Nike’s Unlimited Air represents a bold exploration into one of the brand’s most enduring innovations — Nike Air — celebrating its legacy while pushing it into entirely new frontiers. Built on decades of research and reinvention, Nike Air started as a revolutionary cushioning technology and has since become a symbol of experimentation and athletic performance across footwear and apparel. The most meaningful ideas are born from direct engagement with athletes and from observing the moments that truly matter in their sporting journey. Today, projects like Unlimited Air embrace that spirit of boundless possibility, blending cutting-edge design, athlete insight, and futuristic thinking to reimagine the potential of Air not just as cushioning, but as a platform for performance and personal expression.
The Therma-FIT Air Milano Jacket firmly marks this next era. Designed to address a universal challenge — heat regulation during movement — the Therma-FIT Air Milano Jacket brings groundbreaking advancement in adaptive outerwear with A.I.R. technology. Inflate for warmth, deflate to cool down.
Nike also introduced Radical AirFlow, a new material designed to support the body’s natural cooling process. At Unlimited Air, a live running test — shown through real-time thermal imaging — demonstrated how quickly it releases heat during movement. Built for the hottest conditions athletes face, Radical AirFlow brings together Nike ACG’s outdoor knowledge and the brand’s running heritage in a lighter, more breathable performance solution.
We traveled to Milano during the Winter Olympic Games to speak with Danielle Kayembe, Expert Apparel Product Innovation Manager at Nike, who has been closely involved in bringing this vision to life, about the journey behind the innovation — and how a jacket powered by air became a real change.
Danielle Kayembe, Expert Apparel Product Innovation Manager at Nike
Edu García: Let’s start with something easy. What part of the process do you most enjoy explaining?
Danielle Kayembe: Honestly, I love explaining the journey the team has been on and sharing the path we took with this innovation. For me, the story of how innovation comes to life is really exciting. And because this is such a highly visual process, I enjoy bringing people along and letting them touch and feel the different stages — all the learnings, all the prototypes. You can visually see the journey we’ve been on. You can see where we shifted, where we changed course.
I love taking people through that journey and then showing them the final jacket and letting them experience it. That’s when it really clicks. They understand: here’s what we learned about airflow, about fit, about materials. All of those small prototypes ultimately lead to the final version of the garment.
When you say it took three years, what actually happened during that time?
At Nike, innovation is always happening. Our apparel innovation team is constantly working on new ideas. We’ve actually been exploring AIR for more than three years — across different projects, different materials, different types of inflation systems. So there was already a lot of learning before this specific jacket came together.
About three and a half years ago, we found a material we really loved. That was a turning point. The first six to eight months were pure exploration — understanding how to work with it. How do you build something with this material? What are the sealing methods? What types of heat can you use? What are the challenges with each process?
After that, we started solving bigger problems. How do you get air to flow evenly throughout the jacket? At first, the air would get stuck in one part of the garment and we couldn’t get it back out. There wasn’t just one big challenge — there were many. We figured out how to create the jacket structure, but then we had to solve retention: how to get air in, but not let it escape. We experimented with different materials, different constructions, and kept refining until we got to the right balance.
What about durability? If you’re hiking and brush against a tree, for example?
That’s a really important question. We worked with a company that specializes in inflatable technologies — they develop inflatables for aerospace and other technical fields. Together, we refined the material and created entirely new quality testing standards specific to this product.
It’s not puncture-proof — no apparel is indestructible — but it is puncture-resistant. We did extensive lab testing, but also real-world testing. We logged over 380 hours of on-body wear testing with real athletes.
Last winter, we gave the jackets to athletes in Colorado for several weeks. They hiked, skied, snowboarded, fell in the mountains. We didn’t give them restrictions. Then we collected the jackets and analyzed everything.
One athlete told us he fell while snowboarding and slid down the slope. He felt the jacket shift slightly, stood up, and realized a port had opened. He closed it, re-inflated it, and it was completely fine. That combination of lab testing and real-world testing was critical.
You also tested this with Olympic and Paralympic athletes. How did that influence the product?
In addition to the wear testing, we brought the jacket to Olympic and Paralympic trials and had athletes test it and provide feedback. That feedback shaped the final version.
Because we were designing for Paralympic athletes as well, we had to consider different abilities and dexterity levels. Many features in the jacket reflect that thinking. We worked closely with Team USA and integrated their input.
For the Paralympic Games, we customized jackets for individual athletes. The version available to the public won’t have Olympic branding, of course, but it carries the same core technology — refined for everyday consumers.
If you had to describe the product to a kid, what would you say?
I’d say the jacket goes from a windbreaker to a puffer in under 20 seconds. It’s sleek. It feels almost like magic. But at the same time, it’s simple. It keeps you warm in changing conditions without layering and layering.
Beyond the technical innovation, what does this project mean to you personally?
For me, what makes this truly intriguing is that it’s a form of innovation that not only allows you to perform better — it gives you more control over your own body.
It’s responsive. I can put it on and adjust my temperature instantly. I can adjust the fit. And it’s so simple and intuitive. We’re not used to thinking outside the box about what clothing can be. Traditionally, garments are static — they don’t change. This one responds to you throughout the day.
It reminds me of the first time I had an iPhone. I didn’t know I needed it — and then suddenly it made my life easier. This feels similar.
When people tested it, they said it changed how they dressed. Someone could wear a T-shirt in winter, inflate the jacket when leaving the house, bike to work, deflate it when they arrived, inflate it again later in the evening. It changed how they moved through their day.
To me, that’s what’s exciting. The garment becomes an extension of you — but in a very intuitive way.
Was there a moment when you realized this was something truly special?
Yes. When we first showed it to Team USA in New York, I worked with a Paralympic athlete with limited mobility and limited sight. Within less than a minute, he was able to navigate every feature of the jacket on his own. It was incredibly intuitive for him. He just started experimenting with it, adjusting it independently.
That was a powerful moment. It showed me that there’s something here that’s simple, accessible, and human.
You must feel proud.
I really do. I love this project.
