Brendan Dunne 
The Nike Lunar TR1 has been reborn. While this new model shares a name with that trainer design from a couple years back, make no mistake – it approaches the needs of world class athletes in a totally different way. For one, the shoe’s height has been extended to match that of a more traditional trainer. They’re also lighter than ever before – a men’s size 10 pair weighs in at 9.4 ounces. Also spun into the shoe is Flywire across the upper and the namesake Nike cushioning along the bottom. Read all there is to know about the new Nike Lunar TR1 below and watch for them at Nike spots now.
Source: Nike INC
Nike invented the cross-training category born out of a drive to meet the otherworldly needs of multisport Nike athlete Bo Jackson. Twenty-five years later, Nike unveils new state-of-the-art performance training footwear – the Nike Lunar TR1. It is a shoe for the next generation of world-class athletes who aspire to train like decathlon world record-holder Ashton Eaton.
“When I train, I look for a training shoe that can handle power on multiple surfaces, provides great stability and is as fast and agile as I am because I want it to work with me to help me get better,” said Ashton Eaton. “The second I put the Nike Lunar TR1 on I knew it was going to be perfect for my training needs. It’s light with great cushioning, it gives me a snug feeling around the foot and its super grippy.”
A quarter century of innovating for, and being inspired by, elite athletes has given Nike a unique perspective on the evolving demands of training. Lightweight for quickness, traction on multiple surfaces, unwavering support and cushioned protection are all equally prized qualities in a training shoe that can truly serve the goals of athletes.
“Nike has unrivaled insight into the evolving demands of the modern training athlete and the new Nike Lunar TR1 offers a groundbreaking combination of design and innovation to give athletes the best training footwear ever made,” says Nathan VanHook, Nike Athletic Training’s Footwear Design Director. “The kind of gym workouts we’re seeing athletes go after include a lot of agility drills, cutting, sprinting and weight-training on multiple surfaces which places demanding forces on footwear and requires solutions that are uniquely capable. So our goal was to give athletes a shoe that best combines lightweight traction, support and protection. The Nike Lunar TR1 is that shoe.”
Lightweight
The Nike Lunar TR1 is the lightest Nike Lunar Trainer training shoe yet – a men’s size 10 weighs just 9.4 ounces – 25 percent lighter than its predecessor. This remarkable achievement was made possible by utilizing a breathable, lightweight mesh that is integrated with dynamic Nike Flywire technology to hug the foot for an adaptive and comfortable fit. Being able to reduce the weight of the shoe with these innovations gives athletes improved quickness without sacrificing other critical elements such as stability, traction and protection.
Stability and Traction
Getting an athlete lower to the ground improves stability for lifting weights, increases traction and delivers greater efficiency during rapid changes of direction. The Nike Lunar TR1 has been engineered to get the athlete lower to the ground. A pressure-mapped high-traction outsole was developed specifically from studying the array of movements and types of surfaces that athletes encounter.
“Our goal is to help build the best athletes in the world so the Nike Lunar TR1 delivers a superior combination of protection, support and lightweight performance,” VanHook continues. “Plus, we think it looks pretty cool, which also matters to athletes.”
Durable Protection
The cornerstone of the performance of the new Nike Lunar TR1 is the utilization of Nike’s Lunarlon foam. Since the launch of Lunarlon cushioning six years ago, this hugely popular technology has evolved to deliver super-soft, lightweight and responsive cushioning. The benefit in a training shoe is that the cushioning keeps you low and comfortable so you can work out longer and harder. This latest application works in comfortable harmony with an athlete’s natural range of motion in an unbelievably lightweight package underfoot.
“We’ve been blown away by the performance of the new Nike Lunar TR1 but Nike practically invented cross-training so we expect the products they create to be the very best solutions for our athletes,” says Lance Walker, Performance Director Michael Johnson Performance Center. “The Nike Lunar TR1 is a training shoe that’s versatile across a range of very demanding training activities on multiple surfaces. Now our athletes don’t need to change shoes for different training environments and feel like they are better equipped to perform.”
The new Nike Lunar TR1 is now available at Nike.com and select retail locations.
