon performance needs and conditions.
Nike’s commitment to eliminating distraction extends to the development of a new NikeGRIP running sock, a two-sided solution that considers both the inside and outside of a sock to maximize grip at the weight-bearing areas of the foot: around the heel and along the bottom of the forefoot, which minimizes slippage in stride.
National Track & Field Federations, including the United States, Brasil, Germany and China, debut Nike Vapor kits with AeroSwift technology for 2016. Each kit’s respective aesthetic captures the energy of Rio and Brasil’s dramatic nature via the common theme of exploded, vivid color, which extends the respective country’s national palette with rich saturated hues and vibrant neons. Individual details reveal each country’s culture and history at the same time graphic lines highlight the body in motion.
Sustainable Innovation
Nike Vapor track and field kits with AeroSwift technology are made using recycled polyester, demonstrating Nike’s commitment to sustainable innovation: creating product engineered for superior athletic performance while reducing environmental impact. Since 2010, more than three million plastic bottles have been diverted from landfills and converted into recycled polyester for Nike performance products.
