The new super shoes: Air technology positions athletes for success

The Maxfly 2 is Nike's track spike designed for sprinters racing between 100 and 400 metres (up to one lap around the track). Like the Maxfly 2, the Victory 2 is another innovative track spike being featured in Paris, meant for middle-distance athletes running between 800 and 1,500 metres.

Air Zoom technology was first incorporated into track spikes in 2020, and the new silhouettes are designed with a flatter profile and increased attention to stabilisation while still offering the energy return of Nike Air. Both the Maxfly 2 and the Victory 2 harness the power of a carbon-fibre plate with the cushioning of Air Zoom. Even before the design was finalised, five Nike athletes set world records wearing Victory 2 prototypes.

"With the introduction of Air Zoom in the Maxfly and Victory, athletes had cushioned spikes that actually inspired some people to try distances that they previously would not run", says Emily Farina, principal researcher in the NSRL.

On the court, the release of the G.T. Hustle 3 marks the latest basketball sneaker innovation designed to maximise energy return. A new Air Zoom unit in the forefoot is layered with an Air Zoom strobel to boost energy storage and return. The NSRL found that players consumed less oxygen wearing the G.T. 3 than doing the same amount of work in the G.T. 2. Those energy savings can create a significant boost for any athlete.

Uniquely, the research for the G.T. Hustle has been women-led from the outset, deriving feedback from female athletes. "I think there is a powerful story here about innovating for women—doing so doesn't mean creating a separate shoe, in a different colour", says Nike Principal Researcher Elysia Davis. "It's about listening to women's perspectives of sport and tuning into the descriptive feedback they give. What this enables us to do is not make the best women's basketball shoe, but the best basketball shoe, period".

To meet the needs of Nike's football athletes (or soccer for US-based fans), innovations in Air Zoom technology have led to the latest Mercurial release. Footballers desired low, sturdy shoes that allowed them to cut, accelerate and stop instantaneously. A 4-millimetre Air Zoom Strobel offers energy return without compromising on silhouette, while speed fins underneath the strobel enhance an athlete's sense of traction. The Mercurial provides 10% more energy return than the previous model. The sculpted shape and unique underfoot plate design of the 2024 Mercurial allow the shoe to feel like an extension of the foot so athletes can cut or sprint with ease.