A long time ago Nike revolutionized the shoe industry with their Nike Air. The Nike Air technology often featured a section of see through material that acted as a cushion on the rear outsole of the shoe. Since its release in the 1970s this technology has spawned a high-tech running shoes industry.
With several other brands competing in the same space Nike has led the way in developing technology for running shoes since the Nike Air.
We will go through the most popular technologies that Nike has developed some thirty-years after the original Nike Air.
Shox Technology
All road cars have shock absorbers meant to give a smooth ride. Nike took this concept and applied shock-absorber-like columns on the heel area of their shoes featuring this technology. This gives the runner something very similar to an independent suspension of a road car. The effect is more traction and cushioning that adapts to where it is needed.
LunarLite
The Nike Lunarlite foam that has just gained popularity is Nike's inner material of choice among their top running shoes. The Lunarlite material was meant to give an experience very unique to Nike running shoes.
Zoom Air
The Nike Zoom Air is a thin material that provides cushioning inside the midsole of the shoe. Depending on the application this can be segmented into the heel and toe, lay flat on the entire stretch of the shoe, or even just be present in the forefoot portion of the running shoe. Nike developed this technology to provide cushioning while maintaining extreme responsiveness.
Flywire
This is one of the newer technologies introduced by Nike. The Flywire technology tries to eliminate slippage of foot during running. It does this by using fibers placed around the shoe to ensure that the foot is kept in place.
