Nike Debuts its First Neuroscience-Based Footwear to Help Athletes Feel Calm, Focused and Present

Nike is introducing its first neuroscience-based footwear: two mind-altering silhouettes designed to help athletes* lock in their mindset before and after competition. Scientifically shown to activate key sensory areas of the brain via underfoot stimulation, the Nike Mind 001 mule and Mind 002 sneaker deepen an athlete’s awareness, helping ground them in their bodies and bring them back to the present moment.

An engineering and manufacturing challenge over 10 years in the making, the Mind 001 and Mind 002 feature 22 independent foam nodes per shoe that are bonded to a flexible, water-resistant material that allows them to act as pistons and gimbals as athletes move — imparting the feeling, and even the texture, of the ground directly beneath. This interaction heightens sensory awareness, which can help clear away distractions and enhance concentration.

“Nike Mind is a new sensory-footwear concept that helps reawaken the foot, the body and the mind,” says Eric Avar, VP, Creative Director, Innovation. “It represents a new paradigm of performance and how we can potentially make athletes better in the future.”

The Mind 001 and Mind 002 are the first innovations born from Nike’s Mind Science Department, a cutting-edge group within the Nike Sport Research Lab that’s deepening Nike’s understanding of the mind-body connection. Leveraging one of very few mobile brain and body imaging labs in the world, the Mind Science Department’s neuroscientists study the nervous system, brain activity and cognition of athletes in motion — leading to unique insights informing a completely new category of products and services to help athletes better prepare, train, compete and recover.

“Focus is everything in football,” says Nike signature athlete Erling Haaland, who’s among hundreds of athletes who tested Nike Mind footwear over the past five years. “Every step I take, I think of the shoe and what I feel in my feet — which is a good thing. It helps me to bring balance to my game.”

One of four major technological advances Nike is unveiling this month, the Nike Mind platform joins innovations across Air apparel, advanced cooling, and powered footwear in demonstrating the depth, breadth and impact of the brand’s commitment to creating the future of sport through athlete-centered innovation.

The Mind 001 mule offers easy-on, easy-off convenience and comfort, while the Mind 002 sneaker anchors the foot to the footbed for increased sensation and support. To complement Nike Mind’s innovative application of mind science research, every element of both styles — form, material and construction — was carefully considered to ensure a premium experience of the technology. This amplifies the athlete’s connection with their footwear, environment and body, making the Mind 001 and Mind 002 not only worn but felt.

“For 45 years, Nike has studied the body in motion — how muscles fire, how joints move, how oxygen fuels performance,” says Dr. Matthew Nurse, VP, Chief Science Officer, NIKE, Inc. “Now, we’re expanding into the mind. By studying perception, attention and sensory feedback, we’re tapping into the brain-body connection in new ways. It’s not just about running faster — it’s about feeling more present, focused and resilient. That’s the next frontier of performance.”

The Nike Mind 001 and Mind 002 will be available in January 2026 at nike.com and select stores. Learn more at nike.com/mind.

*If you have a body, you are an athlete.