Nike GS II & Flyknit - Pinnacles Of Performance
The boundaries of sports performance products are always being pushed. No two Nike innovations demonstrate the speed at which sports shoes are evolving better than the Nike GS and the Nike Flyknit running shoe. Two swoosh-bearing feats of engineering that sit at the peak of sports performance technology.
Nike's product innovations are not exclusive to their individual sports. New technologies help inspire. Whether that is in football, running or basketball. What the Nike GS and Flyknit shoes share - other than a fan favourite black/white colourway - is Nike's desire to test and explore the limitations of their products.
Both shoes wouldn't have been deemed possible ten years ago. A football boot constructed with recycled materials weighing just 160g and a running shoe engineered by knitting thread into a single layer to fit around your foot - two cutting-edge technologies that are both considered some of the most exciting innovations of 2012.
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Running and football go hand-in-hand and Nike's Flyknit running trainer is quickly being adopted by professional and amateur players as the perfect off-field shoe, whether it's in the gym or on the streets. Similar to how the Nike Free phenomenon transcended into street-culture, Nike's Flyknit revolution is heading in the same direction. They're one of the hottest off-pitch trainers and it's not hard to see why!
Nike Flyknit is one of the most exciting shoes to have been released in years. Four years in the making, the Flyknit technology has been precision engineered and designed around four philosophies - performance, lightness, formfitting and sustainability. Looking at the shoe, it's not hard to notice that Nike have clearly ticked all four boxes.
At its most basic concept, the Flyknit consists of knitting thread into a single layer to fit around your foot. The lightweight, breathable one-piece knit upper moves with the foot, seamlessly integrating areas of high support and stretch where you need them most. Importantly without overlays, which adds weight. 
This technology is the first of its kind to hit the market - although adidas will soon hit back with their own Primeknit material. The Flyknit shoes currently sit alongside the Nike GS as two of the most advanced sports shoes in the world. The GS is Nike's lightest and greenest boot ever, constructed using renewable and recycled materials. 
Engineered in Italy, the Nike GS features recycled and renewable materials throughout the upper and plate design. A bio-based traction plate made primarily from castor beans ensures strength and flexibility on pitch, alongside a sock liner made from 100% castor beans. The boot laces, lining and tongue are made from a minimum of 70% recycled materials. The toeboard and collar, feature at least 15% recycled materials.
Nike see Flyknit as the future - the advances it can offer to performance running are certainly exciting. But much like the iconic Nike Air Max and Nike Free, the Nike Flyknit is well on its way to becoming the next running shoe to see more of the street than the track. They're just that cool!
