AIR PRESTO ULTRA FLYKNIT
BEHIND THE DESIGN
The Nike Flyknit construction process has helped evolve some of Nike’s most innovative silhouettes. With the Air Presto, you have the ideal silhouette for Flyknit to transform an already innovative style. The technology’s benefits range from reduced weight and waste to improved comfort, breathability and flexibility. These are all elements that also made the 2000 originator a hit. Therefore, it’s no surprise Flyknit technology is now part of the Air Presto family.
For designer Lee Gibson, bringing the Air Presto Ultra Flyknit to life meant understanding what made the original a hit. Knowing the shoe has always been recognized as lightweight, Gibson set out to elevate comfort with Flyknit. “This shoe was built to be lightweight, so we had to take it to the next level. One way to do that was through Flyknit….going from what we called lightweight to featherweight,” he explains.
Through the Flyknit design process, Gibson looked to ensure the sock-like fit established with the original. “Flyknit is designed to stretch in certain places, and it is designed to lock down in certain places,” relates Gibson. The new design’s most identifiable and evolved feature, therefore, is the Flyknit collar.
“There’s a very distinct look of Flyknit with this top line that extends from our on-pitch performance boots to our lifestyle models. They have this very distinct collar, and there’s something really valuable in that sort of language that we wanted to bring into the Air Presto.” Although the silhouette does seem to be more of a mid-cut now, the tongue and heel height still matches the height of the original Air Presto’s top line.
While nearly identical in appearance, Nike Ultra tooling on the Air Presto Ultra Flyknit offers maximized comfort and flexibility while reducing weight. Specific areas of rubber on the outsole have been replaced with foam, while other key zones in the sole have been cored out to maximize flexibility with every step.
When it comes to color, Gibson reveals that the team strove to stay true to the original’s bold colorways. The multiple layers of Flyknit allow for a blend of colors in a very unique fashion.
“You have the front surface of the Nike Flyknit as well as the back surface, either being exposed all the time or when you activate the Flyknit and stretch, you start to see more color pop through. So, we wanted to play with that surface on the top and surface underneath to tell this Flyknit story.” The new take on the upper allowed the team to re-tell classic color stories, such as the “Brutal Honey” edition in a unique, modern fashion.
Once again offering Instant Happiness, the Air Presto Ultra Flyknit’s lightweight tooling and innovative take on color stay true to the 2000 Air Presto’s original ethos.
