hyperfuse
Nike ‘No Sew’ Tech
Over the last few seasons Nike keep on pushing the fundamentals of sneaker manufacture with technologies like Hyperfuse, Vac tech and now No-Sew!
So far they have only introduced these techiques to the Nike Air Max 1, Nike Air Max 90 and Nike Air Force 1, but they are extending this olive branch to the much loved and slightly misguided Nike Air Max 95.
When I say misguided I mean that when this was released in 1995 it was the most amazing sneaker ever produced. The body like rib cage and the visible air under the toes were a revelation. The Air Max 95 was hot property for several years then It got a bit lost, it’s repuation suffered and things went a bit down hill for this revolutionary silhouette…..but thats about to change.
2012 is a big for Nike and great to see them re-ignite this landmark sneaker with this ‘No-Sew’ tech.
The previous Nike Air Max 95′s had uppers constructed from gradient shades of grey felt, but this is now a super thin rubber composite and gives a super clean finish and smooth lines.
Personally, I’ve got a soft spot for this sneaker and my fingers are crossed that it starts to regain some of it’s integrity.
We will be stocking both of these colourways when they are released in Summer 2012.
Hit us with your comments.
Nike’s motivation behind the Hyperfuse
I’ve had both the standard Air Max 1 and the Hyperfuse sat on my desk for the last week. They’ve been a real talking point with the team here at SoleHeaven and with some of our regular customers.
In general the opinion has been a positive one, the Hyperfuse’s overall form factor is slimmer, it has a neatly tapered toebox, and sits nice and low at the front. However some people have been frustrated but the colourways and the appeared lack of colour variations this type of construction can offer. At a glance it’s silhouette has a surprisingly similar aesthetic to an Air Max 90.
Here are some stats, the heel patch an top eyestay’s are 4mm higher than standard, and the hyperfuse actually weighed in 25g heavier at 375g. On the foot it feels faintly narrower, but nothing off-putting.
The Hyperfuse splits opinion on many levels, but that can only be a positive thing for the sneaker game!
I believe the most interesting thing about the Hyperfuse Technology is the motivation behind it, why have Nike decided to innovate in this way?
Just to recap, Hyperfuse is the creation of Nike’s Portland-based mad scientist laboratory, aptly called The Innovation Kitchen. There’s been a lot of heat around this groundbreaking technology and it has certainly helped the performance shoe sector by bringing down weight and improving comfort.
You’ve probably heard the facts being discussed in great detail recently, but just to sum up the Hyperfuse technology creates a stitch-less upper by fusing a 3 layer composite to form one continuous piece of lightweight and breathable material.
The official line from Nike is the Hyperfuse takes its cues from the innovative carbon fibre composites used when engineering Formula One racing cars. “Racing cars back in the day were a bunch of steel bolted together, whilst today it’s just one giant part, and this is the future for our footwear”
The fascinating thing is how they have aligned this product to the most advanced form of performance engineering thereby giving the sense that it’s all about being at the pinnacle of sport. Some people , however , have a different take on why Nike have incorporated this technology into mass produced product lines, instead of only reserving it for genuine performance shoes.
My feeling is that the true motivation behind this technology is the reduction of labour costs. It’s been a tough few years for every sector, and efficiency saving are what the boardroom demands as they seek to maintain profits. So the real motive could be that the more machinery they can use to manufacture mass produced products, the better.
It will be interesting to see which other product lines become Hyperfuse, and if Nike start phasing out traditionally stitched models from their range all together.
Only time will tell on this one!
Now it’s all about getting the Hyperfuse on people feet to see what broader feeling is. I’m sure as this tech & design develops, it will throw up lots of interesting talking points and this is just one of them.
You can purchase the Nike Air Max 1 Hyperfuse PRM – £94.00
You can purchase the Standard Obsidian Nike Air Max 1 – £84.00
Click here If your looking for the Nike Air Force 1 Hyperfuse – £94.00
These fantastic photo’s were taken by David Bilbrough using a Rolleiflex 3.5f with Kodak Portra 400 Film http://www.davidbilbrough.co.uk/Site/HOME.html
Nike Innovation or Automation?
We’ve been having a very interesting debate here at SoleHeaven HQ with colleagues, friends and customers about the future of sneaker design and manufactuering advancement.
In our last two buying appointment’s we’ve had with Nike, they have introduced two advancements in how they design and manufactuer their new range of Nike Air Max 1, Air Max 90 & Air Force 1. Those innovations are called Nike Hyperfuse and Nike Vac-Tech.
Over the coming weeks Nike’s Hyperfuse technology will be released via the next generation of Nike Air Max 1, Nike Air Max 90 & Nike Air Force 1. Hyperfuse uses heat and pressure to weld the panels together, hence no stitching.
And this is the issue, if there is no stitching they can reduce their labour costs, because only a machine can heat weld. Does this design innovation actually disguise the fact that they are automating to reduce labour costs, or is this genuine innovation?
What do you think?
