The “360” in the upcoming Nike Kobe NXT 360 release refers to the new Flyknit technology from Nike, a material that wraps the entire foot in one piece for the first time.
The advanced Flyknit allows Nike to use a 360-degree form to wrap the entire foot. On the innovation, the brand said engineers used a “complex knitting structure to create a closed anatomical form that mimics the shape of the foot.” From there, the upper goes through a thermoforming process to provide shape and support under the foot, creating a lighter sneaker with a more precise mold.
The 360 creation is designed to improve movement of the foot by minimizing the space between the foot and the ground and providing a closer fit than the traditional design, which simply attached the nearly seamless Flyknit upper to a midsole. Flyknit debuted in 2012 for the Olympics in London on the Nike Flyknit Racer, digitally engineering the knitting process.
The Nike Kobe NXT 360 design was worn first by DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors on March 21 on the Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena court against the Cavaliers and will be available to the masses on April 13 via Nike.com.
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The fresh take on Flyknit made its debut in the on-court Kobe model, but that won’t be the only setting for the first iteration of the technology. Nike will offer up the new 360-degree design in the Mercurial Superfly 360 and Mercurial Vapor 360 soccer cleats, as well as the Free RN Motion 360 running shoe.
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