Nike Air Foamposite

NIKE AIR FOAMPOSITE

Original Foamposite Ad 1997

“There was no brief  it was pure experimentation.”- Eric Avar

The Nike Air Foamposite One is a shoe that opened minds and assisted a generation of players. What many don’t know is that it was inspired by sunglass protection. Uniting the Advanced group, then known as A.P.E. (Advanced Product Engineering), marketing and the designers at Nike, lead designer Eric Avar recalls the question, “Okay, what could we do? How do we step outside of the norm of the way we look at design and manufacturing shoes?”

During a meeting, a molded sunglass case on the table became a focal point. Made of EVA foam with a fabric cover, the case was lightweight, but it had structure and form. It inspired Avar and the team. “We were like, ‘Wow, wouldn’t that be great if we were able to do a shoe like that?’ It was one piece, it was seamless design and it just conformed around the object.”

That inspiration was just the start of a three-year endeavor to develop and refine manufacturing techniques that could reach that end goal. It was a total team effort of designers, developers and engineers.

A poured PU envelope would create a seamless fluid structure. Add the performance attributes of Nike’s best basketball footwear at the time and you had a radical departure in design — a high-performing shoe with an unorthodox appearance.

The Foamposite now needed its athlete. “We had it and we’d been working with it for some time and were, quite honestly, a little undecided on what to do with it,” recalled Avar. On meeting Penny Hardaway to discuss the Nike Air Penny III, Avar brought along an early Foamposite sample. “I wasn’t sure I was even going to show that sample to him. We had other ideas we were presenting. But he leaned over, looked into the bag and said, ‘What is that?’ He reached in, grabbed it and he says, ‘This is my next shoe!’ I was like, ‘Okay! There’s the go-to-market strategy!’”

Perhaps subconsciously, Penny was the target all along. Adding iridescent colors to the Foamposite was a logical step in a bold new process, showcasing the dimensions of the shoe and its seamless build. But why blue? Avar feels it was an unconscious decision. “I think that was one of the reasons I picked blue I had Penny in mind.”

Foam Archive 5 5 12 2Air Foamposite One – Royal – 1997Spacer Spacer Foamposite White 1997Air Foamposite Pro – White – 1997
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Spacer Black Foam Pro 1997 SilverAir Foamposite Pro – Black/Gum – 1997
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Voltage Foam Archive ThumbAir Foamposite Pro – Voltage – 1997
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Spacer 2000 Black FoampositeAir Foamposite Pro – Black – 2000
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Spacer 1510Air Foamposite Pro – Royal – 2001
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Foam Archive 5 5 12 3Air Foamposite Pro – Pearl – 2002
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Spacer Red Foamposite Pro Archive ThumbAir Foamposite Pro – Varsity Red -2002
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Spacer Black Foamposite Pro Archive ThumbAir Foamposite Pro – Black – 2002
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Black Foamposite Pro Archive ThumbAir Foamposite Pro – Black – 2003
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Spacer Foam Archive 5 5 12 1Air Foamposite Pro – University Blue – 2003
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Spacer Black Foamposite Pro Archive ThumbAir Foamposite Pro – Black – 2004
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Silver FoampositeAir Foamposite Pro – Black/Silver – 2006
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Spacer 1559Air Foamposite Pro – Dr. Doom – 2006Spacer Spacer 5022007Air Foamposite One – Royal – 2007
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1299Air Foamposite One – Black – 2007
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Spacer 1032Air Foamposite One – Cactus – 2007Spacer Spacer 1294Air Foamposite One – Black/Red – 2007
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14032011Air Foamposite One – Royal (HOH) – 2008
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Spacer 1247Air Foamposite One – Dark Army (HOH) – 2008Spacer Spacer Silver FoampositeAir Foamposite Pro – Silver – 2008
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12782010Air Foamposite One – Eggplant – 2009
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Spacer 1305Air Foamposite Pro – Pearl (HOH) – 2009Spacer Spacer 12782010Air Foamposite One – Eggplant – 2010
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1354Air Foamposite One – Copper – 2010
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Spacer 1305Air Foamposite Pro – Pearl – 2010Spacer Spacer 1401Air Foamposite One – Cough Drop – 2010
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11932008hohAir Foamposite One – Royal – 2011
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Spacer 1420Air Foamposite One – Metallic Pewter – 2011Spacer Spacer 1415Air Foamposite Pro – Electric Green – 2011
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1444Air Foamposite One – Neo Lime (HOH) – 2011
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Spacer 1449Air Foamposite Pro – Retro Blue – 2011Spacer Spacer 1454
Air Foamposite Pro – Dark Pine – 2011

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1550gAir Foamposite One – Galaxy – 2012
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Spacer 1509Air Foamposite One – Metallic Red – 2012Spacer Spacer 1563Air Foamposite One – Electrolime – 2012
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Gym Green ArchiveAir Foamposite Pro – Gem Green – 2012
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Spacer Paranorman ArchiveAir Foamposite One – ParaNorman – 2012Spacer Spacer Crimson Foam Archive
Air Foamposite Pro – Bright Crimson – 2012

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Pink Foam ArchAir Foamposite One – Polarized Pink – 2012
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Spacer Blk Foam ArchAir Foamposite One – Black – Medium Grey – 2012Spacer Spacer
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