Nike Unveils Aero-FIT Performance Apparel Innovation: Cooling Technology for a Hotter World

Today’s athletes are competing in a hotter, wetter world — and Nike is helping them set the pace, no matter the conditions, with the introduction of Aero-FIT performance cooling technology.

More than performance apparel, Aero-FIT is Nike’s pinnacle expression of cooling innovation, capable of channeling more than double the airflow of legacy Nike materials to peak performance in extreme conditions, helping athletes thrive in their new reality of rising heat and humidity.

This pioneering technology will make its global debut in the football kits Nike federations will wear during the biggest sport moment of 2026 before extending across Nike’s sport-led product strategy, bringing airflow-first innovation to more athletes and disciplines around the world.

What’s more, Aero-FIT is one of four major technological advances Nike is unveiling this month, joining innovations across Therma-FIT apparel, mind science and powered footwear in demonstrating the depth, breadth and impact of the brand’s commitment to athlete-centered innovation.

“Nike exists to make athletes better, and our breakthrough Aero-FIT technology delivers the future of our industry-defining apparel innovation in both elite performance and sustainability at scale,” says Janett Nichol, VP, Apparel & Advanced Digital Creation Studio Innovation. 

Designed to move more air between skin and fabric, Aero-FIT supports sweating efficiency while helping athletes stay dry when the game heats up.

Elliptical mesh zones offer a unique visual signature, with lighter mesh providing even greater airflow in high-heat areas. Beyond aesthetics, these zones are functional airflow channels tuned for performance on the pitch and other fields of play — built from the ground up to help manage heat.

Hundreds of athletes wear-tested Aero-FIT across a wide range of conditions. Their feedback and perception helped validate the innovation’s cooling performance, comfort and freedom of movement in real-world scenarios.

“We obsessed the data, unpacking how air moves around the body, and mapped that airflow with sport-specific designs,” says Nichol.

Aero-FIT is born from Nike’s decades-long commitment to intentional climate-conscious design and contemporary breakthroughs in thermoregulation and circularity — proving that athlete-led, science-backed and sustainability-driven innovation is a movement, not a moment.

To that end, Aero-FIT is Nike’s first elite performance apparel made from 100 percent textile waste: a feat made possible through advanced chemical recycling, a circular process that results in recycled polyester yarn that’s as good as virgin material.

In addition to this sustainability breakthrough, Aero-FIT is a product of Nike’s integrated innovation system, where sport science, computational design and advanced manufacturing converge. Nike designers also used heat mapping and motion data to inform every aspect of Aero-FIT’s development, from yarn tuning to mesh placement.

Further, they leveraged digital blueprints to translate athlete physiology and biomechanics into the airflow-first garments — all created with stitch-level precision and validated in motion against the brand’s highest technical standards.

“We’re incredibly proud that our jerseys worn next summer will feel light, unrestrictive and comfortable for an entire match,” says Nichol. “That’s the kind of comfort that helps an athlete stay completely focused on the competition for 90-plus minutes.”