Posts Tagged ‘Nike’
Written by Enid Burns on 08 September 2010
As football season starts here in America, it’s still worth thinking about the sport the rest of the world calls football, what we call Soccer in the U.S. Just in time for fall ‘futball’ Nike introduced its Total 90 Tracer ball. The new ball is designed for consistency, accuracy, touch and visual acuity. The ball has hand-sewn seams, improved bladder tension and the surface texture you expect to kick around the field. The surface texture is actually a micro-textured casing, which regulates airflow equally across the ball’s entire surface. The ball is then less prone to wobble, and takes a more direct, arrow-like flight. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: football, Nike, Nike Equipment Innovation Test Lab, Soccer, World Cup
Posted in Equipment, Pro Sports | No Comments »
Written by Enid Burns on 01 September 2010
Laces. Velcro. Buckles. Bindings. You need one of those to tighten the shoes to get the support you need. Nike recently filed a patent for shoes with tightening laces. Or at least self-tightening straps. A battery and electronics built into the heel of the shoe control the laces and maintain a snug or loose and comfortable setting for the wearer. This technology is still in development, but fun to think what it will be like to slip into a pair of shoes and have the straps tighten on command.
Of course there are drawbacks in relying on this technology. The electronics could cause the shoes to tighten on their own, or give up working while laced on your feet. Is there an emergency out setting? We’re not sure if the battery is replaceable, and therefore its life could possibly determine the life of the shoe. On the flip side an electronic indicator to replace your shoe might be what some people need. I’ve seen people wear their shoes into the ground. Quite literally.
[via PopSci: Nike Patents Back-to-the-Future-Style Self-Lacing Shoes]
Tags: laces, Nike, self-tightening straps, shoelace
Posted in Footwear | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 25 August 2010
In Medieval times knights would sometimes adorn just a bit of armor when visiting the royal court. And now a very different type of “armour” will be adorned for a very different type of court. Baltimore sports apparel company Under Armour Inc. is looking to gain a foothold in the competitive basketball shoe market. Last week the company unveiled its first-ever line of basketball shoes, which will debut in stores this coming November.
The question is whether Under Armour will be able to soar in a market dominated by Nike, which practically stole the market from rivals such as Adidas and Reebok. Of course back in 1980 the shoe maker made its name on the court with its Michael Jordan branded shoes – and Jordan has been retired from the game for a long time, so maybe Armour’s assault is actually long over do. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Adidas, Basketball, Brandon Jennings, court, Michael Jordan, Micro G Black Ice, Micro G Technology, Milwaukee Bucks, Nike, Reebok, Shoes, Under Armour
Posted in Equipment, Footwear, Pro Sports | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 17 August 2010
A war of words could be brewing over those so-called “toning” shoes reports MediaPost, which notes that Nike is firing back at rivals Reebok/Adidas (Adidas owns Reebok). Nike is running print ads (see below) for its own Trainer One women’s shoe, with the headline “The Ultimate Quick Fix is not a magical toning shoe,” and follows with the tag line: “This shoe works if you do.” In other words it goes back to the old Nike slogan of “Just do it.” So is that the end of the “toning” craze? Not likely. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Adidas, Attire, Avia, Clothing, Darren Rovell, DiamondFLX, EasyTone, Just Do It, New Balance, Nike, Nike Trainer One, Reebok, Sports Biz, Toning Shoes, Training Shoe
Posted in Apparel, Equipment, Exercise, Footwear, Research | 1 Comment »
Written by Enid Burns on 19 July 2010
Breahtable mesh make up the new Nike Hyperfuse basketball shoe.
In the world of athletic footwear, shoes are typically sport-specific. Running shoes are constructed for propelling the wearer forward. Basketball shoes are designed to handle lateral, side-to-side jumping. That calls for different support systems. But that doesn’t mean one can’t learn from the other. Nike basketball did just that and used elements from running shoes and then pushed design a little further to create the Nike Hyperfuse basketball shoe.
Nike took inspiration from watching basketball being played in China, where many players opt to wear running shoes for their comfort and breathability. The result is a mesh upper with no seams. The construction of the shoe consists of layers of fabric, mesh, and an internal skeleton structure fused together with heat, then shaped to cover the foot. Benefits of a seamless construction include more precise and speedy construction, no stitching and seams to cause discomfort, hotspots and ultimately failure to stay together due to stitches coming undone. Nike says stitching and “blowouts” are the most common reason for returns.
Now that Nike has released the Hyperfuse for basketball, it will be interesting to see what other sports get this hyperfusing treatment. My guess is that running shoes will be next on the production line, but plenty of other sports can benefit from the design.
Nike Hyperfuse
via: ChicagoNow
Tags: Basketball, basketball shoe, heat fuse construction, Nike
Posted in Apparel, Footwear | 1 Comment »
Written by Peter Suciu on 13 July 2010
Before the World Cup the LA Galaxy tested the space age uniforms
Introduced last March for the 2010 Major League Soccer season, the Adidas TECHFIT uniforms have been seen in the FIFA World Cup. The question going around the Web is whether the results were more psychological than physical? The other technology advance seen in the uniforms for the World Cup is in how the technology has made the leap from typical under garments to be the material in the actual uniforms. This is notable with the FORMOTION uniforms, which is an alternative, which also offers moisture-wicking fabrics and mesh construction to help provide ventilation and keep the athletes cool.
So is this a lot of hype? There is no doubt that clothing not only makes the man, or makes the woman, but as we’ve seen improvements in garments can help reduce drag, keep an athlete cooler and improve performance. The question now is did the TECHFIT and FORMOTION uniforms do as much physically as it did mentally?
The TECHFIT uniforms consisted of compression fabrics and strategically placed TPU (Thermoplastic Urethane) bands that were located in key areas. This was cited as being able to enhance muscle power, and according to news reports TECHFIT was “proven” to increase a player’s power by 5.3 percent, vertical leap by 4 percent and sprint speed by 1.1 percent, as well as to enhance endurance by 0.8 percent. This sounds like the suit from Greatest American Hero to us! But at $150 a pop it is probably almost as expensive.
What was also worth noting is that several teams including South Africa, Argentina, Mexico, Japan, Spain, Germany and France have worn both TECHFIT and FORMOTION uniforms, while other nations such as Greece, Denmark, Slovakia, Paraguay and Nigeria were outfitted with FORMOTION uniforms and a TECHFIT base layer. Sounds good right? Well, consider this… the team from the Netherlands was reported fitted with Nike made uniforms!
So we’re not one to question the psychological effects either. If you look good and feel good by looking good, you’ll probably play better too.
Adidas World Cup Site
Nike World Cup Site
[Via FoxNews.com: High Tech Soccer Jersey Effects More Psychological than Physical World Cup players more likely to get confidence boost from new uniform kit ]
Tags: Adidas, FIFA World Cup, FORMOTION, Major League Soccer, Netherlands, Nike, TechFit, Thermoplastic Urethane
Posted in Apparel, Pro Sports | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 10 June 2010
These are two companies that just go together so well, Polar and Nike. What’s not to like? So we’re quite pleased to note that Polar and Nike have introduced the Polar WearLink+ heart rate monitor, which will work with Nike+ SportBand and the Nike+ iPod Sport Kit.
The kit will improve the training experience of the Nike+, devices, such as Sportband or iPod. After training, runners can have their heart rate data transferred to the Nikeplus.com website, where it can be tracked to see how long they ran in their target range, and see how their heart rate progress over time. The WearLink+ is also compatible with most Polar training computers (those using 5kHz transmission technology), and this allows for monitoring from both Nike+ and Polar computers to be used at the same time.
The Polar WearLink+ will be available later this month in the United States, and in Canada and Europe in July through Polar retailers, Nike stores and even the Apple Store.
Polar website
Nike website
Tags: Heart Rate Monitors, Nike, Nike+ iPod Sport Kit, Nike+ Sportband, Polar, Running, WearLink+
Posted in Equipment, Gadget, Running | 1 Comment »
Written by Enid Burns on 26 February 2010
Nike makes team uniforms from recycled plastic bottles.
The recent trend in sports and fitness clothing is green, sustainability. Nike is part of this trend and especially when it comes to football (that’s soccer to many of you), and the upcoming 2010 World Cup in South Africa. This year Nike is outfitting the Brazil team with home and away kits, plus eight away kits for other Nike-sponsored federations appearing in the games. What’s so sustainable about these kits or outfits you ask? Nike’s fabric suppliers sourced plastic bottles from landfill sites in Japan and Taiwan to produce the jerseys and shorts.
Eight plastic bottles produce one jersey. To turn bottle into soft, breathable fabric bottles the manufacturer melts the plastics down to produce new yarn and then convert that yarn into fabric to construct jerseys. Just because the jerseys are made from plastic doesn’t mean players will drown in their own sweat. Designed to keep players drier, cooler, and more comfortable, the outfit has a handful of features. The Dri-Fit fabric is 15 percent lighter than previous Nike kit fabrications, which also benefits players’ ability to do their stuff out on the field. The coordinating shorts have additional ventilation zones below the waistband and near the base of the spine to keep the outfit breathable.
The outfits have some protection built in as well. Nike Pro Combat, adds protection against light impact and abrasion in the Slider and Impact shorts. The Pro Combat also features a therma Mock that protects a player’s neck against harsh conditions such as sun.
The process saves raw materials and reduces energy consumption by up to 30 percent compared to the manufacture of virgin polyester. For the upcoming season and competition, Nike salvaged roughly 13 million plastic bottles, totaling around 254,000 kg of polyester waste from landfill sites. That’s enough to stretch a distance of 3,000 kilometers if the bottles are laid out end-to-end.
The games take place in South Africa with teams from Brazil, The Netherlands, Portugal, U.S.A., South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Serbia, and Slovenia. Get your own team kits at nike.com and nikefootball.com.
Check out Nike’s video: Nike Introduces 2010 National Team Kits Designed for Increased Performance with Lower Environmental Impact
Tags: football, Nike, plastic bottles, Soccer, South Africa, Sustainable clothing, team kit, World Cup
Posted in Apparel, General, Pro Sports, Sustainable | No Comments »
