Since the London 2012 Olympics started 10 days ago, I have been spending a lot of time watching the coverage on two different channels.
New products and technology have always been a favorite interest of mine and I spend a lot of time reading and writing about them online. One thing I have been paying close attention to during this year's Summer Olympic Games is the advancement in the technology behind the athletes uniforms and how that technology can help the athletes perform better. One item stat stood out for me this year in paricular is the fluorescent yellow shoes that almost all of the runners from every country in the world have been wearing.
At first I thought the shoes may be custom made by the countries for their teams but upon further research I fond that the shoes are made by Nike and are called
Flyknit. The running shoe world has never seen anything like these before!
The new
Flyknit shoe was the product of four years of research and development, which yielded new machines for a fabrication technique that never existed before. The shoes feature stability, support and a form fitting thanks to a seamless upper with integrally knitted supports created by laying-in Nike’s Flywire braid which is designed to fit like a sock. Nike's Global Creative Director Martin Lotti recently said "Combining ultra lightweight engineering of Nike Flyknit technology with the performance innovation of our track spikes creates a unique running proposition. Nike Flyknit is a breakthrough innovation for the design and development of running shoes and we’re excited to be able to deliver this innovation for elite track athletes."
Reading comments by bloggers online, it appears that many people aren't that impressed by the shoes and don't feel that they will offer enough support for runners and athletes. But, if tons of Olympic Athletes are using them in London right now AND winning gold medals with them...that's enough reason for me to believe that they work and are here to stay.
The shoes are available at Nike stores (
or online at Nike.com) and most sporting goods and shoe stores for around $150 USD. The shoes are available in over 10 different colors.
Have you seen or tried out these new shoes? Leave your comments below and let me know what you think!
