NikeLab Air Zoom Spiridon
The introduction of Zoom Air in the mid-1990s propelled Nike running footwear to a new place — one predicated on speed and requisite aesthetic panache. The original Nike Air Zoom Spiridon offered both.
This summer, NikeLab re-masters the celebrated Spiridon with modern materials and construction.
While the original Spiridon wasn’t the first to use the ultra-responsive cushioning platform, it still represented a major design evolution. In addition to its Phylon midsole, resilient Duralon forefoot and pressure map-informed outsole cushioning, the shoe featured a lightweight, breathable mesh upper that was the first of its kind. This performance innovation created an aesthetic that helped make the Spiridon as popular on the street as it was on the track.
Additionally, the shoe’s instantly recognizable metallic swoosh, designed explicitly to “standout,” rooted a style later magnified by the bold and beautiful Air Max 97. The Spiridon’s tiny forefoot Swoosh, inspired by the Nike Air GX football boot, added a secondary dose of flare, which helped extend the silhouette’s subtle color blocking.
