Nike, Jordan and Converse join forces under a single creative banner: Sport Offense, a new era of athlete-centric innovation.
This is an announcement that resonates as a turning point in the history of the Nike group. For the first time, the innovation, design, and product teams from Nike, Jordan, and Converse come together under one single structure. The goal is clear: to create faster and stronger products centered on the athlete, through the sharing of expertise, technologies, and design methods.
A new organization that fits into the “Sport Offense” strategy, designed to stimulate growth and accelerate innovation across all the brands of the group. For Phil McCartney, director of innovation, design, and products at Nike, this merger is much more than a reorganization. It’s a philosophy. “Everything starts and ends with the voice of the athlete. By unifying our teams, we fully leverage our collective potential to deliver products that truly enhance the performance and lives of athletes. It’s a new era for innovation at Nike.”
This union is accompanied by the launch of four innovation platforms: Aero-Fit, Project Family, Therma-Fit Milano, and Nike Mind. Together, these platforms embody Nike's vision to solve the concrete challenges of athletes and anticipate the needs of tomorrow.
Innovation platforms focused on the future
Among these advancements, Aero-Fit symbolizes the new generation of performance apparel from Nike. Born from several years of research on thermoregulation, this technology channels twice as much air as traditional fabrics to keep athletes cool even in the hottest environments. Made from 100% textile waste, Aero-Fit also embodies the brand's environmental commitment: proving that performance and sustainability can go hand in hand.
Photo credits: @nike (Instagram)
Another major innovation: Project Amplify. The platform explores the boundary between human movement and robotics. This system, still in the testing phase, constitutes the first prototype of a motorized shoe, capable of amplifying the natural movements of the leg and ankle. Its integrated miniature motor, drive belt, and rechargeable battery provide smooth assistance, extending the stride while reducing effort. Designed for everyday runners, Amplify does not seek to break records but to make running more accessible, lighter, and more fun. “It’s like adding a second pair of muscles to the calf,” summarizes Michael Donaghu, vice president of innovation. The goal is simple: to help everyone go a little further, a little faster, with more enjoyment.
Photo credits: @nike (Instagram)
On its side, Therma-Fit Air Milano reinvents warmth. Designed from Air technology, this jacket allows athletes to regulate their temperature in real-time by inflating or deflating the air contained in its internal compartments. Lightweight and modular, it offers dynamic insulation capable of evolving from a simple sweater to a mid-season down jacket. Tested by American athletes before winter competitions in Milan, this piece illustrates Nike's mastery in the art of combining science, design, and comfort. “Air Milano marks the beginning of a new era. It’s a living innovation, designed to adapt to every movement and every need,” emphasizes Danielle Kayemben, head of apparel innovation.
Nike Mind: when science inspires performance
But it is Nike Mind that attracts all the attention. Born from over ten years of research in neuroscience, Nike Mind explores the connection between body and mind around two initial models: the Mind 001 and Mind 002, designed to help athletes achieve a state of total concentration before and after competition.
Photo credits: @nike (Instagram)
Each pair is equipped with twenty-two independent foam modules, capable of stimulating sensory areas of the foot and activating ground perception. This sensory interaction promotes body awareness, reduces distractions, and allows the athlete to regain their inner balance.
“Nike Mind represents a new paradigm of performance,” explains Eric Avar, vice president and creative director of innovation. “It revitalizes the link between the foot, body, and mind.” Footballer Erling Haaland, who participated in the testing phases, highlights the concentration power that these shoes bring him: “They help me refocus, to find balance in my game.”
A collective vision focused on the future
With Sport Offense, Nike is not just creating products: the brand is rethinking the very way innovation takes shape. By bringing together the talents of Nike, Jordan, and Converse, it establishes a true creative ecosystem where each advancement feeds the next. The goal is no longer simply to improve performance but to redefine what it means to “be an athlete” in a constantly evolving world.
This collective approach allows Nike to shift from a product logic to an experience logic. Clothing that breathes, shoes that feel, technologies that adapt to the body and mind. Each platform thus becomes a building block of a more connected, more sensory, and more sustainable future.
"Innovation is no longer a department, it’s a common language. At Nike, we want to create products that think, feel, and evolve with athletes."
Phil McCartney
Director of innovation, design, and products at Nike
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