The Nike ISPA Flow 2020 is inspired by extreme sports athletes who take a DIY approach to maximizing their equipment. Colloquially known as “gram shavers,” these athletes constantly trim down to the bare necessities. In the Flow, all-day footwear is brought to its most lightweight and breathable through a perforated outsole that allows internal intake of airflow. Think of it as walking on a subtle breeze.
Study of common heat maps of the human foot informed where hotspots are most likely to occur. Then, working with generative design engineers, the framework for the shoe’s outsole and its open weave mono mesh was formed to bring ideas born in Nike’s past into the future.
From digging into the Department of Nike Archives to experimenting with cutting-edge technology, the creation of the ISPA Flow is ISPA process at its nerdiest, in service of creating ISPA footwear at its coolest.