Hasta La Ideas

Movie: Nike‘s global creative director for the Olympics Martin Lotti presents the Nike Zoom Superfly R4 sprinting shoe inspired by suspension bridges in this next movie filmed by Dezeen in anticipation of Thursday’s exclusive event at the Nike+ House of Innovation.

Individual Nike Flywire cables wrap around the sides of the foot to give a perfect fit and lightweight support, linking the rigid plate on the sole to the laces.

We’re making six movies about cutting-edge products unveiled by Nike this summer. Watch Lotti explain the bobbly Nike Pro TurboSpeed suit that’s designed to move through the air faster than skin here and the Flyknit Racer shoes with knitted uppers here.

Thursday’s event at the Nike+ House of Innovation will feature Lotti in conversation with Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs about the brand’s latest innovations for the London 2012 games – find out more details here.

See all our stories and movies about Nike »

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Superfly R4 appeared first on Dezeen.

Nike’s Flyknit kicks in bold new colors just in time for the Olympics

Launching just a few miles from Olympic Park, Nike’s latest take on their already incredible HTM Flyknit trainers sees the ultra lightweight shoe take new shape in a fresh set of hues. The HTM Trainer+ collection—designed by Hiroshi Fujiwara, Tinker Hatfield and Mark Parker—arrives to Nike 1948 London this Thursday, where it will sell in limited supply in six colors that really enhance the shoe’s unique fabric construction.

Backed by Nike’s trademark Lunarlon cushioning system, the intricately woven HTM Trainer+ kicks are the ultimate meeting ground for form and function. The solids—a neon yellow Volt, basic black, bright blue and red—allow you to really see the shoe’s near seamless construction, a design element that allows the shoe to fit like a second skin. The two multi-color patterned kicks show off the complexity of the knitting technology, which uses a specially engineered yarn to create the most in breathability and performance.

The third installment of the HTM Flyknit collection, the pared down but equally bold HTM Trainer+ version will first hit the Shoreditch store 26 July 2012 before landing in Nike stores around the world.

Sports brand Nike has unveiled an ultra-light football boot featuring components made from beans and recycled plastic (+ slideshow).

The Nike GS boot weighs just 160 grammes and features a sock liner made entirely from castor beans while the laces, lining and tongue are made of 70% reused plastic including recylced plastic water bottles and polyester.

The sole plate is made from 50% Pebax® Renu – a renewable material made largely from castor beans.

Here’s some info from Nike:

Nike has unveiled its Nike GS football boot in London today, the lightest, fastest, most environmentally-friendly production boot the company has ever made.

Due to be worn this summer, designers were challenged to create a new football boot stripped down to include only the essential elements that deliver lightweight performance and high speed control in game situations. The resulting boot is constructed using renewable and recycled materials and designed for explosive performance on the pitch and lower impact on the planet.

Every component of the Nike GS has been optimized to reduce weight and waste, creating Nike’s lightest football boot ever at 160 grams for a size 9.

Conceived and engineered in Italy, the Nike GS features recycled and renewable materials throughout the upper and plate design. A bio-based traction plate made primarily from castor beans ensures strength and flexibility on pitch alongside a sock liner made from 100% castor beans. The boot laces, lining and tongue are made from a minimum of 70% recycled materials. The toeboard and collar, feature at least 15% recycled materials.

“The Nike GS is the lightest and fastest football boot we’ve ever made and really defines a new era in how we create, design and produce elite football boots,” said Andy Caine, global design director for Nike Football. “When you can deliver a boot that combines high end performance and a low environmental footprint that’s a winning proposition for players and planet.”

Nike GS includes the following performance, recycled and renewable materials in the new boot:

Traction Plate & Stud Configuration:

Nike GS traction plate combines a high performance chassis with a strong responsive and agile form. The sole plate is made of 50% renewable Pebax® Renu (a plant derived material made with 97% castor beans) and 50% TPU, made from renewable materials. The plate is 15% lighter than a traditional plate composition.

The traction plate includes a minimalist diamond-silhouette spine, which provides optimal flex and agility in plate performance. Anatomically positioned studs maximize speed in multiple directions to ensure responsive and assured movement on pitch.

Touch & Control:

A solvent-free Kanga-Lite synthetic upper provides zonal reinforcement for exceptional touch and control. The synthetic upper also supports lockdown on midfoot and arch area.

The lightweight and chemical-free sock liner is made of 100% castor beans and eliminates any layers for a snug fit and enhanced touch on the ball.

Stability & Support:

Anatomical and asymmetrical heel counter and heel bucket locks the foot down for stability and support. The counter is made of Pebax® Renu, derived from castor bean oil.

Nike GS will be available through Nike.com and selected online retailers from August 15th.  The price will be $300.

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by Nike appeared first on Dezeen.

Three new colorways and two new leather treatments in Cole Haan’s debut collaboration with Hiroshi Fujiwara

As ColeHaan continues to rewrite the book on comfortable formal footwear with the LunarGrand, we’re excited to see today’s anouncement of the Fragment Design collaboration. Building off the original suede wingtip and leather chukka, Fragment’s Hiroshi Fujiwara—of Nike HTM fame—introduces three additional colorways in two new leather treatments, each embossed with the Fragment Design logo.

Presented in Fragment Design’s trademarked black upper with white outsole, the Scotch grain leather wingtip and chukka feature a distinct pebble grain texture to set the benchmark for subtle sophistication. Conversely, the black, putty and neon pink colorway takes a bolder, more forward-thinking approach. Inspired by Fujiwara’s desire to design a saddle shoe, the shoe is constructed of rich corrected-grain leather—buffed to reveal a uniform surface—with waterproof coating. As a solution to his design temptations, Fujiwara cleverly integrated the contrast coloring into the readily available wingtip silhouette for a contemporary take on the iconic spectator shoe.

For the final colorway of the collaboration Fujiwara presents an additional corrected-grain leather LunarGrand wingtip, this time in a putty-colored upper with a blue sole. Although the bright soles of the LunarGrands seem to push the brogues towards a more playful position, the traditionally welted soles remind the wearer—and anyone with a discerning eye—of the classic craftsmanship that goes into each pair.

The Cole Haan & Fragment Design LunarGrand wingtip and chukka will officially launch in store at Cole Haan SoHo on Friday, 13 July 2012. The Chukka will sell for $328 while the wingtips will be available for $298. For a more full look at the Hiroshi Fujiwara designed LunarGrands see the slideshow.

Detail images by Graham Hiemstra

Designed in Hackney: illustration collective Le Gun have collaborated with footwear designer Tracey Neuls to create a range of shoes inspired by items discovered inside a suitcase in a Hackney basement.

Le Gun created a drawing based on the objects and the life of their imagined owner, and each shoe in the limited edition is covered by a different part of the image.

The interior of Tracey Neuls’ Shoreditch shop is decorated with Le Gun’s illustrations and their work is exhibited alongside the shoes.

The shop opened at the end of last year on Redchurch Street, beyond the Hackney border. Le Gun have their studio by London Fields and Neuls lives in Hackney too.

See all our stories about Tracey Neuls »

Here’s some more information from LE GUN:

“Its of the trout tickling, dada loving, jazz pirate George Melly at a parade inspired by James Ensor’s painting ‘Entry of Christ’ into Brussels. The LE GUN version is: The entry of Marvin Gaye into Brussels… Marvin Gaye is riding into town on a donkey. He spent a lot of time in Belgium trying to get off crack. We have done a series of drawings based around the contents of a suitcase we found in the basement of a masonic cobblers in Hackney, which we believe belonged to the late George Melly. The drawing reflects our affection for the often overlooked cultural suburb of Belgium. We like the idea of a young Belgian surrealist wearing our Tracey Neuls shoes while becoming slowly intoxicated at A La Mort Subite…” – LE GUN

Here’s some more information from Tracey Neuls:

Tracey Neuls and LE GUN

Pioneering and of a single mind, Tracey Neuls choose her new shop where there is already great spirit and individuality – not unlike her original footwear. Building on the success of her West London Marylebone shop, she embarked on her second space – Eastside!

To celebrate this new venture, Tracey Neuls, famous for her creative collaborations has teamed up with the London illustration collective LE GUN.

Often described as ‘the gutter looking up to the sky’ LE GUN is responsible for some of the most thought provoking illustration work.‘Parade’ was one such piece that caught Neuls’ eye. “The idea of bringing the illustrative subject matter into movement via the actual body part was irresistible.”

LE GUN painted the shop walls in their signature style, ink in one hand paintbrush in the other – an instant freestyle application of meandering illustration. They treated the retail space like a gallery. The combination of using another artist’s drawing with a Tracey Neuls shoe design makes for a perfect collaboration. It’s an enjoyable experience seeing a drawing being translated onto a shoe. Neuls, known for her keen eye for detail saw the instant potential of translating the art work to textile. Each limited edition shoe has a different part of the drawing, so therefore tells a different part of the story. The print was recreated as wrapping paper, so the narrative continues inside and out!

Designed in Hackney map:

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Key:

Blue = designers
Red = architects
Yellow = brands

See a larger version of this map

Designed in Hackney is a Dezeen initiative to showcase world-class architecture and design created in the borough, which is one of the five host boroughs for the London 2012 Olympic Games as well as being home to Dezeen’s offices. We’ll publish buildings, interiors and objects that have been designed in Hackney each day until the games this summer.

More information and details of how to get involved can be found at www.designedinhackney.com.