Nike’s Unreleased “Cool Out” Concept Meant To Help With Post-Game Recovery

Another project led by Aaron Cooper that never actualized.

Jared Ebanks December 4, 2023

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Since joining Instagram this past summer, legendary Nike sneaker designer Aaron Cooper has routinely dropped nuggets of knowledge across the ecosystem. From revealing the false Hummer-inspired narrative of the Air Zoom Generation to showcasing a litany of conceptualized silhouettes that never made it to market, Cooper recently unveiled sketched imagery and background information on an innovative tooling built for athletes looking for post-practice and competition relief.

According to Cooper, the idea behind the innovation was a “performance sock” that athletes could wear before and after working out, which would lead to faster recovery. At the same time, a detachable underfoot protection system would allow for the athlete to simply transition to and from practice and games by slipping into the EVA-injected slide. Boasting a cut-and-sew construction, the upper sock-like bootie utilized a screened traction pattern eerily similar to the Air Presto.

While the model never made it to market – with Cooper noting that athletes typically preferred to wear slides with the socks they had just performed in – the warped detailing of the footbridge would eventually go on to influence the upper of the circa 2002 Nike Shox Stunner. More recently, Jordan Brand and Converse have replicated the slip-in concept initially devised by Cooper in 2000.

Enjoy a detailed look at the unreleased Nike Cool Out below while we await further archival storytimes from legendary sneaker designer Aaron Cooper.

Aaron Cooper Nike Cool Out Concept Comparison