After it was previewed alongside Nike's latest Next% running collection yesterday, more details regarding the line's lone basketball sneaker have been revealed.
The Air Zoom BB NXT% will continue to embody the vision of the Next% concept by using technology to enable athletes to shatter their personal limits, this time blending two of the brand's popular cushioning platforms together to allow next-level energy return on the court.
The upper make use of a mid-cut upper textile mesh boasting textured print mostly covering the heel and toe for support and durability fused with a plush foam tongue and padded collar to support the Achilles tendon. The shoe's standout feature is its dynamic midsole that incorporates exposed React foam embedded in the heel along with two Air Zoom units positioned underneath the forefoot for continuous responsiveness throughout the duration of a basketball game.
"The game and the athletes have evolved in this new era of basketball," says Ross Klein, Senior Creative Director for Nike Basketball footwear. "We now have athletes that are 'positionless' and generate the values of all positions on court. Within the NBA alone these positionless athletes face a grueling journey, starting with the offseason training, then preseason, and into the 82-game season, playoffs, Finals. Fatigue is the enemy and endurance is the goal."
The latest Nike Air Zoom BB Next% releases at select Nike Basketball retailers on Jul. 1.
UPDATE (06/23): Nike has announced that the Air Zoom BB Next will debut in the black-based "Dangerous" colorway starting July 2 in Greater China and July 25 in the U.S. The previously unseen "Rawthentic" iteration that's seen below will be available sometime in September.
