Flyknit Racer thumbnail 1
Flyknit Racer thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Flyknit Racer

Trainer
2012
Artist/Maker

This Flyknit Racer trainer is a sample of the first Flyknit model unveiled by Nike in February 2012. Nike began working on ‘Flyknit’ technology in 2007. After five years of development and 195 rounds of adjustments, trainers made with the new technology were first worn at the 2012 Olympics by Somalia-American long-distance runner Abdi Abdirahman. The Flyknit technology allows Nike designers to micro-engineer every stitch of the shoe’s upper, scientifically tuned to meet the exact specifications of athletes. It features an upper knit with a super-light, strong fabric, without the weighty structure of traditional shoe making. The pattern is created via a computer program, which allows for infinite subtle, immediate and specific customisation. It is also a far more sustainable method of manufacture than conventional trainer production as instead of cutting irregular shapes from a rectangular cloth, each Flyknit upper is knitted exactly to size resulting in very minimal waste.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleFlyknit Racer (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Polyester, rubber and metal
Brief description
Flyknit Racer Trainer by Nike, polyester, rubber and metal, designed in USA, made in Taiwan, 2012
Physical description
Flyknit racer trainer by nike, fluorescent yellow/green and balck knitted polyester uppers with rubber sole and section of metal studded sole.
Dimensions
  • Height: 110mm
  • Width: 95mm
  • Length: 285mm
Production typePrototype
Credit line
Given by Mark Parker
Summary
This Flyknit Racer trainer is a sample of the first Flyknit model unveiled by Nike in February 2012. Nike began working on ‘Flyknit’ technology in 2007. After five years of development and 195 rounds of adjustments, trainers made with the new technology were first worn at the 2012 Olympics by Somalia-American long-distance runner Abdi Abdirahman. The Flyknit technology allows Nike designers to micro-engineer every stitch of the shoe’s upper, scientifically tuned to meet the exact specifications of athletes. It features an upper knit with a super-light, strong fabric, without the weighty structure of traditional shoe making. The pattern is created via a computer program, which allows for infinite subtle, immediate and specific customisation. It is also a far more sustainable method of manufacture than conventional trainer production as instead of cutting irregular shapes from a rectangular cloth, each Flyknit upper is knitted exactly to size resulting in very minimal waste.
Collection
Accession number
T.18-2018

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Record createdJanuary 11, 2018
Record URL
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