What is Nike React?
by Adriano Batista
When Nike asked runners what they wanted out of their running shoes, they got very specific answers: They said they wanted better cushioning. They also said they wanted better energy return. And they needed their shoes to be lightweight, of course. Oh, and they had to last too. In a way, they wanted everything. The tricky thing is that these four qualities are incredibly difficult to deliver in one material because they’re opposites.
Nike React foam cushioning launched in June 2017 in basketball — a sport that requires players to shift direction and speed in seamless motion and to lift off at the blink of an eye. The foam met those needs by providing a sensation that is as soft and springy as it is squishy and stable — a balance not previously seen in any other Nike basketball shoe.
To get there, Nike’s in-house chemists and mechanical engineers came together to test ingredients to see which composition would yield the perfect outcome. It was a process that demonstrated Nike’s in-house manufacturing ingenuity. After more than 400 hundred combinations of chemistry and processing, and using scientific methods to dial in on materials with certain amenable attributes, they landed the unique composition of Nike React foam.
From there, they put Nike React technology through more than 2,000 hours of testing on the feet of basketball players, where it proved to be the most durable foam and to deliver greater energy return than any other Nike basketball shoe tested. Because the runners expressed that they craved similar sensations, it was a no-brainer to take Nike React technology to running shoes.
Wondering what that feels like? Well, if you were to squeeze Nike React foam, you’d get that great cushioning sensation; and then, as you let go, you’d see the foam quickly spring back to its original shape, which is where the energy return comes into play. That translates so well to a run because as it reacts swiftly to each step, bouncing back to its original state to ensure a consistent underfoot feel stride after stride, mile after mile.
Nike React technology will be available in the new Nike Epic React Flyknit on February 22 on nike.com and at select retailers. If you don’t want to wait you can get these models on February 12 at the Nike APP. You can download it HERE!
Han Kjøbenhavn Fall/Winter 2018
Outsiders
Oakley is taking its expertise from extreme sports to outer space.
There’s something raw and electric in Last Exit on Bethnal, the new collaborative project between London producer/DJ Hannah Holland and filmmaker/photographer Lydia Garnett.
JIL SANDER backed the production of a seven-track EP and the Hamburg-shot music video for the song “Wanderlust”.
Balenciaga’s Winter 2025 campaign strips away polish in favor of something more intriguing: real moments in real spaces.
Marine Serre unveiled the first chapter of its “Heads or Tails” campaign, captured by the lens of Julia et Vincent.
Thirty students from fashion schools across Europe will gather in Barcelona this November to tackle one of the industry’s biggest challenges: waste.
The Phantom of the Opera has chosen his designer. Nicola Formichetti has been appointed Director of Masks for Masquerade, the new immersive Phantom experience coming to New York.
MM6 Maison Margiela and Dr. Martens are teaming up again, this time with a capsule that twists classic Docs into something fresh.
Kwir Nou Éxist project, a photo installation conceived by model, actress and activist Raya Martigny and her partner Edouard Richard, is now on view until July 25 in the iconic Tuileries Garden in Paris.
The legacy of Virgil Abloh will soon be celebrated at the Grand Palais in Paris with an exhibition developed in collaboration with Nike.
MODUS VIVENDI’s latest swimwear collection is made for days in the sun, with pieces that catch the eye without costing the earth.
Liam Goofy at Two Managment photographed by Martina Moreno and styled by Marta Ros, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
BIMBA Y LOLA has introduced its new DOG LOVERS COLLECTION, a capsule line celebrating dogs and their owners.
Nanushka’s Pre-Spring 2026 collection, Reflections, takes cues from Austrian thinker Rudolf Steiner’s belief that spirit and material are inseparable.
The wait and speculation are over. Almost a month after Francesco Risso’s departure, Marni now has a new Creative Director: Belgian designer Meryll Rogge.
Spanish-Nigerian designer Wekaforé Jibril has made history with the opening of his first standalone boutique in Barcelona, becoming the first Black designer to establish a flagship store in Spain.
“It’s an honour to work with Burberry,” Wu said. “The brand’s dedication to its heritage and innovation results in pieces that never fail to amaze. I look forward to discovering what we’ll create together.”
ICECREAM EU has teamed up with END. to launch a special capsule collection celebrating END.’s 20th anniversary.
Harrison Sheehan photographed and styled by Carlos Venegas, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
The Studio Archive is a new series releasing original Polaroids taken by the founder of Dominic Albano Collection.
C2H4® is slowing down. Instead of chasing seasons, their R011 Collection is built to last: one carefully crafted lineup per year, designed to stay relevant long after the trends fade.
We had the opportunity to chat with Martin about the great skincare reset and what we can learn from Danish clean beauty.
HAIKURE’s SS26 collection, Come As You Are, is for people who want to feel good without the effort, who wear clothes that fit their lives, not the other way around.
Daniel Solano captured by the lens of Arthur Coelho and styled by Dana Fracalossi, in exclusive for Fucking Young! Online.
For his second couture show closing Haute Couture Week, Kevin Germanier chose to have fun.
Glass Cypress’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, The Ones Who Flee, is a meditation on movement, not just physical escape, but the deeper act of resisting what binds us.
For Oakley, it’s been five decades of innovation, turning science into design, and refusing to blend in.
Alan Crocetti’s latest collection, Hard Core Fantasy, is a deeply personal exploration of identity, desire, and self-protection through jewelry.
Francisco Terra’s 15th-anniversary collection for Maldito is a midnight ride through memory, a fever dream of teenage longing stitched into lace and rhinestones.
