As leaders of innovation, we’re used to seeing Nike do the unexpected. With the Beaverton brand’s latest pair of ISPA silhouettes, it is striving for a sustainable future by all means necessary — including some very strange-looking means.
The ISPA line is being rewarded with two new futuristic designs: the Link and Axis. We’ll start with the pictured ISPA Link, a head-turning pair of recycled kicks composed of three separate interlocking pieces. Its engineered insole is made of pegs for enhanced breathability and comes equipped with a recycled upper and an interesting set of laces. As wear-and-tear starts to take shape, owners can recycle these individual elements. Interestingly enough, Nike claims that the Link takes a mere eight minutes to manufacture.
The Link Axis boasts a much bolder look. It features a Flyknit upper made from entirely recycled polyester that was precisely engineered with the intent of coating the outsole, straying away from the cut-and-sewn method of old. The shoe is rounded out with a fully recycled TPU tooling courtesy of scrap airbag material — how’s that for rehashing materials? Upon garnering inspiration from its early 2000s silhouettes, like the 2003 Presto Clip, Nike explored the potential disassembly of this pair among others and ultimately arrived at this rather avant-garde conclusion.
The ISPA Link is set to hit shelves and apps in June, while the Axis is slated for an early 2023 release. Nike has not announced any concrete price information, but you can take a deeper look at these innovative upcoming kicks on the Swoosh’s website.
