Since the appearance of Nike Kyrie in 2014, it makes up for the blank of Nike mid-low price products. It occupies the market fastly by virtue of cheaper price and stable performance. It gets great feedback in the market.
Now Kyrie Irving has been the top full back of Nike. It designs a pair of targeted full back shoes. It places emphasis on the backcourt players’ agility, response and traction etc.
The main design evolution:
- Nike Kyrie 1: Forefoot with ZOOM Air, 360°dynamic tracting grain in the side of shoes, Hyperfuse vamp
- Nike Kyrie 2: Heel with ZOOM Air, cambered outsole, lacing on vamp
- Nike Kyrie 3: Heel with with ZOOM Air, Cambered outsole, independent traction in foresole
- Nike Kyrie 4: Heel with with ZOOM Air, Cambered outsole, special groove lines, foresole Flywire
From the evolution of these 4 generations, we can know that Nike Kyrie doesn’t have high requirements for cushion. It mainly emphasize on response and agility due to limited cost. Nike Kyrie 2 start to use special cambered outsole, ZOOM Air has to be moved to heel. And Nike Kyrie series are also keeping on improving the vamp wrapping system to enhance wrapping and supporting effectiveness.
Omni-directional Speeding Up
Base on the traditional Zoom Air, NIKE Air Zoom Turbo air cushion add the groove lines in each direction and also guarantee enough capacity of air cushion. These groove lines make ZOOM Air to be easier to bend in all directions without reducing the capacity and area. It gives the forefoot of Nike Kyrie 5 more flexibility.
There is a additional coverage in the vamp. The inspiration derived from Dionaea Muscipula. The inner side is seamed with vamp. The outside is connected with vamp and shoelace by Flywire. It has a special lacing system. When lacing tightly, the “Dionaea Muscipula”can wrap the vamp better, without effecting the vamp to buckling like the traditional shoelaces.
The designer Nethongkome said, “Flywire technology let feet fit well with Nike Air Zoom Turbo, and enlarge the bounce of forefeet. In pursuit of good looking, It also improves the comfort level and sense of experience .” In fact, the Nike Air Zoom Turbo increase the flexibility and try the best to ensure the wrapping sense.
The hand of Fatima
The geometric pattern comes from the hand of Fatima tattoo on Irving’s left arm. The essence is similar to previous generations’ cambered outsole. The groove lines by the geometric pattern is convenient for outsole to bend. It improves the flexibility of forefeet. For Kyrie players who often turn or swing around drastically, it assure the stable of outsole of Kyrie 5.
Future Trend
We can see two important changes from Nike Kyrie 5. The two changes have fantastic referential value for Nike future shoes’ design.
- Nike Air Zoom Turbo
The new patterns of Zoom Air has great flexibility, which is incomparable with other same volume and same area of Zoom Air. It can help the next series like Nike Kobe etc. to upgrade.
2.“Dionaea Muscipula”
Although Nike still have given the specific name for“Dionaea Muscipula”. The practical effect for the half lacing structure’s new lacing way is obvious. Comparing with Niky PG 1 which using unilateral linking Flywire, the area of “Dionaea Muscipula” is bigger and more reliable. The “Dionaea Muscipula” is more flexible than traditional lacing. The “Dionaea Muscipula” of Nike Kyrie 5 has three shoe lacing holes. For other series, it’s easy to add or reduce one shoe lacing hole. This design is easy to be used on other series, such as it can be used for NIKE PG series to upgrade.
