Nike Joyride
Nike unveils its latest, and possibly greatest advancement in running technology; Joyride cushioning. Much like Air, Free, Lunarlon, and React that came before it, Joyride is set to be an important innovation on which Nike will continue to build over time. Developed as an all-purpose running technology, Joyride is projected to make all types of runners better. Pods filled with thousands of beads work to cushion your stride, adapting to every runner’s own foot strike and providing a more responsive and personalized cushioning system.
Underlining the magnitude of this innovation, Kylee Barton, Nike’s global senior footwear product director, tells Highsnobiety, “It literally took years, and years, of innovation to create these beads through combined insight that we had to make the run easier for runners.”
Originally, the technology featured one large slab of beads but, due to feedback from runners, Nike made what it considers to be vital changes. “We went back to the drawing board and we identified these cavities,” says Barton. “So the beads are able to move within the cavities, but they stay confined in their space and they don’t run wild under your feet.”
The technology’s tagline, “Thousands of tiny beads working hard, so you don’t have to,” is meant very literally. “In the men’s US 10, there are 11,000 beads in each half pair, and in the women’s US 8 there are 9,000 beads in each half pair,” reveals Barton.
Considering Nike’s React cushioning was introduced fairly recently, Barton explains the differences between the two systems. “Joyride has a little bit more responsiveness and it’s actually softer. It’s different to React in terms of how the foam and beads work together, not necessarily better or worse than React.”
Written by: Fabian Gorsler
Source: Highsnobiety.com