The Olympics are only weeks away and Nike just dropped their latest performance-focused race shoe, with plenty of nods to the past of the brand. The new Nike ZoomX VaporFly NEXT% pay homage to Nike from before it was Nike, when the future running giant was called Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS) during its foundational years from 1964 till 1971.
The new shoes maintain the same mostly-white aesthetic we’ve seen in the past, with faint black Nike Swooshes across the ultra-breathable upper and “BRS” printed on the outside of the heel. The real talking point is the aggressive “University Gold” black and orange tiger stripes that are emblazoned across the lower toe and sole of the runner, matching the same pattern on the shoe’s tongue.
The new colourway is eye-catching and is sure to instil some primal big-cat aggression in its wearers, perhaps even to a personal best. Consistent with the rest of the collection, this new pair of Nike ZoomX VaporFly NEXT% features the same traditional white ZoomX midsole that contains a full-length carbon plat throughout.
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It is this carbon plate that has made the Nike VaporFly family both desirable and controversial in the running world. The combination of the special foam that the soles are constructed from, alongside the carbon plate, give runners a measurably improved running economy that makes them faster.
With the most important athletics event in the world just around the corner, we’re sure to see a few pairs of these out on the training track and perhaps even in competition. For more details, head to Nike below.
