Brendan Dunne 
You know that hexaganol Nike Zoom Air kit that shows up on the bottom of the new LeBron 12? That sneaker isn’t the only upcoming Swoosh creation that utilizes that innovative new cushioning system. Also debuting this week is the Nike Zoom Hypercross Trainer, a Nathan VanHook design that strives to be a training shoe that can handle it all. Continue reading for official imagery on this flagship volt colorway for this new Nike trainer, as well as a detailed design breakdown, and watch for the sneaker to debut on October 10th for $140 at Nike locations across the globe.
The Nike Zoom Hypercross Trainer brings legendary zoom cushioning to a training shoe that can handle it all. Born from over a quarter century of innovation and passion in designing cross training footwear, the Zoom Hypercross Trainer is a phenomenally capable tool for the athlete who brings intensity, power and obsession to every workout.
Whatever the surface, whatever the activity the Zoom Hypercross is the only footwear needed to match the challenges of the ever evolving training environment.
“Training athletes who are Zoom fans and go all out should rejoice,” said Nathan VanHook, Nike’s Footwear Design Director for Athletic Training. “The Zoom Hypercross Trainer uses our latest cushioning innovation — hexagonal Nike Zoom Air — to save weight and gain flexibility and, perhaps most importantly, allow us to place that snappy Zoom Air feel into the forefoot where athletes need it most.”
Nike Zoom Air cushioning is engineered to be highly responsive and quick off the ground. The unique responsiveness of Zoom Air comes from tightly stretched tensile fibers woven inside a pressurized Nike Air unit. Upon impact, Zoom Air tensile fibers release their tension and then snap back to their original state, generating responsive, snappy, propulsion.
Hexagonal Nike Zoom Air utilizes nature’s strongest shape, the hexagon, to give Nike designers the ability to use pressure mapping and sport-specific testing data to place the Zoom cushioning where it best serves the athlete — the forefoot. The focus for maximum cushioning typically has been in the heel but this new application serves the athlete who spends more time pivoting and exploding during intense training exercises. This innovation also saves weight and brings improved flexibility to the entire outsole of the shoe.
The Nike Zoom Hypercross Trainer utilizes this new hexagonal Zoom Air cushioning system to deliver a fast and responsive feel while also getting the athlete lower to the ground for increased stability. Four specifically-placed visible hexagonal Zoom bags provide low-profile cushioning in the forefoot, and crafted flex grooves in between allow for greater articulation. This low and flexible design promotes natural motion tuned for training.
The lightweight mesh upper is backed with soft, pliable foam for training-specific support and a great fit. Synthetic leather overlays provide structure and Dynamic Flywire cables wrap the forefoot for excellent lockdown and added support through all movements.
A full rubber outsole ensures aggressive traction on multiple training surfaces indoor and out, while outriggers on the outsole create a stable platform for lightning-quick pivots and changes of direction.
“What Zoom Air brings athletes, besides that super-responsive cushioned feel, is zero energy loss. That’s critical to ensure all their effort is directed into the training activity,” continued VanHook. “With hexagonal Nike Zoom Air, we have been able to make a really lightweight training shoe that has great Zoom responsiveness in the forefoot with a level of flexibility that we just haven’t seen before.”
The Nike Zoom Hypercross will be available in the lead Volt colorway beginning Oct. 10 at Nike.com and select retail locations.
