Nike Basketball gives energy return withh the Nike Air Zoom BB NXT

Just the other day, Nike held their annual Innovation Summit showcasing the best the brand has to offer for the year and the future. Just like 2012 and 2016, a lot of the products will make their debut during the Summer Olympics, which will happen in Tokyo later this year. For Basketball, the brand’s focus was to improve energy return, and utilized their most efficient cushioning platform to create the Nike Air Zoom BB NXT.

“The game and the athletes have evolved in this new era of basketball,” says Klein. “We now have athletes that are ‘positionless’ and generate the values of all positions on court. Within the NBA alone these positionless athletes face a grueling journey, starting with the offseason training, then preseason, and into the 82-game season, playoffs, Finals. Fatigue is the enemy and endurance is the goal.”

While the key focus of the shoe centralizes on energy retrun, optimized cushioning and strength, other innovations include:

• Exposed Nike React foam under the heel provides a soft, responsive sensation
• A thin plate positioned above the foam provides torsional rigidity
• Two Air Zoom units positioned under the ball of the foot continually absorb an athlete’s energy and provide great responsiveness
• The upper is a lightweight mesh with a tactile, textured print that provides support and durability where athletes need it
• A plush foam tongue and padded collar with a notch to support the Achilles tendon provides a comfortable fit

The Nike Air Zoom BB NXT takes center stage during the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020 and will release July 1.