CLOSER LOOK: NIKE PG4

Posted on Jan 9, 2020 in Nike

A little under a week ago, retailers around the metro released Paul George’s latest signature shoe, the PG4. Just the other day, Nike Basketball officially unveiled the sneaker in front of sneaker media outlets with PG showing off his latest sneaker. As PG continues to provide feedback for his signature shoe, designer Tony Hardman noticed that George’s movement is all about effortless motion. As stated during the PG3, Paul wants to rid of useless movement so that he can perform even better in late-game situations. For the PG4, it’s all about control and efficiency on court.

For the PG4’s tooling, Nike introduces the Air Strobel – a lightweight footbed made up of a full-length Nike Air unit, sewn onto the upper for better cushioning (think KD12). This provides the athlete with a more responsive feel while keeping it stable around the heel. The same full-length Air caters to PG’s game as he engages the full surface area of the foot, whether he’s timing a crossover or needs to make an irregularly-paced burst.

Here are some sketches to better illustrate the PG4’s Air unit and other updates to the shoe:

The Nike Air unit, acting as a footbed, runs the entire length of the shoe, creating an immediate and comfortable sensory response. This unit takes the place of the traditional strobel, shown here in an illustration by Nike designer Tony Hardman.

*The dot-weld layout of the Air unit resembles the outsole’s traction pattern.*

*An outsole cutout lets you see the Air unit.*

*With the mesh-zippered shroud, Nike took design inspiration from the Air Flight ’98*

As mentioned above, the semi-transparent mesh-zippered shroud took inspiration from the Air Flight ’98. The shroud keeps the shoe flexible, style-wise. The PG4 can be worn with the laces worn within or worn externally with the two lace holes found near the collar.

“Paul likes to play with his laces over the shroud. During play, the mesh is a window into the color choices,” the designer says. “It’s when the shoe is unzipped that you can see the range of combinations added by the laces. Between the upper colorways and the lacing colors beneath the mesh, players can make the look their own.”

Paul George PG4 Official Images and Release Date 9 — *A tearaway reveals the components of the PG4, from the zippered shroud, to the speed lacing system and down to the hard rubber outsole.*

The lead colorway of the Nike PG4 is now available across Nike stores and stockists such as Titan, Nike Park, Nike Forum and several others. The shoe retails for Php 5,795. Check out some more sketches and design details below.