Originally launched in 1982, the Air Force One was the first basketball shoe to use a cushioning system considered as revolutionary. Used in principle in running shoes, the Air Force involved a complicated development to fit the Air unit into a new midsole. What in principle was a functional advantage on the NBA courts became a showcase of style when the streets began to adopt it.
While Air Force 1 was becoming a myth, Nike continued to work on new damping systems that adapted to new needs and also to new technical capabilities. The React Hyperdunk 2017, precisely in basketball, was the shoe that premiered the new React system, which has evolved to accommodate running, training, golf and sportswear models.
What is Nike React? It is a kind of reactive, durable, soft and light foam created from a combination of TPE and EVA polymers. Traditionally, cushioning innovations have improved some feature, however React implies several advances: the return of energy, the attenuation of impacts, weight and durability. It is the most complete cushioning system created so far and gradually its softness and comfort has gone from performance to lifestyle models. And the Air Force 1 could not be left behind.
