Nike Unveils Its Bold and Innovative ISPA Collection for Fall and Holiday 2020
For the upcoming fall and holiday seasons, Nike will deliver a five-shoe range of bold and innovative footwear under its unique set of creating and problem-solving design principles — Improvise, Scavenge, Protect and Adapt — known as Nike ISPA.
The collection for the upcoming seasons is what the brand is calling “a pinnacle experimental expression of Nike design across all categories, including the latest innovations and established creations.”
One of the five silhouettes produced is the ISPA Zoom Road Warrior. The style, which releases July 10 and retails for $500, uses innovations from Nike’s running, basketball, training and outdoor categories. It is built with a floating heel reminiscent of early Shox prototypes and utilizes double-stacked Zoom pods and double underfoot plates. For the modern Nike sneaker fan, the shoe also references the design of the Air Zoom Alphafly Next% and pairs it with the energy-returning capabilities of the Air Zoom BB NXT. As for its knit patch upper, which Nike created to deliver comfort and propulsion, the brand used ideas from its training shoes and outdoor footwear to offer agility, containment and protection.
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To create the ISPA Overreact FK — a shoe Nike said is an illustration of its “improvise, scavenge, protect and adapt” philosophy — designers confronted an everyday problem: How to make shoes more comfortable. To solve this problem, Nike used its acclaimed React technology in ways it hasn’t before, including removing the sockliner and strobel so the wearer will take each step on the plush cushioning material. Also, its upper features a mix of excess Flyknit yarns that is reminiscent of the VaporMax 2 Random, and the shoe’s color palette is dictated by what yarns are available. Further making this look more comfortable is the easy-on, easy-off closure system. The Nike ISPA Overreact FK drops July 9 and will retail for $180.
Arriving July 31 with a $160 price tag is the ISPA Overreact FK Sandal, a look that features the tooling of the ISPA Overreact and built with what Nike described as “a stripped down, warm-weather-ready build.” Also, the brand equipped the ISPA Overreact FK Sandal with a disproportionate tread pattern and uppers with both visible and hidden layers that provide structure and protection that also all for airflow and keeping the style light.
The ISPA Flow 2020, which releases Aug. 13 with a $180 price point, is stripped down to the essentials and looks to solve the problem most shoes have in the summer: Balancing stability and style with breathability for the heat. Nike said the design is inspired by “gram shavers,” or extreme sports athletes who take a DIY approach to maximize their equipment, and equipped the look with a breathable perforated outsole that allows internal intake of airflow and an outsole with an open weave mono mesh based on hotspots on a person’s feet are likely to occur.
Lastly, the ISPA Drifter, which releases Sept. 1 for $200, is what Nike is calling a “hybrid of Japanese traditional work boots and Nike, Inc. innovation.” It is reminiscent of its bold split-toe Tabi shoe and features a lightweight cushioning compound with regrind Nike ZoomX foam, which is used in the brand’s fastest running shoes. Also, it is built with external webbing for a stable lockdown fit and an atypical fastening system that secures the foot from both the front and center of the eyestay.
