Nike 'knits' trainers from scratch with outdoor stunt in Shanghai

Nike's 'Flyknit' technology has an elasticised construction, which allows the sneaker to fit securely around the ankle like a second skin, according to the brand.

It was developed by scientists who used pressure-mapping to locate the stress areas of the foot to build a knitted one-piece shoe upper that supports the flex and movement of a runner’s stride, Nike claims.

To introduce this innovation to consumers in China, a 10-­day live 'knitting' installation was staged on a prominent billboard outside Nike's flagship store in Shanghai's Nanjing East Road.

Preparations started days before 1 August—the global launch day of the Nike Free Flyknit—when the brand unveiled a plain billboard featuring only a giant bare foot.

Over the course of the installation, the sock-­like Free Flyknit shoe was "flyknitted", thread by thread, over the bare foot on the billboard by four workers geared up in Nike outfits.

CREDITS

Project: Free Flyknit launch
Client: Nike
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy Shanghai
ECD: Michael Simons, Achilles Li
CD: Terence Leong
CW: Jimmy Chen
Art Director: Fish Ho, Dino Xu
Designers: Ricky Li
Project Manager: Yvette Ho
Producer: Angie Wong, Rony Shao
Print Production: Stone Xue
Cameramen: Jacky Mei, Michael Wu
Editor: Jacky Mei
Retoucher: Chang Qing Lee
Account Serving: Jim Zhou, Chuck Xu, Dino Xu
Planner: Rodion Yudasin, Charinee Chairasmisak
Production Company: Shanghai Viawon Exhibition Co., Ltd
Exposure: Outdoor