Press Release:
Call it the ultimate test run: When Eliud Kipchoge broke the two-hour marathon barrier in Vienna this past October, he was wearing a prototype of the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT%.
“For runners, records like the four-minute mile and two-hour marathon are barometers of progress. These are barriers that have tested human potential. When someone like Eliud breaks them, our collective belief about what’s possible changes,” says Tony Bignell, VP, Footwear Innovation. “Barriers are inspiring to innovators. Like athletes, when a barrier is in front of us, we are challenged to think differently and push game-changing progress in footwear design.”
The NEXT% platform is the ultimate expression of Nike’s ambition to engineer footwear with measurable performance benefit. NEXT% is all about creating more efficient intersections between the body and technology to enable athletes to shatter personal boundaries — and sometimes, as our athletes have shown, break records. It is the ultimate meeting of sports science and purposeful design.
The Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% evolves the learnings of the Vaporfly franchise, adding Zoom Air Pods in the forefoot, more ZoomX Foam in the heel and a lighter Atomknit upper.
“The groundbreaking research that led to the original Vaporfly unlocked an entirely new way of thinking about marathon shoes,” says Carrie Dimoff, an elite marathoner and member of Nike’s Advanced Innovation Team. “Once we understood the plate and foam as a system, we started thinking about ways to make the system even more effective. That’s when we struck upon the idea of adding Nike Air to store and return even more of a runner’s energy and provide even more cushioning.”
Breaking down the Nike NEXT% system
Nike NEXT% is a footwear innovation system engineered to give athletes a measurable benefit. Informed by sport science and verified by the Nike Sport Research Lab, the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% features three critical components, working together to help runners on race day:
Full-length Carbon Fiber Plate: Provides stability and a smooth transition; increases stiffness in the forefoot to provide a sensation of propulsion
Nike ZoomX Cushioning: Lightweight, provides optimal energy return, minimizes energy loss
Nike Zoom Air Pods: Added cushioning, increased energy return
Nike’s newest race-day shoe, the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% features two new Nike Zoom Air pods, more ZoomX foam and a single carbon fiber plate (all updates from its predecessor, the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT%), and an ultra-breathable, lightweight Flyknit upper – all adding up to improved cushioning and running economy.
The shoe is part of a suite of products releasing in summer 2020, including the Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% and Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% FlyEase, complementary training shoes that translate the principles of the Alphafly to rigorous daily use, and track spikes (the Nike Air Zoom Victory) that extend the NEXT% design ethos to new disciplines.
Designed for higher mileage and more frequent daily use, the Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% was created as a training complement to the Alphafly NEXT%.
Designed for higher mileage and more frequent daily use, the Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% FE was created as a training complement to the Alphafly NEXT%.
Designed for higher mileage and more frequent daily use, the Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% was created as a training complement to the Alphafly NEXT%.
Designed for higher mileage and more frequent daily use, the Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% FE was created as a training complement to the Alphafly NEXT%.
Designed for higher mileage and more frequent daily use, the Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% was created as a training complement to the Alphafly NEXT%.
Designed for higher mileage and more frequent daily use, the Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% FE was created as a training complement to the Alphafly NEXT%.
For the Tempo NEXT%, the NEXT% system is specifically tuned to training. The plate shifts from carbon to a composite — softer for added comfort over higher mileage — but still serves to provide stability and transition throughout a runner’s full stride. ZoomX, prized for its energy return and responsiveness, sits above the plate at mid and forefoot. For maximum impact protection and durability, Nike React Foam is used at the heel. The same Nike Zoom Air pods featured in the new Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% are also placed in the Tempo’s forefoot to offer responsive cushioning and a sensation of propulsion.
The Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT%, Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% and Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% FlyEase give athletes of today an opportunity to stamp their mark and motivate athletes (and designers) of tomorrow to set even greater goals.
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- Full-length ZoomX foam offers an ultra-lightweight and responsive ride. It’s built for speed but also provides cushioning to stay fresh even in the late miles of a marathon. It offers comfort where you need it.
- Full-length carbon fiber plate delivers a sort of roll-forward feel that makes you want to take on the next step. It gives you a propulsive sensation and helps you smoothly transition through your stride.
- Part of the Flyknit family—Atomknit material on the upper has a contoured fit while being lightweight and super-breathable.
- Specifically designed lofted heel pods use Flyknit yarns for secure, extended comfort and lightweight heel lockdown.
- Nike ZoomX, our most responsive foam, just got a little better. Running from heel to toe, it unlocks even more energy return than before, giving you a springy, bouncy feel.
- See how the midsole bulges out by the heel? We designed it that way to help reduce weight on the inside of the foot to give you a more stable ride.
- Specifically selected Flyknit yarns and engineered zones in the forefoot bring a new level of performance to the Vaporfly. Ample breathability around the toes combined with soft, yet supportive yarns deliver our most customized upper for the Vaporfly. The result is a softer, cooler design that conforms to your foot.
- Light padding on the tongue helps reduce lace pressure at the top of your foot. A new Waffle outsole pattern with perforations saves weight and delivers multi-surface traction in various weather conditions. Offset heel seam helps reduce friction in the heel area.
- You will receive one pair of replacement Laces, approximately 6-7mm wide and 39"/ 47"/ 54"/ 63" in length for your choice.
- The shoelace design is flat, the shape is similar to the serrated, compared with the ordinary shoelace is more distinctive, the color is classic, we have black, white, beige can choose.
- Good compatibility,unique,similar to the original shoelaces.Multiple shoe types are available, like sports running shoes, cleats, soccer shoes, marathon Laces.
- Product upgrade, weaving more tightly, anti-crack shoe lead, not easy to hook wire, wear resistance is not easy to crack.
- Our shoelaces are the perfect gift for sneaker lovers. Share it with your friends and family and let them add personality to their shoes. We are so confident in our replacement strings.
- Upper material: Textile
- Lining: Textile
- Insole material: Textile
- Sole material: Rubber
- Closure: Lace-Up
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