When the most decorated 100-metre sprinter ever stepped to the line for a final time, she told herself what she knew: that she was prepared, powerful and this race was hers—for her. The next handful of seconds were to honour everything that had brought her to this moment.Green, yellow and black hair whipping behind her—a self-proclaimed "daughter of the soil", who chose to wear the colours of her nation's flag for her final finish—gold-hued&nbsp;nails splayed in front of her, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-celebrates-shelly-ann-fraser-pryce" target="_blank">Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce</a> exploded off the blocks in the World Athletics Championship final in a capacity-filled Japan National Stadium in Tokyo. She ended her 100-metre career in the same way she began racing 18 years ago in Japan—with fierce speed, strength and composure. It was a bold tribute to Jamaica, the nation whose unyielding support has carried her through two decades at the top of the sport.In her decades of dominance—from becoming the first Caribbean woman to win Olympic gold in the 100 metres in 2008, to returning as World Champion in 2019 after giving birth to her son, Zyon—Shelly-Ann has embodied the power of duality.&nbsp;The ability to have longevity in athletics's shortest, most intense discipline; exuding femininity and self-expression in a physically demanding sport; proving motherhood and greatness can coexist.What athletes everywhere, and especially young girls, can take from Shelly-Ann's lead: the courage to run your own race, on your terms. To trust that setbacks don't define you, only your response to them. And the assurance that, if you believe in yourself and work with discipline, harmony is possible. Dreams and family, career and legacy.For that and for the now 276 incredible races and finishing line moments, thank you, Shelly-Ann.Below, go behind the scenes of the GOAT's final meet days in Tokyo.

The shoes. The hair. The finish. At the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Shelly-Ann, a five-time world champion, ended her career her way.

Sofieke van Bilsen is a 29-year-old Dutch photographer with a passion for storytelling through imagery. She is the in-house photographer for the German women's national football team, and was team photographer for the German Olympic Team in Paris 2024. She works closely with Nike athletes such as Faith Kipyegon, Eliud Kipchoge and Sifan Hassan.In her photography, she aims to create compelling visual narratives, focusing on the deep connection between emotion and athleticism. She strives to capture the raw moments behind the scenes, the untold stories of the journey and everything in between, bringing the spirit of sport to life.Sofieke's personality creates instant connections with people, and she is loved by the athletes she works with. Her relaxed and enthusiastic personality complements an incredible skill level and the ability to work in high-pressure environments for athletes.

Sofieke van Bilsen

Photo essay

Icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Ran Her Final 100 Metre On Her Terms

Over the course of his career, LeBron James has shared his passion for the game globally, partnering with Nike to travel throughout Greater China during his offseason, galvanizing a nation in its love for basketball and hoops culture. Just as LeBron's career has evolved through different eras, his tours have represented different values over the many times he's visited since 2005. Below are some of his most memorable moments in the country.

2005–2009

LeBron began his debut tour in Beijing in August of 2005. He was invited to watch the awards ceremony of the Nike Battlegrounds tournament, but he'd depart as more than just a spectator. From the moment he stepped down in China, he believed his tour could become a cross-cultural exchange rooted in a shared love of hoops and a mission to inspire the next generation of young players in China. "Basketball is not only a sport, it's also a bridge that connects people", he said.&nbsp;"This is a great learning experience for everyone. I hope I can continue to help grow the game globally and inspire the youth in China to reach their dreams".

LeBron's legacy in China is woven into special China-specific iterations of his signature footwear. In 2007, LeBron James appeared alongside NIKE, Inc.'s then-President & CEO Mark Parker to debut his Nike Zoom LeBron V "China" colourway.

LeBron returned to Beijing in 2009 after his MVP season, where he enjoyed a hero's welcome. As part of his trip, he donated equipment and provided scholarships for the Zhenhua School, a school for the children of migrant workers in suburban Beijing.

To celebrate his season, LeBron was presented with an exclusive pair of the Nike Air Max LeBron VII, featuring a Shenyang-inspired design dubbed "Loyalty" created by the local artist Ray Lei, and a Shanghai-inspired design dubbed "Family", created by the local artist Sic.

2011–2015

LeBron embraced his role as a global ambassador for the game, focusing on the opportunity to inspire China's young players. In 2011, his tour expanded to eight days over four cities, promoting grassroots basketball through a series of skill clinics and tournaments.

In 2012, with a fresh gold medal to pair with his championship ring, LeBron James made a triumphant arrival in Beijing to kick off a four-day tour as part of the&nbsp;Find Your Greatness campaign. "Greatness is defined by how much you want to put into what you do", said LeBron. "Greatness comes with victory. It also comes with being able to come back from adversity".

In 2013, LeBron returned to China with plenty to celebrate: his second straight NBA championship and MVP awards for both the regular season and the Finals.

In 2014, LeBron James was the first mentor to announce the roster for the Nike RISE, designed to help players raise their competitive game and improve their skill.

In 2015, Nike RISE 2015 evolved with LED Courts and motion-tracking drills to create a pinnacle training experience, teach the fundamentals of basketball and push the boundaries of sports training.

An emotional finale saw four players chosen to represent China at the World Streetball Championships.

2016–2019

After winning another NBA title in 2016, LeBron entered Guangzhou to a massive championship parade, the streets flanked by tens of thousands of fans, many of them in Cavs #23 jerseys. It was a signal for just how widely James's legacy had expanded throughout Asia.&nbsp;His More Than an Athlete campaign inspired young players to see basketball as one of many tools for affecting social change.

After a warm welcome from thousands of fans, he spent most of his time in Beijing working out with and coaching members of the Chinese Junior National basketball team.

Visiting primary schools throughout Beijing, LeBron shared his personal basketball experiences with young athletes, emphasising the role that hard work, dedication and self-belief played in his path to success.

In 2018, the first day of his "More Than an Athlete" tour in Shanghai began with a panel discussion with students at the Shanghai Theatre&nbsp;Academy, and ended with a park shootaround. Hundreds of fans gathered outside the court to watch him play, hoping to catch a glimpse of the icon.

This month, LeBron flew to China for his "Forever King Tour", his 15th in the country and marking the 20th anniversary of tours in Asia. There, he joined some of the world's most passionate hoopers and basketball fans, reiterating his commitment to giving back to the game across the world.

Over the course of his career, LeBron James has shared his passion for the game globally, partnering with Nike to travel throughout Greater China during his offseason, galvanizing a nation in its love for basketball and hoops culture.

Journey of an icon: 20 years of LeBron James in China

Hours of powering up steep ascents and navigating gnarly descents. Whipping mountain winds, glaring direct sun and biting evening temps. Getting mentally right with the fact that the next aid station is far, far away. Ultra trail running can sound like a gruelling, relentless sport reserved for the wildest, most hardcore athletes among us.According to our <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-acg-all-conditions-racing-department" target="_blank">All Conditions Racing Department</a> runners—six of whom just conquered pinnacle UTMB races across the French, Italian and Swiss Alps, on trails spanning 15 to 174 kilometres, with elevation gains of 1,200 to nearly 10,000 metres—the grit, determination, joy and freedom trail running gives you are worth every ounce of work. See for yourself.

<h3>ROSS GOLLAN</h3>Race: Experience Trail Courmayeur (ETC); 15K with 1,200m elevation gain Global finish rank: 29th

<h3>MARIE NIVET</h3>Race: ETC; 15K with 1,200m elevation gain Global women's finish rank: 7th

CESARE MAESTRIRace: ETC; 15K with 1,200m elevation gain Global finish rank: 2nd

<h3>BAPTISTE COATANTIEC</h3>Race: Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB); 174K with nearly 10,000m elevation gain Global finish rank: 11th

<h3>ANTHONY COSTALES</h3>Race: Courmayeur—Champex—Chamonix (CCC); 101K with more than 6,050m elevation gain Global finish rank: 15th

<h3>DREW HOLMEN</h3>Race: CCC; 101K with more than 6,050m elevation gain Global finish rank: 3rd

Powering up steep ascents. Navigating gnarly descents. Whipping mountain winds. Ultra trail running is a relentless sport. But the payoff is well worth the grind.

Ultra trail running can take everything you've got—and give you even more

About Nike—stories from inside NIKE, Inc.

If golfer Tony Finau had to name his Flu Game moment, it was during the 2018 Masters. He had just sunk a hole-in-one on the par-3 course at Augusta National. He celebrated by taking off sprinting towards the hole when, improbably, he took an awkward step and dislocated his left ankle (fair warning for anyone who wants to look up the video: it is gnarly). In grimacing pain but undeterred, he popped his ankle back into place himself and resumed play, where he'd complete the week with a top-10 finish. Oh, and two months later, he would make the final group at the US Open. And he'd qualify for his first Ryder Cup. All in a year when he could barely put any pressure on his left foot.Digging deep to test his physical limits is a signature quality of Finau, who joins Jordan Brand this month as the newest member of its golf roster. You wouldn't know any such challenge existed just by looking at him. The lithe 6'4" athlete has one of the most powerful drives on the pro tour, able to crush the ball at over 200mph since he was 17 years old. He was recruited for hoops out of secondary school, and he descends from a proud lineage of skilled Tongan and Samoan athletes, particularly in American football. When his personal calling to golf was too great to ignore, he worked as hard as possible to reach the sport's top level, rolling the dice by auditioning for a reality TV golf show and then undergoing a brutal mini-tour schedule for years that forced him to travel at a ruthless pace across the country. Was it worth it? No question. Below, Finau talks about the twists his career has taken, his moments of greatest perseverance and all things drive.&nbsp; Certain career moments cause you to flip your definition of what winning means. Take that Masters in 2018. It was an incredible moment, that hole-in-one, followed by the most embarrassing moment of my life on national TV. Fast forward to the end of the tournament. I birdied six out of my last seven holes. I shot 66 that Sunday. Walking off the 72nd hole, I truly felt like I won. I felt like somebody should've given me the Green Jacket. In life, we're going to fall down a lot more times than we're going to win. But does that actually mean that we lost? I don't look at it that way.

There'll be windows of your life where you need to gut it out just to see what you're really made of. I turned pro in 2007, but I didn't get onto the PGA Tour until 2013, so there was a six-year period where I had to tough it out on the Mini-Tour life and learn how to play the game, travel and take the small wins where I could. On the Mini-Tour, you're fighting for every dollar, your literal livelihood. There were plenty of nights I slept in my car and I went without eating just so I could scrape by. Those were some of the hardest years of my life, but also some of the greatest, because I learned what I can become with a little bit of sacrifice.&nbsp;Individual sports demand a certain kind of passion. In a sport like golf, you don't have any teammates to lean on. It's just you out there. Some people have a hard time without that team component, but when I started golfing at a young age, I found I really enjoyed the game's individual aspects. It was on me to figure it out, to piece together the ways I could improve. When I got on the golf course, it was a matter of locking in and learning how to focus.Composure has nothing to do with your athletic skill but has everything to do with the life of an athlete. My brother and I went on The Big Break, a reality TV competition on the Golf Channel, in 2009. I was 20 years old at the time. We were around the camera 24/7. Everywhere we went, they were recording us. It was crazy, and it took some getting used to, but I remember leaving that experience and telling myself, "You're going to be a great golfer. This media exposure is how it's going to be if you turn pro". Being on the show got me to the point where it didn't really matter who was watching me. I just needed to stay focused and play my game.&nbsp;Sport was only part of my family's background. Being Polynesian, my mum had a luau show as I was growing up, so I learned how to play a lot of different instruments as a performer in her show. One of the first instruments I learned was the to'ere, which is like a Tahitian drum. I also did traditional Polynesian fire dancing as a kid. Music and dancing were as core to my identity as sport was.&nbsp;It's easy to be an on- and off-switch person. But greatness means being your best at all times of the day, not just when it's convenient. My mum used to tell me, "The way you do one thing is the way you do all things". Golf is just one example. Trying to be great at a game that's impossibly hard, a game you can't perfect, doesn't mean that you stop trying. You keep trying to reach for more out of yourself. I'm trying to be great in all aspects of my life, whether that's on the course, in the gym, being a husband, being a father. I'm trying to push past my own limits in all aspects of my life.&nbsp;

Golfers tend to be pretty superstitious people. One of my rituals is that I wear green every Sunday. My mum, she passed away in 2011—her favourite colour was green. Wearing green is a way I like to honour her, a way to remember she's with me all the time on the course.&nbsp;Joining the Jordan Brand marks a new chapter in my career. Obviously Michael represents excellence at the highest level. Jordan Brand is incredible to be a part of and Michael is an incredible individual to represent. I met him for the first time when I was 17, and during the times I've played at his private course in Florida, The Grove, he's always told me, "Anytime you're in this area, you're welcome here". So in 2024, I'm playing a playoff event. I know I'm going to be in West Palm after the playoffs for a shoot I'm doing with one of my sponsors. My son was with me on the trip, and the thought crossed my mind, "It would be the coolest thing on Earth if I could bring my son to play The Grove". I texted Michael on a whim and asked him. He got back to me 30 seconds later: "We're actually closed for the weekend, but I'll open the course just for you and your son. Please bring him and we'll make it happen". We played 18 holes that day and had the entire course to ourselves, just me and my son. That single experience is something I'll never forget. That's the effect Michael has on people. You can download more images, as well as an accompanying film welcoming Finau to the Jordan Brand family, by clicking <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://media-assets.nike.com/en/pitches/jordan-brand-welcomes-tony-finau-to-its-golf-roster?secret=29e440c91211da0d9af84d3e374afd15" target="_blank">here</a>.

The pro golfer and newest member of the Jordan Brand Golf roster has never backed down from a challenge.

For the win

For Tony Finau, Going the Distance is a Mindset

While most of us got through our early years in secondary school trying to blend in, Jane Hedengren remembers wanting to leave her mark: breaking her school's record in the mile. She was 12 years old, new to organised track and intent on sealing the record by the end of the school year. Her father, John, took her to a university track on a cold autumn afternoon for 400-metre repeats to test her capacity. She was trying and failing to hit her splits. That's when John, a former runner at Brigham Young University (BYU), joined her for the workout, cutting through the chilly, high desert air, pulling up the pace but staying near enough to encourage Jane as she willed herself forward. She'd eventually hit those splits, and she'd later break her school's record that spring.&nbsp;Now out of secondary school, Jane Hedengren has established herself as one of the most accomplished amateur distance runners in American history. She arguably had the most dominant secondary school season ever in 2024, male or female, breaking nine secondary school records spanning the mile to the 5K. She'd be the first to say that she hasn't accomplished these feats alone.&nbsp;Along with her family's support, Jane's teammates include those coaches and runners from the Nike Elite Programme, which invites 40 of the nation's top runners to experience the comprehensive training tools provided by Nike coaches all year long, culminating in some of the nation's preeminent meets during the cross-country, indoor and outdoor seasons. All seasons in which Jane dominated.Here, in her own words, she speaks to how that support has set her up for a professional running future and for starting her own university running career at BYU in the autumn.

The indoor and outdoor seasons give you many opportunities to prove yourself. Nike Indoor Nationals this year was special, because I was able to run the 5K for the first time on the track. I had to put myself out there.Good coaches can turn a phrase and get you motivated. During that Nike Indoor Nationals meet, one of my coaches from the Nike Elite Programme, Juli Benson, told me, "I know you're in a good spot. Let's see if you're in a great spot". Then it was like the lesson my dad taught me: you'll see once you're in that last 2K of the race. I was able to close out hard. A lot of good stuff can come from having an open mind and getting the most out of yourself.&nbsp;This year was a season of firsts. Last autumn was my first time at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/nike-cross-nationals-2024-official-images" target="null">Nike Cross Nationals</a>. It was really exciting to feel as fresh as I did on race day. The field was strong, so I wanted to stay patient, because the course with the weather conditions can be unforgiving. I kept steady early on and maintained my pace. It's special to finish a race and not expect that level of performance out of yourself.

I love how running has different disciplines within it. Cross-country and track are special in their own right, and they're so different. I love how the competition of cross-country takes place in this long, tough terrain. It embodies what running is all about: being out in nature, competing with other runners. Track is really fun for me. It's a bit quicker, and competition also plays a role, but there's a certain thing to be said about trying to hit certain times. You're also able to use a variety of distances as a guardrail to monitor how you're feeling.&nbsp;Your performances aren't the only part of your racing that evolves. Your training changes, too. Strength training has been a big part of my development process. Early on, I was running around 30 miles a week, doing some light workouts here and there with some cross-training. As the years have gone on, I've upped the intensity and volume. This last season, I was doing up to 55 miles a week while doing more intense workouts and feeling good and strong. I think I realised I had a talent probably right around year 11 of secondary school. I had been working and staying more consistent. Plus, no matter how I performed, I always had a love for running. I loved the freedom it afforded me. I could get away from my life's stresses and have this thing I could work toward and use to discover more about myself. That happened as soon as I started running, and it's evolved as I've gotten older and have been more in touch with the sport.&nbsp;

You can always find a new challenge to overcome as you get older. I'm really excited for this next chapter with BYU. I'm open to trying new distances, racing against different competition. I want to try it all. It's great that university isn't just a one-off experience. You learn these lessons over time. I'll have time to get a hold of things, find my rhythm and routine, get to know my teammates, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/women-running-culture-mumbai-india-nike-after-dark-tour" target="null">Coach Diljeet Taylor</a> and the other staff.&nbsp;I've been really careful about thinking too far ahead. People will ask me about aspirations like medalling in the Olympics or finding a prominence on the world stage. Those goals are incredible, obviously, and I'm working toward them, but the truth is, I don't know where I'll be in a few years. What I can focus on right now is keeping myself healthy, enjoying the sport and loving those around me.&nbsp;I'm taking things one step at a time.&nbsp;

Proving her talent across Nike's cross-country, indoor and outdoor championships, Hedengren finished her secondary school career as one of the most accomplished middle- and long-distance runners of all time.

How I got here

Indoors and out, runner Jane Hedengren is rewriting history

Think <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/jordan-brand-luka-4-official-images" target="_blank">Luka Dončić</a> and your mental picture is probably his signature step-back jumper. The unthinkable passes that land perfectly in the hands of his teammates. The creativity under pressure and borderline court omniscience that cause endless headaches for his opponents.You probably know Luka as a fierce competitor who brings a trademark tenacity to each play. A generational talent, fuelled by an expert basketball IQ. A force to be reckoned with, owning every possession and controlling the pace of the game.But Luka, a consummate hooper, also contains multitudes off the court. He loves the serenity of the ocean and grilling a good cut of beef. He's <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@espn/video/7467995779832024362?lang=en" target="null">as comfortable gaming</a> as he is driving to the hoop for a Euro step and if he weren't on the hardwood, he'd choose running point on the gridiron. Above all else, he's incredibly proud of his 1-year-old daughter, Gabriela, whom he considers his greatest inspiration.Here, Luka shares more about his passions away from the game and how they make him a better player, when he knew he was living his childhood dream and the crossover skill between two of his favourite pastimes, fishing and basketball.Getting out on the water is one of my favourite things. My father had some small boats when I was young and we started going out together when I was maybe 7 years old. Today, renting a boat reminds me of my childhood: I love being on the ocean, just relaxing, driving the boat and getting some sun.I enjoy the peace of the ocean—there's so much space and nothing more important than appreciating the views and catching some fish. The last time I was in Mexico I caught a marlin. That was an amazing moment. Probably the coolest thing I've ever caught was a little shark. Once I had a very big fish on the line, battling for seven to 10 minutes but it escaped right under the boat—a definite disappointment.Fishing betters my game and basketball betters my fishing because they both require an essential skill: patience. Mostly, I like to fish to get out on the water, relax and enjoy the sun. But fishing is a reminder of the patience that's required in basketball and in life. You need patience no matter what.

My mentality away from the game is much more relaxed. I think off the court I'm more chill—staying home, enjoying time outside, not talking too much. On the court, I like to talk more and be aggressive; it's&nbsp;working hard and having fun.I was born with an intense competitive drive. Ever since I was a kid, I've been competitive in almost everything I do. That's why it's important for me to compete hard on the court and then to recharge with other hobbies and have time with my family and friends.If I had to pick a position in another sport, I'd love to play quarterback. When I was younger, I played a lot of sports. Basketball was obviously my favourite and I played outdoors almost every day after school. I also tried tennis and&nbsp;football—just being outdoors was fun for me. I've since really grown to like American football and I have a strong arm and great vision, so I think I could QB pretty well.When I'm not training or competing, I like to go out and grill, usually a good steak and some corn. I normally cook out when it's sunny, which helps me relax with my family and recharge for my training and busy schedule during the season.My daughter brings me the most pride of anything in the world. She's my greatest supporter in life, even if she doesn't know it yet. That drives me every day. She's 15 months old and I love spending time with her and playing with her.I remember when I realised I was living my childhood dream. I left my home when I was 12 years old to go alone and play for Real Madrid. I was just settling in during my first year with the team. But in my second year, I started to come into my own. Playing for the best basketball club in Europe, that's how I knew I was making my dreams a reality.I don't usually get nervous before games. But when I do feel some nerves, like before my first home game with the Lakers, I tell myself to remember that I'm good at what I do—I just need to go through my routine and do what I do best.The best advice I return to is simple: have fun, especially on the basketball court. When something doesn't go as planned, I just remember: "You've been doing this your whole life. You know how to do it. Go out there and have fun".

The Los Angeles Lakers guard goes deep on fishing, grilling and the secret to staying sane on the court.

Luka Dončić is more than just one of the best players in the league

Five games into his professional career, on his third-straight away game, Victor Wembanyama was already at home in the NBA. He scored 38 points, grabbed 10 boards and put up two blocks by the end of the night. At season's end, he'd average nearly four blocks a game, leading the league.&nbsp;Victor is all unreal numbers. The 20-year-old's&nbsp;7'4" frame swallows every square inch of the court. Offensively, he's fluid and mobile. Defensively, he's a one-man zone, able to turn away opposing fast breaks through his size and his stare. Evaluating rookies in the NBA is usually a challenge of evaluating their floor. At a minimum, what can this player become? He entered the league and instantly, the question was how high his ceiling might be—or whether there was one.&nbsp;Here, Victor answers our questions on what it takes to win—from transcending his own limits to banishing fear from his life. I knew from an early age the kind of professional I wanted to be. There's a lot of things we have to do as pro athletes that people in other jobs don't need to worry about, like getting enough sleep after you play a back-to-back and fly to a different time zone. I decided I need to get better sleep. When I start my dinnertime meal, my alarm for the next morning is already set on my phone and I'm not going to use my phone for the rest of the night.&nbsp;I'm lucky in that I can say I'm competing for multiple places. Wearing the France national jersey is one of the strongest feelings I know. In the NBA, I'm attached to the city of San Antonio. I'm a part of it. They've welcomed me.&nbsp;

All my life, I've been much taller than everyone on the court. So, when coaches saw me doing dribbles through the legs and doing fadeaways and stuff, their first reflex was to tell me not to do it. All my life, there's been this pressure to put me in a box. It's been the toughest battle I've fought my whole life. Now, I do have more freedom than before, but I'm convinced that my freedom wouldn't be here without my efforts to go against those stereotypes.Here's what I'd tell any kid who's struggling with something:&nbsp;when I was 12 years old, I went through a discouraging period. I was having trouble with my shot during my games. I obviously was growing a lot at that time and I was even skinnier than I am now, so I had trouble getting my shot off consistently against defenders. My coach told me, "When you're a professional, you'll be working on the present. But right now, you're working for the future".&nbsp;Seeing a kid wear my jersey is special. Any time I catch highlights of our games, I like watching the reactions in the stands and you naturally see the kids who are wearing your jersey. It's not the first thing you think about when you become an NBA player, but you realise you can positively influence the next generation through something you love. It's beautiful.&nbsp;It really saddens me when I see a lack of ambition from people. Usually, it comes from being scared and thinking "I'm not enough". Assuming that things are too big or too ambitious are things I've decided to banish from my life.At the end of the day, it's on you to define what your goals are in life, what you want to become. Winning is accomplishing those things that matter most to you.&nbsp;

I want to help create a new era of dominance for French basketball. That involves promoting the sport and making it more popular in the country for our youth. For professional basketball in France, I think our potential doesn't match our current investment. How can we improve our facilities? How can we train the best staff? We just need to match our potential and foster our pool of talent that's already here. France has the brightest future of any country in the world for basketball.Someone asked me how I make sure my name doesn't grow bigger than the Spurs organisation. That will never happen. The team wants me to succeed and be the best I can be. They've made a lot of sacrifices for me. I want the whole organisation to know how much I understand all that they've done. Sometimes, it's a little thing like sending a text or welcoming someone new to the organisation. I try to show people their worth in all they do. I'm not scared to grow bigger than them, because I want to make the Spurs as big as I can. I want to give back to them as much as possible.&nbsp;I don't think anyone could have a higher expectation for me than I have for myself. So, it's really no big deal when I hear people call me a once-in-a-generation player. The only people to whom I have something to prove are my coach and my team. Even my parents don't have expectations for me; they just want me to be happy. When I don't want to see all that pressure, I turn off my phone. It's as simple as that, but there's really no pressure or expectations. I never felt like I had something to owe to the world. I'm just playing basketball.

The 20-year-old phenom speaks to transcending his own limits, banishing fear from his life, turning off his phone and more.

The legend of Victor Wembanyama is growing

Editor's Picks

Story Landing

For almost 50 years, Nike's made magic by taking the most basic of elements—air—and optimising it to help athletes perform at their peak. Now, the company's hit a new milestone in innovation, this time in materials: Nike Radical AirFlow, debuted in this summer's trail running season. Building on its rich legacy in performance apparel, Nike scientists, designers and developers asked how they could create apparel that harnesses air around a runner in motion to help keep them cool.&nbsp;Trail running is one of the most extreme sports in which to test the efficacy of performance apparel. The tests of the sport are nearly unclassifiable. Trail running races can span one-kilometre vertical climbs to multi-day staged events across inhospitable conditions. Case in point: the iconic 100-mile race based in California's Sierra Nevada mountains frequently reaches temperatures over 38 degrees Celsius, while runners are surmounting altitude changes of more than 18,000 feet (5,500 metres) of elevation gain and 23,000 feet (7,000 metres) of elevation loss in the race. High heat and humidity not only hinder an athlete's performance, but raise the risk of injury or even illness.&nbsp;Trail athletes are familiar with this arena of extremes, and to keep a competitive edge, they've developed their own hacks to stay cool. Draping ice-cold towels across their necks. Lying down in a stream or lake, mid-course, like a child in a paddling pool. Even shedding layers along the course.

But what if the make of the apparel itself could be part of the solution? Cross-disciplinary teams at Nike, many of whom are trail runners themselves, explored the question, setting out to create garments that could help the body maximise its natural cooling mechanisms.&nbsp;"An athlete's sweat evaporation plays a significant role in helping cool the body", says Jahan Behbahany, senior director, Nike Apparel Innovation. "We were interested in a material that could accelerate the velocity of airflow to skin and help speed up that evaporative cooling process. We knew we had the people, the tools and the resources to develop it".

The solution would be far from Nike's first success in maximising airflow for athletes. The company's intensive study of the aerodynamics of pacing helped lead to two of the most influential running record attempts of the last decade: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/inside-look-at-nike-breaking2-project" target="_blank">Eliud Kipchoge's historic marathon quests</a> in 2017 and 2019, and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/topics/breaking4" target="_blank">Faith Kipyegon's inspiring attempt</a> to run a four-minute mile. In performance apparel, Nike athletes and coaches have iterated on all-over mesh materials to promote airflow in hot conditions, from Nike Stand-Off to Nike Dri-FIT. Nike scientists, designers and developers carry deep knowledge of how apparel can be the great separator for athletes reaching their potential. Understanding the extreme conditions in which trail athletes compete, they knew they needed to find a new solution to help promote airflow against the body.After rethinking traditional mesh and ventilation options, the team hypothesised that engineered airducts throughout the garment could capture air, speed it up and funnel it through the garment's holes towards the skin. As the athlete runs forwards, the material would accelerate the velocity of the airflow to the skin and help promote evaporative cooling. In other words, speed up your body's natural sweat evaporation.Nike's cross-disciplinary teams were focused on creating a breathable material that would allow for ideal construction of the airducts while ensuring maximum comfort and minimal distractions. The teams were inspired by the Bernoulli Principle of fluid dynamics, specifically the&nbsp;Venturi Effect—when a fluid flows through a constricted section of pipe, it sees an increase in velocity and a drop in pressure. Every element from material selection to the engineered knit construction was considered, studied and tested to promote and increase airflow to the skin.

The new material is an engineered knit with hydrophilic chemistry to help manage moisture and enhance the sensation of airflow. The airducts accelerate airflow from the front of the material towards the skin. Nike researchers discovered that placing a series of "dimples" on the back side of the garment (skin-facing side) to complement each airduct improved the duration of the circulation at the skin level."We tried all kinds of airduct configurations, sizes and zonal placements throughout the testing and development", says Behbahany. "We found that a funnel-shaped construction of larger to smaller gradient holes, uniformly placed, would best 'funnel' and accelerate air to the skin".When considering the garment in which to house the material, the team chose a long-sleeve top to cover as much of the body's surface area as possible, and promote as much airflow as possible across the body. To help ensure comfort while runners spent hours on the trail, designers left large cut-outs under the arms to offer mobility and reduce weight, with construction and trims to help reduce chafing in high-friction and high-sweat areas.

With airducts zonally placed throughout the garments, larger ventilation at the underarm and arm bend were added to maximise mobility and airflow, and to help reduce the risk of chafing.

The top features a cropped hem to help minimise garment weight, allow for greater air through the lower abdomen and allow easy access to the waist belt.

The teams were committed to testing the new material rigorously over two years, both in the field and in controlled research settings. They brought prototypes to Northern California for&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-acg-all-conditions-racing-department" target="null">All Conditions Racing Department athletes</a>&nbsp;to put through the region's extreme conditions and give their feedback. The runners were floored by how cool and breathable the garment was, telling the teams that it gave a cool, breezy sensation against their skin unlike any top they'd ever worn. Back at the Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL) at Nike World Headquarters, Nike used its in-house climate chambers to observe how the material performed in controlled, yet gruelling settings. All Conditions Racing Department athletes would filter through the NSRL to test out the prototypes. The parameters for testing simulated the kinds of dramatic temperature climbs that trail runners face at notoriously hot races.&nbsp;In the NSRL, athletes tested lightweight Dri-FIT and Radical AirFlow garments in environmental climate chamber simulations to assess how Radical AirFlow compared against Nike's tried-and-tested material technology. From these tests, Nike scientists learned that when compared to Dri-FIT, Radical AirFlow prototypes absorbed and retained 50% less sweat after prolonged running in the heat. Additional testing on&nbsp;thermal manikins&nbsp;showed that the prototypes were substantially more breathable and 25% less resistant to the evaporation of sweat, when compared to Dri-FIT.

As one of the largest field test initiatives in Nike Running history, members of the All Conditions Racing Department will continue to test the prototype throughout the 2025 elite season. Nike designers, for their part, will continue to track feedback from in-race and lab testing to refine the garment as it readies for a 2026 retail launch.&nbsp;The opportunity to develop materials that harness airflow across the body will only grow more salient as global temperatures rise, and across different sports, not just on the trail. Mastering air, in all its forms, has been a fixture in Nike's product history since the inception of the first Air bag. Which makes the future of Radical AirFlow so bright.&nbsp;"We can't wait to apply what we're learning with our ACRD athletes to how we solve athlete problems in other sports", says Behbahany. "Our investment for finding what's next in this kind of apparel innovation is unmatched. Between our athletes, our innovators and our resources, we're finding new cooling solutions for athletes to perform at their best, whatever their sport and wherever they play it".

The material innovation harnesses the power of the air moving around you to help maximise your body's natural cooling mechanisms.

Feature

Nike Radical AirFlow debuts a new era of breathable apparel

Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray is having a banner year. The WNBA All-Star starter is posting career highs in the 2025 season in points, rebounds, assists, three-pointers made and minutes played, in which she leads the league. But even more impressive than her stats is the manner in which she makes versatility look totally natural. Name the players who have averaged 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and at least two three-pointers per game in a season. She's the only one. During the 2024 All-Star Weekend, she won both the Skills Challenge and the Three-Point Contest, a double victory she'll defend in Indianapolis starting tonight. She's already off to a hot start. On Friday morning, after her team's training, she won a half-court shot contest. As basketball's talent level rises across the board, both in the women's and the men's game, Gray is proof that you don't need to sacrifice one skillset to evolve the others. If you're going to win in this era of basketball, better competition requires a better game, in every way.We spoke with Allisha about her excellent year, where she developed her commitment to a well-rounded game and her take on her role in a stacked league.&nbsp;

The past off-season was perfect to make leaps in my game. I was really locked in to develop my one-on-one play. The Unrivaled league was ideal, because you're going head to head against some of the league's best players, so you have to be able to create your own shot. And defensively, you have no choice but to step up. Nine times out of ten, you're on an island, so you don't have any help. Your individual defence needs to be strong.My toughness was being shaped before I even played basketball. I mainly grew up with my two brothers. Playing outside in the backyard, I learned how to stand my ground against them. Every game we played was competitive, to the point where my parents would need to separate us so we wouldn't go at each other.In basketball, if you're outmatched, you need to figure out your edge. I was never going to overpower my brothers. But I could outwork them and outsmart them. When I started beating them in one-on-one and shootouts, that's when I started earning their respect.&nbsp;I view winning literally. I'm so competitive, victory means winning over someone else. Winning the Georgia state championship in high school was the moment when that was solidified for me. We went undefeated that year. It's not only that we won—we didn't lose, to anyone.&nbsp;

Growing up in a military household, you don't have any excuse for giving less than your best effort. My dad was in the army. It was "Yes, sir" and "Yes, ma'am" for as long as I could remember. He was my basketball coach until I went off to college. I'd be in a hard workout, and he'd tell me, "I'm not gonna let you fall short of your expectations in front of me". Did I mention he was my principal at school? [Laughs.] It was a tough environment, but now that I'm older, I know he had a vision for what I could accomplish.Scoring isn't everything. It's crazy to me how a lot of people focus on the points that a player puts up, and nothing else. You can impact the game in so many different ways. Why wouldn't you train to get better in every area?My go-to Nike product? That's easy. My goggles! I started wearing them after I got an eye injury during a 3x3 game. I've worn them ever since.The league is stacked. You can't take your talent for granted. You have so many elite players who are working on their craft. It makes playing in the All-Star Game so meaningful, knowing that you're mentioned in those same ranks.&nbsp;I'm not giving any ground in the Skills Comp or the Three-Point Contest this year. I'm focusing on both again this weekend—I&nbsp;won't limit myself to one or the other. I'm confident, and I'm feeling fit and ready. Then again, with how many minutes I'm playing this year, I was gonna get in shape, right?&nbsp;

The Atlanta Dream guard is having a season that epitomises a well-rounded player. That's not just a product of the talent level across the W, but of her lifelong work ethic.

Allisha Gray is levelling up her game—all of it

KARINA, a member of the South Korean pop group aespa, officially joins the Nike family this month. The small steps that have led to the group's success—consistent hard work, sacrifice and the dedication to push through obstacles—reflect the same mindset that an athlete needs to succeed, says KARINA.We spoke with the 25-year-old artist about why taekwondo has been a lifelong instructive sport, how the Air Max Muse pairs with practically everything and why partnering alongside Nike was a natural fit.

What's your defining Nike memory?&nbsp;As a child, I loved watching TV. It was where I first saw musical artists perform, and it fuelled in me a dream to become one of the stars on that stage, who were always wearing Nikes on their feet. That was when my connection with Nike began. The brand is like second nature to me now. I'll rock the Air Force 1 without thinking twice.What's your earliest memory of sport?&nbsp;Growing up, I was exposed to many sports, including ballet, swimming, futsal, basketball and taekwondo, in which I earned a black belt. As you level up while earning more belts, you grow in both athletic skill and the athlete mindset. It's in that mindset that you learn patience, you gain respect for the process and you develop a can-do spirit. Even now, with my packed schedule, those lessons from taekwondo are still with me. They're the foundation of my sport background, helping me stay focused no matter what situations I face or decisions I make.What similarities do you see in your background as an athlete and an entertainer?I believe that anyone who uses their body to move with passion and gives their best effort is an athlete. What athletes and entertainers have in common is how they pour countless hours into a defining moment, like a performance. While entertainers give their all on stage, athletes push their limits in pursuit of victory. Compared to the glorious moments of winning or performing, the hours of practice or rehearsals aren't that glamorous. Athletes and entertainers need endurance to reach their goals, but the result is so worth it in the end.&nbsp;

What's your most memorable Nike shoe or piece of apparel?&nbsp;It's not an exaggeration to say that I've grown up with the Air Force 1 and the Dunk. My favourite Nike shoe right now is the&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/air-max-muse-official-images" target="null">Nike Air Max Muse</a>&nbsp;in the silver colourway. I first tried them during a short trip around Europe after Milan Fashion Week. What I love most about them, aside from the comfort, is how it can elevate my whole outfit. I can pair it with a leather jacket and jeans. How could I not fall in love with a shoe like that?&nbsp;What are you most looking forward to in partnering with Nike?&nbsp;Nike empowers self-expression and encourages people to challenge stereotypes and forge new paths. If you're confident in your dreams, you should keep pushing forward. Hopefully my journey combined with Nike's message can inspire more people and bring positive influence to the world.

The 25-year-old artist on her black belt in taekwondo, how the Air Max Muse pairs with everything and why partnering with Nike was a natural fit.

Welcome to the family

5 questions with K-pop star KARINA

Images: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/cameron-strand-contributing-photographer" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Cameron Strand</a> Two world records broken. Nike athlete <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/faith-kipyegon-profile" target="_blank">Faith Kipyegon</a>'s 1500m WR, forecast last week during her <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/topics/breaking4" target="_blank">#Breaking4 attempt</a>, and Beatrice Chebet's 5000m WR. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/pre-classic-bowerman-mile" target="_blank">New national records set</a>. Personal bests across the board. All in front of a sold-out crowd at Eugene's Hayward Field, a venue considered sacred ground in the world of athletics. The 50th anniversary of the Pre Classic was every bit worthy of the meet's namesake, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/how-steve-prefontaine-set-the-pace-for-nike" target="_blank">legendary runner Steve Prefontaine</a>, and the images below show what fans of this sport have always known: For witnessing drama, suspense, electric energy and endless passion, there is nothing better than the athlete magic of athletics.

The drama, suspense, energy and passion—if you're not yet a fan of athletics, you're about to become one.

Incredible scenes from the 50th anniversary of the Pre Classic

Words: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/davis-jones-senior-editor" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Davis Jones</a> Images: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/cameron-strand-contributing-photographer" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Cameron Strand</a>To fully understand the look on Niels Laros's face after narrowly clinching this year's Bowerman Mile in Eugene, you have to go back to the ringing of the bell lap, when he still trailed the race leader, American Yared Nuguse, by more than three seconds.In front of a sold-out crowd in Eugene, Ore. at the 50th&nbsp;Pre Classic, the 20-year-old Dutch runner tapped into his own brand of Hayward magic. He separated himself from the chase pack with 400m to go. Then, at the final 200m mark, he took off for Nuguse, running an unthinkable 25.9 second split and making up an almost 8-metre gap in the home straight. The two racers lunged at the finishing line. A few seconds later, Laros saw the official time, wearing a look of disbelief: 3:45.94. He'd won the Bowerman Mile by one-one-hundredth of a second and set a new Dutch national record. His final lap—53.3—was one of the fastest fourth laps since the United Kingdom's Steve Cram broke the world record in 1985."Man, that Hayward magic is real", says Laros. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime feeling to experience a race like that".For 25 years, the Bowerman Mile has brought together the world's most talented milers, assembling pros, world champions and Olympic medallists. The event is one of four premier mile races left in the world: the Dream Mile in Oslo, the Wanamaker Mile in New York City and&nbsp;&nbsp;the Mile Invitational in Iowa. Of those, it's produced more sub-4-minute miles than any other race, counting 418 such performances to date, including this year's race in Eugene.&nbsp;Speaking of which, the 2025 race was arguably the deepest mile race in history, featuring the most men in one race under 3:50 (13), 3:49 (9) and 3:48 (8).What makes the Bowerman Mile stand apart? Fast times don't always correlate to a fast track. The latter can be an immeasurable mix of qualities tied to time, place and circumstances, leading to generational performances. But talk to anyone who's competed in the race and they'll tell you there's something different about the Bowerman Mile.&nbsp;

The competitive field

Year after year, the Bowerman Mile draws a stacked line-up, assembled of reigning world champions and record holders. Since 2000, it's taken a time of 3:51.84 or faster to win the event. The race's buy-in is all the more impressive considering that its results don't count towards points at the end of the pro circuit, even though it's classified as a Diamond League meet.A runner who always circles the date of the Bowerman Mile is Australia's Cam Myers, who finished sixth this year and set an Australian under-20 record with 3:47.50. In 2023, at just 16 years old, Myers ran as a pacemaker for Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who clocked the Bowerman Mile's fastest-ever time in 3:43.73, setting a European and Diamond League record."We all want to win this race in particular", says Myers. "It's intensely competitive, and it's the perfect environment for fast times".Whether or not a record falls at the Bowerman Mile, each year's race teases out greatness in every runner, carrying the makings of a personal best.

Grant Fisher, who holds the American record in the 2-mile distance, ran his first Bowerman Mile this year, laying down a 3:48.29. The race is a self-fulfilling prophecy, he says. When racers know they are surrounded by a fast field, they all raise their game. Plus, the Bowerman Mile is almost always rabbited, or led by a pacemaker. Runners know they'll get wrenched to their physical thresholds. Once the pacemaker drops out, there's no time to think. Just go."We all know the pacer is going to take us deep into the race", Fisher says. "When the pacer drops, the field is of such high quality that these amazing times just keep rolling".

Consider one of the Bowerman Mile's most memorable performances—when Alan Webb, then a secondary school student from Virginia, broke the national secondary school mile record set by Jim Ryun, which had stood for 37 years. The pacemaker took the first 409 metres at a searing 54.6, equivalent to a mile pace of 3:34.8.At the race's halfway mark, Webb had moved up from last place to 13th. The pace was brutal and yet, with 400m to go, Webb remembers how his body felt loose, light and capable of much, much more. He began picking runners off on the back straight. His turnover cycled with a power that outlasted men a decade older, who had competed for medals, who had set national records.&nbsp;"Sometimes, the stars align in a race, and I knew this was one of those moments", says Webb, recalling the moment. "When I got to that bell lap, I was able to find something in myself. Running the Bowerman Mile has that effect on people".

The historic location

The grandeur of the former Hayward Field, with its wooden grandstands and its Bowerman Building as the sentinel watching from the track's eastern end, is different from how a spectator would describe the view from the updated stadium—a colossal venue built for the modern age. Webb remembers while he was barrelling down the back straight in 2001 how the extreme slope of the west grandstands gave the feeling that the fans "were right on top of you". The passion and knowledge of the fans sitting in those seats rivals any location in athletics.&nbsp;

"Even before Prefontaine, Oregon had a history of domestic milers who were very, very good; people like James Bailey, Dyrol Burleson and Jim Grelle back in the Bowerman coaching days", says Pat Tyson, who ran for the University of Oregon in the early '70s, where he was roommates with Pre himself.&nbsp;&nbsp;"The mile always had a cachet among fans here, even before the Bowerman Mile officially began".

Hayward Field is a place where fans take on the role of engaged sports scientist versus passive spectator. They'll set their personal stopwatches to the smoke of the gun and scribble a runner's splits in the margins of their programme.&nbsp;Kaarin Knudson knows. She ran for UO's athletics & cross-country team from 1994 to 1999. A seven-time NCAA qualifier who won the NCAA's Woman of the Year for Oregon in her senior season, she now serves as the mayor of Eugene. Her experience as a civic leader and a former athlete gives her a uniquely personal view on what makes Eugene's passion for athletics so special.

"I have distinct memories while at UO of going on my easy runs and being stopped by community members, people I didn't know; they'd congratulate me on a race I ran the previous weekend", says Knudson. "When you're an athlete, it's motivating to be surrounded by a community who both root for you on race day and who recognise you when you're 'offstage', so to speak".Few competitors benefit from the Hayward energy quite like those who ran for UO during their college years—runners like Cole Hocker, who's run his top three fastest mile times at the Pre Classic. During his rookie season in 2022, he donned the Nike kit in front of his home crowd for the first time at the Bowerman Mile. This year, he improved his personal best to 3:47.43."Every time I get the chance to run at Hayward, I remind myself to appreciate the moment, just because of the history that has happened there before me", says Hocker.&nbsp;

The special distance

The mile and its cousin, the 1500m, are separated by a little more than 100m. Depending on who you ask, the difference in how you run the mile compared with the 1500m is marginal. Webb jokes that you're basically doing the same event, but the mile comes down to "who's willing to suffer a little longer". Others, like Laros, say the tactical game of the mile is slightly different from the 1500m. For him, the main difference comes from the start.&nbsp;"Because you're starting on the opening curve in the mile, you have less time to figure out your position before you need to tuck into the right spot", says Laros. "You basically have to get shot out of a cannon and find a good slot so you're not sorting it out on the corner and running a little extra distance".The cultural power of the mile gives it a revered place in the consciousness of running, along with the marathon. Both are niche distances in athletics, yet still count for world records.&nbsp;The wonder of the mile might come down to its clean simplicity. Four laps. Taking the laps at one minute a piece add up to four minutes, considered the standard for the elite miler. The starting line is in roughly the same place as the finish. The same fans who cheer on the field at the gun are the same who cheer at the finish.&nbsp;

One could argue that the mile distance, in fact, was the spark that lit Bill Bowerman's fascination with long-distance running performance. As a freshman at Oregon playing American football, he met Ralph Hill, the first elite miler he befriended at the university. One day, Bowerman ran 400m around the track at an all-out sprint to test his speed. The clock read 63 seconds. Bill Hayward, UO's track coach, leaned over and smirked. "Just so you know", he said, "Ralph goes that fast for four laps".

Its relative scarcity at the professional level adds to the distance's mythical status. Pro runners don't get many opportunities to compete in the mile. You might get a couple of shots at it per year, between Eugene, Oslo and New York City."You can jump into plenty of 1500m races during the year. But it's no guarantee you'll get into one of these mile races on the pro circuit", says Webb. "That's assuming you're healthy when your name gets called. If you get a chance at the mile, you better put it all on the line".That motivation fuels every competitor in the Bowerman Mile. From the young racer who's travelling to Eugene for the first time, to the seasoned pro who wants to assert their world ranking, the Bowerman Mile summons a kind of communal willpower. For Laros, participation among those four laps, holding nothing back, is a rare privilege, one that can be tough to describe. Ironically, sometimes a fast time takes a backseat to the opportunity to step onto that 1609m starting line."Winning this race meant even more to me than setting the national record", he says. "Obviously, running a fast time gives me a lot of pride, but taking the win here, at this place, was what I'm most proud of".

The Bowerman Mile at the Pre Classic has produced more sub-4:00 times than any event in the world. Here's what makes it so fast.

Inside the world's fastest mile race

Images: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/sofieke-van-bilsen-contributing-photographer" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Sofieke van Bilsen</a>Wherever you were watching Faith Kipyegon take to the track to <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-athlete-faith-kipyegon-breaks-mile-record-time" target="_blank">break the 4-minute mile</a>—in standing-room-only crowds of employees at Nike's worldwide campuses, at watch parties in Chicago, Los Angeles, Eldoret, Kenya, on digital billboards in New York City, London and Mexico City, or gripping the edge of your seat inside Stade Charléty in Paris—the emotions of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/topics/breaking4" target="_blank">Breaking4</a> were palpable: excitement, nervousness, elation, pride.The images below reflect every feeling and show what athletics fans have always known: Faith Kipyegon is a champion. The team at Nike knows it too."I feel so proud of myself that I've tried", Faith said post-attempt. "Today was a learning lesson, that I have to give it my all, and that's what I did—&nbsp;I gave it my all. And it's shown me that everything is possible, and I think I've shown other women out there that can be true for them too. We have to push ourselves towards what we dream of and dare to try".Faith, we can't wait to see, and support, what you dare to try next.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Go trackside to see and feel the emotion from the champion's historic attempt.

Behind the scenes of Faith Kipyegon's Breaking4 attempt day

From the moment Faith Kipyegon broke the women's mile world record in Monaco in 2023, there was a palpable energy in the air, a sense that something bigger was beginning.&nbsp;As Nike Footwear Innovation Lead Carrie Dimoff puts it, "I'll never forget the feeling in the stadium. It was electric. Everyone was amazed but already starting to wonder: could this be the beginning of the sub-4-minute mile for women?" You could call that the start of Breaking4. But the essence of Faith Kipyegon and Nike's project is more timeless: showing all athletes* that barriers are meant to be pushed and dreams meant to be big. Says Faith, "I get motivated by thinking of what I can achieve, the boundaries I can break and how I can empower the next generation. You can't limit yourself. You have to go for that dream. I want to show women especially that anything is possible".Here, a visual chronicle of Faith and Nike's Breaking4 journey—and clear evidence of the power of daring to try. *If you have a body, you are an athlete.

A visual reflection on the shared goal—inspiring all athletes to dream big and break barriers—between the world's fastest woman miler and Nike.

The Breaking4 journey: Faith Kipyegon and Nike's unforgettable project

Words: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/davis-jones-senior-editor" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Davis Jones</a> Images: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/dan-vernon-contributing-photographer" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Dan Vernon</a> and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/sofieke-van-bilsen-contributing-photographer" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Sofieke van Bilsen</a> At its core, Breaking4—<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/breaking4-faith-kipyegon-vs-the-four-minute-mile" target="_blank">Faith Kipyegon's project with Nike</a> to run a sub-4-minute mile—has always been about heart and belief. That's what's powering Kipyegon, alongside <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/faith-kipyegon-breaking4-speed-kit-behind-the-design" target="_blank">cutting-edge Nike performance products</a>. But don't think for a second—certainly not the 7.65 seconds Kipyegon needs to shave off her world-record mile time—that&nbsp;Nike didn't consider hundreds of other factors to get Kipyegon across the line in a time starting with a "3".To complement and amplify Kipyegon's bespoke products—including a one-of-one Nike Fly Suit, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/nike-new-performance-material-flyweb" target="_blank">a revolutionary FlyWeb Bra</a> and a first of its kind Victory 2 Elite FK Spike—<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/meet-the-dream-team-behind-faith-kipyegon-s-breaking4-attempt" target="_blank">the Breaking4 team</a> fine-tuned the attempt's aerodynamics and efficiency. Preparation and location. Weather and, well, vibes. Each of these points contain smaller details that the Nike Innovation team scrutinised from every angle, all in an effort to nail a perfectly orchestrated approach with Kipyegon. Dive into 10 of the ways Nike offered its support.

<h3>1. Let Faith be Faith </h3>Faith Kipyegon isn't toeing the line for Breaking4 as merely an elite runner. She's built a case as one of the greatest middle-distance runners of all time. She's the current world-record holder across three distances. Her three gold medals in the 1,500 metres span almost a decade and counting. There are intangibles too. She has her training preferences perfectly tuned. She understands her own athleticism like a driver knows their racing car. Nike's role in Breaking4 wasn't to reset Kipyegon, but to add to the capabilities of an already historic runner.

<h3>2. Instil confidence</h3>In the beginning of Breaking4 strategising, the Innovation team debated the trajectory of Kipyegon's 1-mile racecourse. What if the path was a straight, like in a road race? Remove all the curves, and ensure a pacing formation could be linear instead of skewed for left turns? ﻿When the team shared this with Kipyegon, she was vocal: She'd feel more confident and comfortable running on a track, where she'd built her entire professional career on reading the eight lanes, tuning her focus to the inside rail."Whether it was a feature of the racecourse, her pacer formation or a detail in her apparel, building her confidence meant everything to us", says Amy Jones Vaterlaus, VP, Innovation, NSRL. "We listened to her intently. We watched for cues she'd give off, maybe without even realising it. Ensuring she can move freely, without distraction, is just one more way we can help build her confidence".

<h3>3. Choose the right time of year</h3>Kipyegon's professional schedule weighed heavily in choosing the month for the attempt. If she's to peak in mid September during the World Championships in Tokyo, she has to give her body the ideal window of time for training periodisation, or the scaling of her preparation to leave her feeling ready to go. The optimal timing: late June.

<h3>4. Game the weather</h3>﻿Weather conditions on race day can be the dealbreaker for achieving fast times. Heat, wind and rain can all put an additional load on an athlete. Too much heat is a thermal burden that leads to overexertion. Too much wind—and around a track, there will always be a headwind at a certain point—creates drag forces that slow runners down. Weather doesn't come on demand, of course, and the Nike team knew the ideal geographic location of the attempt would need to cross off as many criteria as possible: zero rain, less than 12km/hr wind, moderate temperatures.

<h3>5. Minimise the jet lag</h3>﻿Anyone who flies internationally can attest to the physical and mental toil from zooming through time zones, leaving you sluggish and fatigued. Your body has a circadian rhythm, an internal clock, that prompts you to wake up and go to sleep. Somewhere in the middle of that time period is the bioenergetic sweet spot, when you feel most energised, or, in Kipyegon's case, most physically capable. That made finding the right area of the world for the attempt paramount for Breaking4. Minimising a shift in time zones would help keep Kipyegon's body clock from feeling out of whack."We knew she couldn't arrive feeling drained", says Jones Vaterlaus. "Paris having a time zone of one-hour difference from Kenya was a much easier decision than, say, somewhere in the United States, where Faith's jet lag would be significant".

<h3>6. Fine-tune the details</h3>A track isn't an inert surface. It possesses levels of responsiveness that can leave a runner's legs feeling fresh, or it can be firm and dampening, diffusing the precious energy that a runner puts into the ground. Texture matters too. Its grittiness can be well-suited, or not at all, for traction as a runner digs into the turns. For Breaking4, the Nike Innovation team ordered swatches of 10 track surfaces from around the world, sampling from different stadiums, to find the composition ideal for Kipyegon's performance, which included considerations like Kipyegon's bodyweight and stride rate."Our footwear solution for Faith was built on studying the interaction between Faith's foot and the ground", says Carrie Dimoff, senior manager for innovation footwear. "Our formula had to consider the track surface she'll be running on, and the properties the surface does or doesn't carry. While we were still landing on the location, we were able to test our spike prototypes on the exact track surface so we could evaluate energy return and traction effectiveness".

<h3>7. Find the ideal stadium</h3>The team knew Kipyegon wanted to compete on a track to stay true to the historical spirit of her sport. That left Nike's Innovation team with the crucial decision of which track. A track where a runner has pre-existing history can give them the comfort they need to lay down a fast time. One of these options was in Monaco, where Kipyegon broke the mile world record in 2023. The team also considered Eugene, Ore. In 2023, Kipyegon stepped onto Hayward Field and cruised to a Diamond League title in the 1,500 metres while setting a Prefontaine Classic meet record. In the end, the team decided on Stade Charléty in Paris, where Kipyegon ran her world-record times in the 1,500 and 5,000 metres. "I absolutely think there's special energy at this track", says Kipyegon. I have beautiful memories in Paris, breaking the 5,000 world record, breaking the 1,500 world record there. And now we are going for this special one, and I think the track will bring good results".

<h3>8. Perfect a pacer strategy</h3>﻿Nike's previous moonshot attempt, Breaking2, was a grand lesson in pacing strategy and aerodynamics. Nailing the drafting formation for Breaking4 would be one of the key elements to give Kipyegon the best chance to go sub-4. To help reduce the drag on Kipyegon, the Nike team considered countless pacer configurations, experimenting with the number of runners, the balance between men and women, and the geometry of the formation itself. They also thought about whether to introduce new pacers during the attempt. The upshot? Disruptions can make the smoothness of drafting go haywire; the choice to switch in runners midway through a lap can create micro-undulations in the air frequency, disturbing Kipyegon's speed."Creating a low-air-pressure pocket for Faith requires total synchrony among all the pacers in the formation", says Kirby. "Experimenting with different formations is a lot like rearranging the pieces on a chess board. The timing needs to be right, the group positioning needs to be right, and the relationship between any single pacer to Faith needs to be right".

<h3>9. Pump up the colour</h3>Colour choice has the psychological power to motivate an athlete to reach her highest potential. Though the Nike Innovation team used little colour in the Nike Fly Suit—one reason was that doing so would affect the aerodynamic properties of the material—the suit's Nike Aeronodes are in a colour-shifting purple, a nod to Kipyegon's favourite colour. The stadium itself will be awash in purple, covering the stands, the jumbotron and the signage around the track. At literally every turn, Kipyegon will see the colour that motivates her. Beyond the race-day environment, Kipyegon's Nike Running Collection is also rooted in purple. The collection, which includes footwear and apparel, is paired with accents of red and green, representing her Kenyan heritage. And on Kipyegon's Victory Elite FK Spike, gold accents denote her gold medal victories.

<h3>10. Give her all the Nike advantages</h3>The Innovation team gave Kipyegon the full gamut of Nike tools during her training leading up to the attempt. Some are at the modern edge of athlete-recovery methodology, such as <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/hyperboot-by-nike-hyperice-official-images" target="_blank">Nike's Hyperice boots</a>, a heat and air-compression massage tool. Others, such as Nike's <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/nike-vomero-plus-vomero-premium-official-images" target="_blank">new Vomero Premium shoe</a>, were ideal for recovery runs or long mileage. Then there were the innovations that were expedited so Kipyegon could benefit from their advantages before and during the race. Nike FlyWeb, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/nike-new-performance-material-flyweb" target="_blank">a new 3D-printed material used for </a>Kipyegon's <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/nike-new-performance-material-flyweb" target="_blank">sports bra</a>, was moved forward in its production cycle for Kipyegon to train in it. "This attempt is the first time Nike FlyWeb will be tested on the world stage, and in a one-of-one bra", says Janett Nichol, VP of Apparel Innovation. "Faith gave us a rare opportunity: she would not only wear it, she'd help us evolve it".

When she takes to the starting line, in every way, Kipyegon will represent Nike's latest and greatest.

Speed suit, sports bra, spikes, focus. Here, other essential factors Nike considered to give Faith Kipyegon the best support for Breaking4.

Innovation

10 details Nike obsessed over to support Faith Kipyegon and Breaking4

When Marquis Mills Converse founded his eponymous company in 1908 in Boston, Mass., his mission was to create an operation that functioned independent of the industry's monopolies, rooted in a community of the best rubber shoemakers. His first products were galoshes and waterproof winter boots, which meant demand for his wares dipped in warmer seasons. To keep his highly skilled craftspeople occupied year-round, Converse needed a summer offering. A canvas tennis shoe with a rubber sole debuted in 1910, but the company's true breakthrough didn't come until it saw an opportunity to apply its signature innovations to a sneaker expressly designed for a then-newfangled local sport: basketball.Invented in 1891 in nearby Springfield, Mass., basketball was growing in popularity and being adopted by regional colleges when Converse introduced its "Non-Skid" shoe in 1917, defining the design as the "All-American basket-ball shoe". It was crafted on the company's original dress shoe last with two-piece quarter for superior ankle fit and paired with a non-skid sole that employed Converse's patented diamond-tread pattern.&nbsp;

The sneaker was first marketed to the area's coaches, who provided Converse with constructive feedback, including noting that they'd prefer a darker canvas upper because the light tan hue revealed too many scuffs and dings. In response, the company created a dark brown version of the Non-Skid, featuring black trim up the eye row. The iteration was officially branded the "All Star" in 1919, kicking off a new round of basketball-specific innovations that came to characterise the silhouette as the leading performance basketball shoe of the next half-century.As for the shoe's namesake, Chuck Taylor (aka Charles Hollis Taylor), he arrived a few years later.

True to its name, the Chuck Taylor All Star was worn by basically every top basketball player pre-1965. These athletes included players competing on the world's biggest stage in 1936, when Converse equipped the US men's basketball team with white Chucks featuring red and blue stripes on their foxing tape. The custom version was such a hit that competing teams adopted it, and the colourway was permanently added to the product line. In 1939, America's first national college basketball championship featured players in Chucks. In 1962, basketball's professional single-game scoring record&nbsp;of 100&nbsp;points was made in Chucks. In 1971, Chucks debuted in team colours, allowing teams to match their kit to their shoes for the first time. Chucks was basketball, and basketball was Chucks.

A 1922–23 catalogue detailing the performance merits and evolution of the Converse All Star.

Chuck Taylor, a Converse salesman and player-coach for the Converse All Star basketball team in the early 1920s.

Chuck Taylor, the man, coaching a basketball clinic in the 1950s in Chucks.

Converse Non-Skid All Stars, circa 1923, a later version of the original design, which debuted in 1917.

A Converse athletic footwear catalogue from 1957, the year the low-top Chuck was released.

As it turns out, the performance innovations that made the Chuck a great basketball design also made it a great skateboarding shoe.

Skateboarding debuted in mid-century California as "sidewalk surfing", a pastime for when the waves were flat. The low-top Chuck, which came out in 1957, was already a favourite of these "beach boys" and perfectly adapted to the new street sport, thanks to its underfoot cushioning, grippy rubber and form-fitting canvas upper.

Over 50 years later, the Chuck retains its foundational status in skate and with its top athletes—even as the sport has moved from the street to the world's premier competitions and into its leading museums. In 2023, the Design Museum in London hosted "Skateboard",&nbsp;the exhibition arm of a multimedia project that also included <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.phaidon.com/store/design/skateboard-9781838667498/" target="null">a book</a> created in collaboration with curator Jonathan Olivares, Converse and Phaidon, chronicling the countercultural design history of skateboarding.

A 1975 "sidewalk surfer" sporting laid-back, high-performance Chucks.

Ad for the 1988 Rad Collection, which comprised one-of-a-kind high-top Chucks and T-shirts.

The 2023 "Skateboard" exhibition at the Design Museum in London cemented the Chuck's status in skate and design.

Converse CONS team rider Bryce Wettstein wears Chucks when riding competitively and casually.

"Skateboard" explores the design, materials, culture and history of skateboarding.

The Chuck's simple, no-frills style also reflects skate's democratic, live-on-your-own-terms DNA—which has taken it everywhere.

Tyler, the Creator says it well: "I'm from LA, and I grew up with skateboarders. [The Chuck Taylor] is a very staple shoe in that lifestyle". The Chuck bridged skate and music in the '90s and early noughties, but the shoe's musical roots stretch back to artists topping Billboard charts in the '50s and '60s. These global stars wore the silhouette everywhere: on stages from California to England, crossing Penny Lane, traversing the beaches of Hawthorne and strolling the streets of Haight-Ashbury.

Over the decades, the Chuck has collected a roster of musical artists that rivals a legacy record label's list and spans all genres, from punk, alternative and grunge to hip-hop, indie rock and pop. It has also cemented its place in recording studios, on album covers and at global music festivals, even infiltrating classical music halls. In 2018, when the conductor Jonathon Heyward forgot his formal shoes for an orchestra performance, he wore his red Chucks onstage, nearly upstaging the concert. "Being able to find a sense of relatability within classical music is something that I am really passionate about, and Chuck Taylors are incredible barrier breakers", explains Heyward, who is music & artistic director of the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center, and music director at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. "By simply wearing a pair of Chuck Taylors to my concert, I become more relatable—and people's openness becomes greater when there is that sense of relatability. The walls go down and I can take them on a journey, which is what classical music is and what a live classical music performance is about".

As a cultural bellwether of mid-century America, the Chuck couldn't ignore colour. First introduced for basketball-centric reasons, the rainbow of hues also made a statement by breaking down colour barriers on court and off, celebrating diversity and championing self-expression in all forums.

From primary tones came endless prints and motifs, with the '80s debuting camouflage and animal and glitter treatments along with checkerboard, strike and glow-in-the-dark patterns. New materials, heights and shapes followed, evolving the Chuck from a signifier of specific subcultures to a customisable badge for those independent enough not to follow—and for an ever-evolving roster of collaborators.

It all began in 1934 with Disney, Converse's first brand partnership, which defined Chucks as the first shoes to feature Mickey Mouse. Despite this high-profile launch, it wasn't until the late noughties that collaboration became a central element of the Chuck. The 2008 Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists Collection commissioned 100 global musicians, graphic designers and graffiti artists to use the Chuck as a canvas on which to express their support of the fight against AIDS, empowering the community for a cause and unleashing a dam of creativity. The stream of joint creations has remained steady, including signature contributions from the brand's longest-standing collaborator, Comme des Garçons (CDG) PLAY.

Converse's 1934 partnership with Disney defined the Chuck as the first shoe to feature Mickey Mouse.

By 1977, Chuck Taylor All Stars were available in a spectrum of colours—as this athletic footwear catalogue reveals.

Replicas of Andy Warhol's Chucks were part of the Dover Street Market 2024 exhibition "Andy Warhol: Social Disease".

Custom chandelier featuring black Chucks. Photograph by Ryan Stifler.

In 2015, the Chuck 70 became part of the Converse x PLAY Comme des Garçons  
collaboration.

The 2024 Chuck 70 De Luxe Squared embellished the Chuck with Swarovski crystals.

The instant, persistent popularity of the Converse x PLAY Comme des Garçons partnership confirmed what had been apparent for decades: the Chuck effortlessly resides in high-fashion spheres, whose leading visionaries grew up with the shoe, influenced by its anti-conformist ethos and customisable style. As fashion designer Rick Owens put it, "When I think of Converse, I think of the black and white Chuck Taylors and the punk rock generation. These have always been iconic pillars of my aesthetic".As the noughties wore on and digital media democratised access to the fashion world, the Chuck cemented its status in this once-rarefied yet open-minded world. It graced runways in both original and bespoke forms at the same time as it populated the pages of glossies and appeared in street-style snaps from global fashion weeks.

In 2021, Rick Owens reimagined the Chuck 70 as the TURBODRK Chuck 70. Photo by OWENSCORP.

Marc Jacobs outfitted models in Chucks for his iconic 1992 Perry Ellis "Grunge" collection.

Lila Moss in Converse x Isabel Marant Chuck 70 Ox sneakers, part of a collaborative 2025 collection.

The 2012 Converse Made in Maine boot reimagined the Chuck, nodding to its rich American heritage.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sporting Chucks in a 2025 NBA Tunnel Walk.

The Converse x Feng Chen Wang 2-in-1 Chuck 70, inspired by the designer's Chinese heritage.

Deeply entwined in the fabric of global culture, the Chuck has likewise witnessed a myriad of historical moments, adorned the feet of diverse history-makers and embedded itself into the greater societal landscape.

At the Soweto Township in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2015, a traditional Zulu dancer performs in Chucks.

An ad from the Converse 1990 All You Need campaign placed Chucks on the Berlin Wall.

In Beyoğlu, Turkey, Chucks are carefully preserved in a pickle jar. Photo by Aytekin Gezici.

Converse's ongoing support of self-expression was on display at the 2024 Boston Pride Parade.

Chucks at The Town Festival in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2023. Photo by Cauê Paciornik.

As its endless iterations prove, the Chuck could likely claim the title of the most customised sneaker in history. It has been splatter-painted and Sharpied; adorned with badges, pins and spikes; embroidered and cross-stitched; inverted. Like a fingerprint, each expression reflects its creator's unique creativity. As confirmed by Converse All Star Rocco Montagnoli Bruzzone. "Chucks have helped me express myself and my individuality since I was a child, when I used to sketch on them. Now, I wear a clean pair of Chucks to my meetings".

Recognising the powerful relationship a one-of-a-kind Chuck fosters with its wearer, the brand introduced limited-edition offerings&nbsp;as far back as 1988, via mail-order catalogue. Next came hyper-local Chuck collections, such as Lunar New Year and City Packs. Often made in collaboration with local creators, these city-exclusive designs weave the distinct cultural weft of their locale into the Chuck's signature form. In 2015, Converse further evolved its personalisation platform with the introduction of Converse By You, a digital design programme that reached new heights with the record-breaking 2024 Converse By You x Billie Eilish collaboration—all in an effort to bring creators closer to their Chucks.

And that's just the first century.

The shoe's journey from afterthought to global icon defies convention, which begins to explain why the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star has served as a talisman of self-expression for multiple generations, subcultures and genres: It has never tried to fit in.

Journey of an icon: the history of the Chuck Taylor All Star

Words: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/rachel-cavanaugh-contributing-writer" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Rachel Cavanaugh</a> Images: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/dan-vernon-contributing-photographer" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Dan Vernon</a> and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/company/people/sofieke-van-bilsen-contributing-photographer" target="_blank" class="ql-size-small">Sofieke van Bilsen</a>

The boldest ideas don't begin with guarantees. They begin with a dream—and an audacious commitment to make it real. That's exactly how Nike FlyWeb, the company's newest performance material, came to life. The first-of-its-kind 3D-printing innovation was born through years of experimentation and a resolve to do what had never been done before.&nbsp;Nike FlyWeb represents a radical shift in how performance apparel is made and what it can feel like.Unlike traditional athletic apparel, which is typically knit or woven from yarn, FlyWeb is made from TPU—a soft, pliable polymer—and 3D-printed to form the desired product.&nbsp;Three-dimensional printing is nothing new for the footwear industry or Nike. "This is, however, the first time Nike has applied the manufacturing method to high-performance sports apparel for an athlete", says Janett Nichol, Nike VP of innovation.&nbsp;

"What works on a shoe doesn't just translate to something you wear on your body", she explains. "It took years of re-engineering—not just the materials but the design approach itself—to make FlyWeb feel soft, breathable and beautiful enough for apparel".The first product Nike design teams chose to tackle in the new material? One that hasn't changed in material form since its inception: the bra.The Nike FlyWeb Bra is an ode to minimalism. The FlyWeb material is one single, seamless layer, built through computational design so that Nike designers could control the fit and support down to the millimetre, adjusting density, airflow and stretch across different zones of the garment."We had to re-engineer everything—dismantling what we knew, then putting it back together—to make it wearable next to skin", says Nichol.

The result is something athletes have never felt before. The Nike FlyWeb Bra doesn't just reduce bulk or manage moisture more efficiently. It creates an entire sensory shift. For women athletes, it eliminates the multi-layer barrier found in most sports bras, unlocking airflow and comfort in ways traditional construction simply can't."It's soft. It's light—so light, it feels like you're not wearing anything at all", adds Nichol. "That's the number 1 thing testers tell us: it disappears on your body, yet somehow delivers incredible support".That support doesn't come from compression or layering but rather from the structure itself: the computationally designed pattern is specifically engineered to be denser in areas that need more containment.

Nike FlyWeb fluidly engages when the athlete moves, creating responsive athletic support without relying on seams, straps or extra material. That means pure freedom of movement."You can actually feel the air on your chest", says Nichol. "Most women have never experienced that while running. We don't even think about it because it's just not something we've ever expected to feel".On 26 June, in Paris, Faith Kipyegon will attempt to become the first woman in history to break the 4-minute mile, an effort that's been dubbed "Breaking4". And as she takes to the track for the legacy-defining attempt, she'll be wearing a one-of-a-kind sports bra made from the breakthrough material.

Nike FlyWeb material will debut during Faith Kipyegon's historic attempt to break the 4-minute mile.

Because of its light, breathable design, Faith's Nike FlyWeb Bra will help her body stay cooler during her all-out sprint.

Faith's FlyWeb Bra has a gossamer-soft hand feel and weight that's barely there.

It was her ambition—and the scale of that goal—that helped push Nike FlyWeb from bra prototype to bespoke product."Everyone was a thought partner; we really put our heads together", says Lisa Gibson, senior product manager, apparel innovation. "And when you have a team working in synergy, believing in Faith and this moment, that's when things start to magically unlock. It's that Nike magic".

FlyWeb's debut isn't only a material milestone. It's the start of a new era in how performance apparel is made.What began as a moonshot of its own—an experiment to reimagine how we think about apparel—quickly accelerated into a breakthrough once Kipyegon's goal came into view.&nbsp;"We knew that it was an opportunity for us to look at what we had in our arsenal and what we could really use to help her break this goal", says Nichol. "We realised a gift had been dropped in our laps and it was up to us to rise to the moment".Now&nbsp;that the material is here, its potential is beginning to unfold.&nbsp;"We're just scratching the surface", says Nichol. "This is a true unlock, not just for bras but for how we design and build high-performance apparel going forward. It opens the door to entirely new ideas for how athletes experience sport through what they wear".

Featherweight, soft and breathable, Nike FlyWeb—a first-of-its-kind 3D-printing innovation—is a sports material like no other.

The future of performance apparel is here

Erin Wallace rounded the 600-metre mark on the back stretch in Xiamen, China, holding on for dear life. In her periphery, she eyed the blinking blue light at her feet that was attempting to leave her behind.Erin was one of two runners who were pacing <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/stories/faith-kipyegon-profile" target="_blank">world champion Faith Kipyegon</a> for the 1,000 metres in April's Diamond League meet. Pacers, or rabbits, ensure that at least one runner in the field keeps the right pace to break a certain time, usually a record. In this case, Faith was looking to break 2:28.98 in the 1,000 metres, a world record that's stood for 27 years.&nbsp;Erin is familiar with laying down a pinpoint pace. In London in 2024, the 24-year-old Scottish athlete paced the 800 metres for fellow national team runner and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/keely-hodgkinson-wins-gold" target="_blank">Nike athlete Keely Hodgkinson</a>. Peeling off the track after 500 metres, she watched Keely soar around the second lap and break the British national record with a time of 1:54.61.&nbsp;Physically, pacing and racing are interrelated. But mentally, they do have their differences.

<h3>At the gun </h3>An in-between middle distance like the 1,000 metres in Xiamen shows the skilful precision behind every good pacer. Erin's coach, Trevor Painter, suggested she start the race conservatively. The gun sounds; the race begins. In starting as the third runner from the furthest outside lane, she needed to pull ahead of the pack for the first 50 metres. But at the 200-metre mark, she ran 29.4, a shade over the race pace of 28.8. She needed to pick things up. Fast enough? Too fast? Too slow? The internal dialogue rages in a pacer's mind. By the time she rounded the first 400 metres, she clocked a 59.38, nearly even with the blinking light around the track's interior—a light acting as a digital rabbit."In Diamond League meets, you have clocks stationed at every 100-metre mark. But you still need to have an internal physical sense of when to pick things up", says Erin. "Just because you can run a fast time doesn't necessarily mean you can regulate your speed for someone else's time".

<h3>During the race</h3>There's a time on the clock, and there's the clock ticking away in your body,&nbsp;raising the alarm to slow down or speed up. Erin mentions how pacing at different distances can require various levels of awareness. At shorter distances, you're going at a sprint, relying more on the light. Your athletic threshold is the barometer. A longer distance, however, can leave more room for strategic error."You learn to notice both your body and your environment at a high intensity when you're a pacer", says Erin. "You notice your position relative to the field. You notice where the timers are placed in the stadium. You especially notice anything that can disrupt the race, like how your exit impacts the other runners".

<h3>Going for the exit</h3>The final 400 metres, where many pacers will exit as the other runners take the bell lap, can be loaded with potential tripping hazards: the inside rail, the clock, electronic scoreboard equipment. In Erin's case during the Xiamen race, she looked down the last 20 metres of the 600-metre home stretch and realised that things were "looking a little busy down there", referring to a banner advertisement on the ground preventing an easy exit. She'd need to either hurdle it or find an opening about 2 metres past the finishing line and quickly veer off.&nbsp;She managed to find a gap in front of the banner. She shot for the exit and made it—barely.&nbsp;"When you peel off the track", she says, "you want the runner following you to have every detail lined up for them".&nbsp;That was true for Faith, who handily won the 1,000 metres, though narrowly missed beating the world record. She'll take those learnings to her next challenge: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.nike.com/en/newsroom/releases/breaking4-faith-kipyegon-vs-the-four-minute-mile" target="_blank">attempting to break the 4-minute mile in Paris on 26 June</a>.Erin's perspective on Faith's daring: "It's crazy", she says. "When you're running up close with her, like I have this season, you're able to appreciate just how talented she is". Erin adds that she's honoured to play a part in the Breaking4 arc. "Pacing gives you a chance to be part of another runner's story", she says. "Knowing that I can play a role in her path to beat that time is inspiring".

Middle-distance runner Erin Wallace, who paces champions like Faith Kipyegon, breaks down the tactics to help racers hold a pinpoint time.

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How a professional runner helps pace for record times

In 1973, two years after the Nike brand was born and the first Swoosh adorned shoes, the nascent footwear company signed its first star runner. The phenomenal Oregon native held multiple American distance records, competed on athletics' greatest stage in Munich in 1972 and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as "America's Distance Prodigy". The prodigy was Steve Prefontaine, America's best-known athlete at age 22. He possessed warrior determination and ran each race as if his life depended on it. His competitive fire, gutsy race tactics and inherent charisma charmed crowds and inspired up-and-coming runners to stick with the sport and give it their all.&nbsp;

On track for greatness

At 15, competing for Marshfield High School in Coos Bay, Oregon, Prefontaine set his first national record, running the 2-mile event in 8:41.5. He won back-to-back state cross-country championships in 1968–1969, and went undefeated in cross-country and athletics in his junior and senior years. Heavily recruited by top running schools during his senior year, Prefontaine was swayed by a handwritten note from University of Oregon head coach Bill Bowerman. "It said if I came to Oregon, he'd make me into the best distance runner ever", Prefontaine recalled. "That was all I needed to hear".

While training under Bowerman and assistant coach Bill Dellinger at Oregon beginning in 1969, Prefontaine won seven NCAA titles (three in cross-country, 1970–71, '73; and four in the three-mile distance in athletics, 1970–73). In Pac-8 Conference athletics competition, he won three-mile titles during each of his four years at Oregon, plus the mile in 1971. At home at Hayward Field during his collegiate career and beyond, he notched a remarkable 35 out of 38 victories between 1970 and 1975.&nbsp;

Prefontaine's ascendancy came at a time when running was far from mainstream. Drivers unwilling to share the road routinely yelled and threw rubbish at runners as they sped past. Prefontaine helped changed that attitude from annoyance to admiration. On the strength of his indisputable achievement and winning personality, he was the first person to make running cool. His association with Nike helped establish the Swoosh as a trusted running brand and transform the company from national shoe distributor to worldwide brand.

As a competitor at the University of Oregon, Prefontaine had considerable exposure to Blue Ribbon Sports and Nike footwear (at the time, products were branded Nike but the company name was still the original Blue Ribbon Sports, or BRS). In the summer of 1973, Nike co-founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman extended a $5,000 yearly stipend to help offset Prefontaine's training expenses and to relieve him of occasional bartending shifts at the popular Paddock tavern. In between athletics workouts and long runs along the McKenzie River, Prefontaine put in time at the BRS shop in Eugene. Prefontaine became well versed in BRS and its products and he was an ace pitchman. He printed up business cards with the title National Director of Public Affairs, and began travelling around the Pacific Northwest sharing training tips and encouragement to athletes while introducing them to new Nike running shoes.&nbsp;

The start of Swoosh sports marketing

"The amazing thing about Pre was he was a hell of a student of the sport and he just loved digging and learning about things", said Geoff Hollister, a runner who also competed at the University of Oregon under Bowerman and became Nike's third employee. Hollister managed the BRS shop in Eugene, and he and Prefontaine became close friends who shared interests in architecture, sports cars and, of course, running.&nbsp; The pair visited secondary schools, universities, sports shops and running clubs. "Every place we went, Pre would take time to go for a jog with the kids. He would analyse their form and talk to them", Hollister said. Prefontaine easily related to teens and was a natural spokesman for the sport. In his book "Out of Nowhere", Hollister remembered a talk Prefontaine had with students at West Albany:&nbsp;

Prefontaine took that same personal approach when connecting with athletes from afar, helping to create an early blueprint for Nike's sports marketing. He introduced the sport's elite to Nike products, sending shoes, along with personalised notes and his business card, to running friends around the world. "It was totally his own idea", said Hollister. Prefontaine dispatched boxes to Mary Decker in San Diego; New Zealand's John Walker and Dick Quax; to Brendan Foster in England; and Kenya's Kip Keino. "All those people ended up wearing Nike shoes", said Hollister. In April of 1975, Prefontaine sent a note and a pair of '73 Nike Bostons to the relatively unknown runner Bill Rodgers. The shoes' arrival created a stir among his teammates at the Greater Boston Track Club. "You'd hear about Nike shoes or see pictures, but it was the first pair that I'd seen in person", recalled Alberto Salazar, who was a secondary school student in Boston and a teammate of Rodgers at the time. "He brought them to the track, and we were all holding them and passing them around. Everyone was real excited not only because it was a Nike shoe—which was kind of neat because it was different—but because Steve Prefontaine had sent the shoes with a note". A few weeks later, Rodgers wore them in the local city marathon. He finished first.

Legacy

Prefontaine is also remembered for furthering the cause of American amateur athletes, who were boxed in by the lopsided rules of the American Athletics Union (AAU). In the 1970s, athletes who wanted to participate in the Olympic Games were required to remain amateurs, making it difficult but necessary to train at their sport and earn a living doing something else. The AAU controlled runners' competition schedules and took the lion's share of appearance fees due to athletes. Prefontaine gave up offers upwards of $200,000 to go pro to preserve his eligibility for Montreal 1976, and instead collected a $3 per diem—the maximum amount allowed by the AAU.&nbsp;

He continually challenged the AAU and spoke out about the inequity, even when it put his eligibility to compete in jeopardy. Prefontaine preserved his amateur status but he never made it to Montreal. His last competition was 29 May 1975, in a race he helped organise against members of the Finnish national team and distance heavy hitters such as Frank Shorter. Competing in the 5000m, Prefontaine trailed Shorter the first two miles, then, with three laps to go, accelerated to a 63-second pace. In front of a Hayward Field crowd of 7,000, he finished with a 60.3 last lap and a winning time of 13:23.8, just off his own American record. He ran a victory lap, attended the University of Oregon athletics awards banquet and spent the rest of the evening hanging out and celebrating with friends. The biggest athletics star in the country came to a tragic end later, just after midnight, while driving home—his life cut short by a car accident at age 24.&nbsp; His legacy is multifaceted. To generations of athletes at all levels, he embodies the philosophy of training incredibly hard and going all out in competition. For Nike, he was both a muse as an athlete and a trailblazer who pioneered a highly original and personal way of inspiring athletes with the brand. For fellow runners hamstrung by the AAU, Prefontaine was a leader who helped turn the tide towards professionalism. After Prefontaine's death, others joined Nike in taking up his cause, ultimately leading to the abolishment of the AAU by the US Congress in 1978. It was perhaps his most important legacy off the track.

Prefontaine's competitive fire, gutsy race tactics and inherent charisma charmed crowds and inspired up-and-coming runners to stick with the sport and give it their all.