Tag Archives: nike

Nike launched a bejeweled pair of Women’s Air Force 1 sneakers studded with 228 Swarovski crystals

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You might love them or hate them, but sure as hell won’t be able to ignore them.

Designed for a subset of people who feel like regular sneakers aren’t enough for their feet, Nike unveiled the Women’s Air Force 1 sneakers with custom retroreflective Swarovski crystals studded across the surface of the shoes. The functionality is twofold – aside from being a pair of sneakers so bizarrely unique that people will definitely ask you where you got them, the reflective crystals on the shoes actually make them easy to spot in low-light conditions. The retroreflective nature of the crystals allows them to reflect beams of light back to their source, making them visible to people driving vehicles while you’re jogging at dawn.

The leather sneaker comes layered with a 4-part shroud that houses as many as 228 individual retroreflective crystals. Contrary to popular belief, the bling isn’t just there to make a luxury fashion statement. Nike claims the choice of studding the sneakers with over 200 crystals was created out of inspiration taken from road reflectors. To that very end, the shoes are, quite literally, eye-catching. They come in all-white or all-black (the black ones are showcased here), and the studded crystals come to life the minute a light source shines on them.

The shoes are up for sale on the Nike website, although for a hefty sum of $450 a pair. I honestly doubted whether there would even be enough demand for these odd-looking sneakers (coupled with that price point), but as of writing this piece, most of their sizes are sold out as Nike is desperately trying to restock units on their website. If you do like the shoes but are somehow aversed to the idea of constantly having to walk around with crystals around your feet, the shoes ship with a special screwdriver that lets you take the shrouds off too, turning them into a classic pair of Air Force 1s.

Designer: Nike

The post Nike launched a bejeweled pair of Women’s Air Force 1 sneakers studded with 228 Swarovski crystals first appeared on Yanko Design.

Nike x Swarovski Air Force Ones: Just Don’t Do It

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Because questionable product collaborations come in all shapes and sizes, Nike and Swarovski have teamed up to produce these $450 crystal-accented Air Force Ones. Available in all black and all-white colorways, the sneakers are covered with Swarovski studded webbed panels, which are removable with an included Nike branded flathead screwdriver. Me? I just want the screwdriver.

At first glance, I really thought they were Christmas lights and not crystals, which made a lot more sense to me. Make them light up red and green and add some candy cane striped laces and you’ve got the perfect pair of sneakers to compliment an ugly Christmas sweater this holiday season.

Like my favorite substitute teacher in high school, Mrs. Gitland used to say, “Different strokes for different folks.” And maybe gaudy Swarovski studded Nikes are your stroke. I’m not here to judge you for your idea of design, I’m just here to wonder what your living room must look like.

[via Highsnobiety]

This Nike playground is constructed with 20,000 upcycled sneakers!

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Nike is one of my favorite brands for several reasons – they always make the user the hero in all that they do, capture emotion effortlessly, and inspire millions with simple words apart from making really good products! This September, they unveiled a basketball court that was made with 20,000 upcycled sneakers that were donated by the local community which showed their commitment to a zero-carbon and zero-waste future. Nike is truly a trendsetter when it comes to brands giving corporate responsibility the same weight they give to their design and community!

The brand has moved towards sustainability and corporate responsibility one project at a time which sets an example for other large companies to protect the environment. Nike’s community playground and basketball area are located in New Belgrade, Serbia. This latest move showcases the company’s mission to encourage physical activity, foster community, and develop infrastructure in less sustainable ways. London-based creative agency Accept & Proceed designed MTZ Blok 70 – the basketball court – has previously worked with Nike’s “Move to Zero” initiative too.

Accept & Proceed is a certified B Corporation studio, they designed the renewal of Block 70 carefully because it is a historical area that saw the rise of several basketball pros. Community pride in this connection is seen in the “BLOK 70,” printed in original typeface, on the surface of the courtyard. They came up with the plans for the court design, children’s playground, bleacher benches, chain link fence, outdoor gym, collection bins, in-store campaign presence, and restoration of existing elements.

“With Nike Belgrade, we evolved the visual language we had developed for Nike’s ‘Move to Zero’ identity by incorporating bespoke Serbian lettering in the court markings to celebrate New Belgrade’s local community,” said Nigel Cottier, Accept & Proceed’s principal designer. “We had an interesting exercise that challenged our thinking of spaces for sport: what if we break down the essential ingredients of a basketball court and reimagine the traditional court layout? How can we create a fun and unexpected space, whilst retaining legibility and playability? It was fascinating to come up with the different elements of lettering that can inform another function, like a free throw or half-court line, and even more exciting to think that the design will not only inform the players’ movements but influence the community spirit and energy of Block 70.”

With a focus on community and activity, the park reflects the need to be environmentally conscious through the use of 20,000 recycled sneakers in the mix. In fact, the community was involved in the program all along with collection spaces for citizens to drop used shoes. At the drop sites, the community could see the steps involved in transforming the shoes into a material that could be used for the surface of the resulting basketball court and playground.

“It’s no understatement that helping the world’s best sports brand with its sustainability initiative makes me feel immensely proud of the work we’re doing at Accept & Proceed,” said Matthew Jones, Accept & Proceed’s creative director. “Our visual identity for Nike’s ‘Move to Zero’ brand came to life within our court and playground design in New Belgrade and I feel incredibly inspired to know that design, community and responsibility towards our planet were all integral elements in this project. Moreover, to witness and be part of the meaningful connections between Nike and local communities shows a new way forward, especially for the role of designers — a sowing of the seeds for an active future and better tomorrow.”

Designer: Accept & Proceed

This Nike-inspired fidget tool + massager is a stress-relief EDC for pro footballers

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Football players are shaped to be performance-oriented, however not much is spoken about the toll taken on their mental health; a designer believes a fidget-like device with a massage feature may do the trick.

Fear and anxiety hound us everywhere. Whether on the field, in the classroom, or at a party with friends; you name a situation and you’ll find anxiety is shadowing you. For sportsmen, anxiety is a part of the game, with each player having their own little ritual to help them focus – we have heard about players considering throwing up good luck to even the lucky jersey, personal battles to mitigate stress are fought by everyone.

According to data shared by Professional Footballers’ Association, a huge number of players are now seeking help for mental health issues ranging from performance, competition, to acceptance. Since there is no existing product that addresses the issues governing mental health directly, Breathe, is a device designed specifically to help footballers prevent anxiety.

The handy gadget designed by Varun Anand is a fidget EDC/tool that uses buttons. The oval plastic body features soft foam material on the underside which mimics the shiatsu massage technique. The entire device works as a solution to help the user stay calm and relaxed pre and post-game, improving the player’s overall performance.

Inspired by Nike’s design language and branding, the Breathe also calms the user by delivering positive messages and storing peppermint gums within its cavity. The anxiety kit uses stimuli such as texture, feel, touch and feedback to reduce anxiety and stress, allowing players to focus. Breathe fits ergonomically in the hand and is attached to an anti-slip strap, so a footballer can use it during practice and is easier to store when not in use!

Designer: Varun Anand

The Nike AirBuddy drone gives you an airborne AI-powered trainer that tracks your workout

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Nike AirBuddy Drone

Designed as a response to several restrictions imposed during the lockdown, the NIKE AIRBUDDY is a conceptual drone that ‘spots’ you while you exercise. It can be carried around via a shoulder-strap located on the base of the drone, and can be deployed anywhere. Once in the air, the drone connects with your Nike Fitness App and tracks your performance, giving you a comprehensive breakdown of your routine at the end.

Nike AirBuddy Drone

The drone embodies a clean, sophisticated design language, with 4 rotors branching out of a capsule-shaped body. The drone’s body is outfitted with a single camera that acts as a watchful eye, observing every movement you make like a trainer would. This would hint at the fact that the drone doesn’t come with any obstacle avoidance, so it’s best used in open fields (as opposed to densely forested parks or the woods). The AirBuddy does come with a light-strip located right in front of its camera, which means for the most part it can see what’s in front of it, avoiding obstacles as it flies forwards. Just in case the drone suffers wear and tear, the AirBuddy’s modular design solves this problem as the propellers are detachable and can be easily replaced with newer parts if they ever do get damaged.

Nike AirBuddy Drone

The AirBuddy is a conceptual drone designed by South Korea-based designer Cheolhee Lee. It features a customizable design that allows users to choose their own color-ways to match their workout-garments and gear, and although conceptual, sounds like quite a flex from a company that has always been at the forefront of innovation, having also worked on laceless shoes in the past, which were recently upgraded with the world’s first-ever hands-free shoes!

Designer: Cheolhee Lee

Nike AirBuddy Drone

Nike AirBuddy Drone

Nike AirBuddy Drone

Nike AirBuddy Drone

Nike AirBuddy Drone

Nike AirBuddy Drone

Nike AirBuddy Drone

Nike AirBuddy Drone

Nike x Sony Playstation 5 PG5 Sneakers: Play Has No Limits

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Because who plays video games without sneakers to match their console, Sony has teamed up with Nike and basketball player/lifelong Playstation fan Paul George to create a Playstation 5 inspired colorway for George’s PG5 basketball shoes. I can already sense my skills improving at NBA 2K21.

Set for release on May 27th at 10:00AM, the $120 shoes will almost certainly all be instantly snatched up by resellers, who will then put them on eBay for $300+, making them inaccessible to anybody who doesn’t have a fast bicycle and lucrative paper route. And I wonder why I still can’t get my hands on a PS5.

You make recall the previously posted PG2, another Playstation inspired sneaker from Nike and Paul George that had a light-up logo and vibrated like a DualShock controller. Well, these don’t do that.

My wife doesn’t actually let me buy nice sneakers anymore because whenever I run out of socks I start wearing them barefoot, then they start to stink. It’s an endless cycle. One that could probably be broken if I did laundry more often, but that would interfere with my time to play video games and with my allergies, I can’t smell all that well anyway.

[via The Verge]

This Apple Watch x Nike packaging concept lets you mix and match straps without touching them!

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A lot of designers are coming up with cool packaging designs for various products, but this packaging concept by Nolan Nisbet for the Apple Watch is particularly intriguing! Inspired by the packaging design for the iPod, Nisbet adopted a clear and transparent package for the Apple Watch as well. The transparent packaging comes in two parts, one protects the screen of the watch, whereas the other part forms a protective layer around the strap. But here’s where it becomes interesting, the packaging of the strap has been designed in such a way, that you can slide it on and off! This allows you to try on straps of different styles, letting you mix and match, till you settle on a combination that you like. You can try on the various packaged straps on your hand, so you can see how they would actually look on you! The clear protective layer ensures that no one actually ends up touching the straps, and they are in pristine condition, preventing them from getting dirty or contaminated before they are even sold (especially useful in these COVID-19 times).

When it comes to the straps, Nisbet has branded them with Nike! He’s presented an innovative idea, wherein Apple and Nike collaborate to create some pretty cool straps for the watch. The different straps come in diverse colors and patterns combined with Nike’s sporty and funky design philosophy. In fact, even the packaging has been integrated with Nike’s branding. The center of the package showcases Apple and Nike’s logos. And, this center portion has a little secret compartment! The user’s manual and the charger have been placed within the compartment. These two essential add ons have been compactly integrated within the packaging of the watch.

Nisbet’s packaging concept for the Apple Watch is not only innovative and unique but also extremely functional and convenient! He’s taken the buyer’s comfort into consideration as well, creating a packaging design that eases up and supports your buying process. This inventive packaging is the type you use even after you purchase the product, it’s not something you throw away in the bin, once you unravel the new product. Not to mention, the collaboration of Apple and Nike seems like a match made in heaven. This is one concept I would love to see in an actual Apple store someday!

Designer: Nolan Nisbet

Nike’s first ever hands-free shoes and the design process + touching inspiration behind it!

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Nike and footwear design technology go hand-in-hand, they’ve proven it in the past and now there’s yet another example of their prowess. These are the Go FlyEase hand-free shoes that bring the convenience of wearing and taking off your pair without even bending over or touching them ever. People who already do this with a pair of shoes with laces (when they are too tired or lazy) to take them off the conventional style (by untying the laces) will have their eyes set on the Nike Go FlyEase. The motion of using one foot to pull down on the heel of the other and vice versa when you have the crocs or loose sneakers is what most of us do. But doing the same to a pair of shoes can deform them over time – so Nike came up with a solution that lets you do kickstand heel motion to open them up in a jiffy without any damage to the shoe material.

The invention’s core is a bi-stable hinge (the red element at the base of the shoe) and the midsole tensioner (that belt that wraps aorund) that gives the pair structural strength to be used as athletic footwear. Most of all Nike Go FlyEase is the ideal solution for people with disabilities keeping accessibility in mind, and that’s what makes them worth the time spend in R&D by the Nike team led by designer Tobie Hatfield who’s known for developing ingenious shoes for disabled people (and who’s also the brother of iconic footwear designer Tinker Hatfield). It is as easy as using one foot to hold the kickstand heel of the other and stepping out with utmost ease. When in the opened-up position the shoe’s inner sole is at an angle of 30-degree, making it easy to slip in the foot. In the collapsed wearable position the outer layer encapsulates the foot snugly in position for dynamic activities like playing football or running. And it all began with a letter to Nike over 8 years ago from a teenager suffering from cerebral palsy. In his letter, the then 16-year-old Matthew Walzer asked Nike to consider an adaptive line of shoes for people with mobility issues. That led to Nike asking the question, “How do you get in and out of a shoe today without your hands?”

To be frank, I already want to try out the Nike Go FlyEase for the convenience and unique style they bring to the footwear industry. This makes even more sense when in times of COVID-19 hygiene is paramount and you are skeptical about touching anything that’s been exposed to the elements for a considerable time. The fact that the pair is ideal for all kinds of activities and casual wear too, makes them so irresistible. According to Nike, they are going to make these available for sale to select Nike members from February 15 in a limited number. If the idea clicks with most users Nike will make then commercially available in the latter half of 2021. Honestly, I could look at that clipping action forever!

Designer: Nike

The Question

“How do you get in and out of a shoe today without your hands?” You do that by taking one foot, putting it behind the heel of the other, and then yanking that foot out. Maybe what we should do is just design a shoe for that behavior.

The Prototype

 

 

Remembering Kobe Bryant and his iconic sneaker collaboration with Nike

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It’s around this time last year that the world woke up to the shocking news that Kobe Bryant had passed on. A legend in the basketball world, Kobe was often referred to as the Black Mamba for his stealthy style and powerful strike… a distinction that even made it into his sneaker collaboration with Nike over the Nike x Kobe ‘Fade To Black’ series.

Today, on the anniversary of his passing, we look at one of the most memorable sneakers from the collaboration, the Nike Zoom Kobe 3 “FTB”. The sneakers come encased in a box that sports the scales of a snake, pointing directly at the Mamba reference. Underneath the box lid are two white shoes that would complement Kobe’s black uniform beautifully, and a reverse diamond 3D texture that has an incredible allure when looked at against direct light. The texture continues on the entire upper surface of the shoe, making it even to the sole, with only a hint of a black panel at the base, paying tribute to the Black Mamba. The shoes, which are available in white and metallic grey, debuted in 2016 around Kobe’s retirement. One would argue that they look just as incredible even today!

Designers: Nike in collaboration with Kobe Bryant