Global Press Gathers

Nine hours by plane from Japan, Portland International Airport at 8 AM is a pleasant 22 degrees Celsius with 35% humidity. Our destination is Nike headquarters in Beaverton, a city near Portland. The purpose of our visit is to cover "new running technology based on the design philosophy called 'NATURE AMPLIFIED.'" To put it more simply, we've come for a new running shoe product launch event.





Portland, the most populous city in the Pacific Northwest after Seattle and Vancouver, is fundamentally urban. However, a two-hour drive takes you to Mount Hood (3,429m), also known as "Oregon's Fuji," where skiing is possible even in summer. At its foothills, the Pacific Crest Trail runs north-south and the Oregon Trail runs east-west, making it a mecca for hiking.

A hub for DIY (Do It Yourself) culture, rooted in this outdoor culture──While Portland is generally described as such, there's no doubt it's a city where nature and humans coexist in good balance.





The presentation began. Nike CEO Mark Parker started speaking: "Innovation is meaningless if it's just created. It exists for better manufacturing with purposeful design. Running is Nike's most important category, a category where new innovations are born that drive the company forward."




Nike's origins lie in running shoes. Founded by Bill Bowerman, a track and field coach at the University of Oregon, and his student Phil Knight, the company's predecessor was Blue Ribbon Sports. Since then, Nike has continuously released models with groundbreaking and innovative features such as the Waffle sole, Air system, and more recently, Nike Free (a flexible sole that provides a barefoot-like feel), establishing a history of innovation in running shoes.

Images symbolizing Nike's journey were projected on display as the presentation continued. Then, the design philosophy underpinning the current products, "NATURE AMPLIFIED," was explained.





"NATURE AMPLIFIED is design for the moving body, products that work in unison with the human body," said Trevor Edwards, Brand President. "The footwear and apparel we are announcing today reflect input from athletes and runners of all levels, combined with research from the Nike Sport Research Lab. It's truly data-driven, body-focused innovation."

The products are the running shoes Nike Free Flyknit+ and Nike Free Hyperfeel Run, and two apparel items: the Nike Aeroloft 800 Fill Down Vest and DRI-FIT Knit. We were guided to the presentation spaces for each product. The unveiling of the new products was finally at hand.

Nike Customer Service
0120-500-719
www.nike.com
www.nikerunning.com

Sensations in the Feet, Sensations in the Body

"It's like a sock──!" We were surprised at first glance, and again when we touched it. Nike Free, the sole system that realizes a barefoot-like feel, was released in 2004. And last year, Nike Flyknit, the upper that offers lightness and excellent fit, was introduced. The running shoe that fuses these two features was right there.

Its name is the Nike Free Flyknit+. You can tell just by looking. It's undoubtedly a running shoe that offers a sensation incredibly close to being barefoot.

"The Nike Free Flyknit+ combines a supportive, sock-like upper with an outsole and midsole that move with the foot. I believe this product represents the ultimate expression of the philosophy of leveraging the body's natural functions," says Sean McDowell, Nike Running's Creative Director.






By fitting snugly to the foot, the sole adheres to the foot, enhancing propulsion. These features are certainly innovative, but the upper's design, resembling contour lines, is also extremely distinctive.

"The design team responsible for color is excellent. They handle both vibrant and muted tones masterfully. However, this pattern also represents function. Simply put, the knitting density differs where the colors change."

For example, the instep area has elasticity and room for flexibility, while the knitting in the surrounding areas is tightened to guide the forefoot and heel into a stable position. This upper design is the manifestation of functionality that balances comfort and fit.

Next are the new apparel items. This down vest can also be described as embodying "innovation" at first glance. It's the "Nike Aeroloft 800 Fill Down Vest." An innovative down vest with perforations—in other words, holes.





Developed to maintain a runner's body temperature in cold weather, the answer to how to stay warm but not too warm is ventilation. As the body moves, heat escapes through the holes opened in the seams of the down pack. Of course, the 800 fill power of the down provides excellent insulation. It's lightweight, thin, and conveniently packable.

The inner layers, including the "DRI-FIT Knit," come in several materials and models, all excellent products that wick sweat away from the skin's surface, keeping it dry and comfortable at all times. Together with the "Nike Aeroloft 800 Fill Down Vest," they should help create the "ideal body temperature environment for runners."

Before the presentation room for the other new running shoe, the Nike Free Hyperfeel Run, we were asked to remove our shoes and were left with only socks. Then we entered the room. The floor was made of various materials like asphalt, wood chips, and rubber used for athletic tracks, allowing us to feel the difference in surfaces firsthand.





"The Nike Free Hyperfeel Run, introduced here, has fewer parts and places responsive Lunarlon foam directly under the foot, allowing for a more delicate sensation. It supports the ability to feel the difference in the running surface through your feet," says Tony Bignell, Nike's Vice President of Footwear Innovation.

Thorough research was conducted at the Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL), which we will touch upon later. Which parts of the foot absorb impact when contacting the ground, and where is grip needed? Using pressure mapping technology to visualize pressure distribution, they analyzed the movement of the foot in motion with high-speed video.

And thus, shoes that "mimic the complex movements of the human foot" were born. The Lunarlon foam is cushioning for the sole of the foot, the outsole protects the foot like tough skin, and the Dynamic Flywire in the upper stretches like ligaments. The Nike Free Hyperfeel Run, a shoe born to move naturally with the foot. Does it feel like your own foot has become the shoe?





After listening to the product presentations and concluding the morning's interviews, we headed to the grass track and field on the Nike headquarters grounds. We were to test-run the two models: the Nike Free Flyknit+ and the Nike Free Hyperfeel Run.

A retro wagon, the same orange as Nike's shoeboxes, was parked there. It was loaded with the two models of running shoes we had just seen. First, we tried on the Nike Free Flyknit+.
The Nike Free Flyknit+ offers exceptional fit. And the sole's flexibility is truly outstanding. Although it looked like a sock, it provided surprisingly good support. We started running. The most noticeable sensation was the flexibility, with a feeling of gripping the ground.

Next, the Nike Free Hyperfeel Run. To describe this model in one word: "refined sensation." And when walking in them, there's a feeling of being propelled forward. When running, this propulsion felt even stronger.





After the test runs and lunch, the afternoon session involved an infiltration of Nike's innovation heart: the Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL). We were eager to see the research process behind such products, in a place rarely accessible.

Nike Customer Service
0120-500-719
www.nike.com
www.nikerunning.com

Behind the Scenes of Product Creation

The "Nike Sport Research Lab." This is where "innovation," the core of Nike's products, is concretely generated by numerous researchers and athletes. We proceeded into Nike's core with the press from various countries.

A monitor was installed in a hallway displaying iconic Nike shoes from history, athlete foot molds, and shoe components. It appeared to be a thermography of a foot. An explanation began here.






"The physiology team studies the heat generated when the foot moves. What kind of load is applied to the foot due to impact and torsion from the ground, and how does it generate heat? This diagram illustrates that," the presenter explained, pointing to the monitor. As a model walked, it was clear at a glance how their foot moved, generated heat, and applied pressure. Such research forms the foundation of shoe creation.

Next was the measurement of running data. A female runner, equipped with various instruments, was running on a treadmill. This was a very easy-to-understand "research scene." Shifting our gaze, we noticed something else running in the same manner. It was the running robot "Hal." It runs like a human and even sweats (it releases steam when it heats up). Of course, it was wearing Nike apparel. The fact that they collect data not only from humans but also, albeit simulated, from a robot is quite astonishing.

Moving further inside the lab, we found a long track where runners were waiting. Sensors were attached to various parts of their bodies. This was the site of the "motion capture" experiment, supporting the "NATURE AMPLIFIED" design philosophy.





"We define points, measure the location and vector of force, and quantify them. Then we replicate the athlete's body movements and display them on the monitor. Let's demonstrate."

The female runner started. As a sprinter competing in collegiate championships, her form was visibly "real" even to an amateur. Immediately after she finished, the data was analyzed, and the movements of each part of her body were displayed on the monitor. Arm swing, posture, thigh lift, knee bend—all movements were visible from 360 degrees. Sighs of "Wow..." could be heard from various places.





Finally, basketball. A half-court was set up with cameras and lighting, and players were preparing. Unlike the "motion capture" earlier, this involved video. The person in charge explained, "We are using ultra-high-speed cameras capable of shooting 360 frames per second."

As expected, the player executed a one-handed dunk after a dribble. The movement of their feet at the moment of jumping was replayed in ultra-slow motion. It was clear that the foot itself twisted more than expected, not just the knee or ankle.



The array of innovative Nike running products introduced this time──The Nike Free Flyknit+ and Nike Free Hyperfeel Run, along with two apparel items, the Nike Aeroloft 800 Fill Down Vest and DRI-FIT Knit. The Nike Free Flyknit+ arrives in Japan today, August 2nd. We hope you will wear them, move your body, and experience Nike's "NATURE AMPLIFIED" philosophy.

Nike Customer Service
0120-500-719
www.nike.com
www.nikerunning.com