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PURLS OF WISDOM
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 | www.footwearbiz.com
CAD software. The flyknitting technology seems to be one such
leap forward – if this is replicated and used for other shoe styles
it will enable manufacturers to make millions of identical shoes,
with no need to interrupt production flow and less ongoing
investment. If location becomes less important, manufacturers
might look to offset transportation costs by bringing the
factories closer to home markets; we could possibly see large-
scale shoe production coming back to the West.
Of course, this process could only work for certain types of
shoe – it would be of no use for sandals, boots or high heels,
for instance. But there are enough styles that could potentially
be made in this way for industry observers to suggest we could
be about to witness a sea-change.
Stay in the loop
As yarn generally has no structure and little durability, the
three-year refinement process that Nike undertook involved
building strength and flexibility and adding comfort. Each
upper has many variations of polyester yarns, depending on
the needs of a particular area. Although there is little
information available on the software, it is thought to be both
incredibly complex and expensive, with teams of
programmers, engineers and designers working together to
achieve the right mix of components.
With all the structure and support knitted in, the Flyknit
Racer’s upper and tongue weigh just 34g and the whole shoe
weighs a mere 160g for a US size 9, which is 19% lighter than
the Nike Zoom Streak 3, a shoe worn by first, second and third
placed athletes in the men’s marathon at the 2011 World
Championships. The Racer debuted on US athletes at the 2012
World Championships in January, with a second Flyknit shoe
launched in April, this time aimed at the mass market. At 220g,
the company says the HTM Trainer+ will “bring the weight and
fit benefits of Nike Flyknit to runners of all levels”. Multiple yarns
were combined to create a ‘heather effect’ with bold colour
details, and the shoe went on sale in July in two versions: grey
and volt, and black and white.
“The inspiration for Nike Flyknit was born from common
runner feedback, craving a shoe with the qualities of a sock: a
snug fit that goes virtually unnoticed to the wearer,” the
company states on its website.
Subsequent revisions have included a new Racer in
orange and the Trainer+ offered in black, blue, volt, red and
multi-coloured.
Track and field
Nike used the Olympic stage to introduce the concept to a
wider audience, and the shoes were adapted for different
sports. The Zoom Superfly R4 and the Zoom Victory Elite use a
similar concept of woven threads, but are coated with a
strengthening product. The company created a Flyknit distance
spike worn by US 10,000 metre runner Dathan Ritzenheim. It
features a narrower fit, with a Pebax plate and four removable
pins to provide lightweight support and maximise speed.
The sharkskin heel pad enhances grip and traction
while helping to reduce the overall weight.
In the marketing material is the claim: “The
result is precision engineering in its purest
form, performance on display. Every element
has a purpose, resulting in one of the lightest,
best-fitting running shoes Nike has ever made.”
Stitched up?
However, Nike is not the only company that has been looking
at this technology. Not to be outdone, adidas launched its own
knitted shoe – the day before the Olympic opening ceremony.
James Carnes, head of design for sport performance at adidas,
said: “Three years in the making, the adiZero Primeknit
harnesses groundbreaking technology we’ve perfected to
introduce in London at the Olympic Games.”
Adidas commented on its website: “Using the latest design
tools with our new seamless engineering technology, adidas
has created this first-of-its-kind [sic] running shoe, the adiZero
Primeknit. While sport shoes are usually made from lots of
separate pieces, this breakthrough method digitally knits the
entire upper in just one. Knitting fused yarn allows us to fine-
tune the exact amount of flexibility and support needed in
every part of the shoe. This means lightweight comfort that
wraps seamlessly around your foot, whilst fewer materials
produce less waste.”
Sound familiar? It sounded too familiar for Nike, which was
granted an injunction against adidas at the end of September,
preventing it from marketing or distributing the Primeknits until
the results of a further court hearing. Nike said: “Nike has a
strong heritage of innovation and leadership in footwear design
and development. Our patents are the foundation of that
leadership and we protect them vigorously.”
Adidas said in a statement that it was reviewing the court
papers, but as a general rule does not comment on pending
litigation.
Perhaps this is a case of life imitating art – that the
competition is always hot on your heels. The statements imply
the technologies were being worked on at the same time, but
it will be a legal ruling that determines how this particular race
progresses. Rival sportswear companies and the wider footwear
industry will be keenly watching from the sidelines.
The revolutionary Flyknit is
Nike’s lightest, fastest shoe yet.
CREDIT: NIKE