Nike creates "most aerodynamic speed suit in running history" for Faith Kipyegon

Sportswear brand Nike has collaborated with athlete Faith Kipyegon to create a "slippery" running kit that includes a 3D-printed sports bra for the runner's attempt to become the first woman to run a sub-four-minute mile.

Created under the Breaking4 partnership between Nike and Kipyegon, the running kit comprises a body suit, sports bra, running spikes, arm and leg sleeves and a headband designed to increase the athlete's aerodynamic performance.

Currently, Kipyegon is the women's mile world record holder at 4:07.64 minutes, set in 2023. For this attempt, the athlete will need to shave off  7.65 seconds.

"The Nike designers' mission for Kipyegon's kit: create the most aerodynamic speed suit in running history," said the design team. "The gains to be made are huge; aerodynamics is a critical factor in Kipyegon's attempt. At full sprint, she'll be running 15 miles per hour (24.14 kmh). "

The kit was designed largely around the Nike Fly Suit, a body suit with a sleeveless, neck-high cut that stops just above Kipyegon's knees.

Nike used the word "slippery" to describe the athlete's ability to "move through the air as efficiently as possible." To achieve this, the suit was made of a stretchy, black material with clusters of tiny nodes placed around the suit's neckline, hips, and around the calves.

According to the team, the half-sphere nodes, which vary in size with some the size of a pencil tip, help "split" the air in front of Kipyegon as she runs and control the "eddies" created behind her to reduce drag.

The design was part of the overall "incremental product changes" that increased the performance of the suit.

"It became clear how much faster Faith could potentially run if the suit had certain physical features beyond the slickness of its material," said Nike senior project manager for apparel innovation Lisa Gibson.

The team also created a sports bra for underneath the suit, which features a racerback cut made out of a black, 3D-printed netting.

Called Nike Flyweb, the material is made of a "single, seamless" layer of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), which removes the layers of materials found in traditional sports bras, according to the team.

It is also the first time Nike has applied 3D-printing techniques to high-performance apparel for an athlete, although it's worked with the technology for its footwear for years.

"What works on a shoe doesn't just translate to something you wear on your body," said Nike VP of innovation Janett Nichol. "It took years of re-engineering — not just the materials but the design approach itself — to make FlyWeb feel soft, breathable and beautiful enough for apparel."

According to the team, using 3D-printing technology allowed them to control the fit "down to the millimetre" and create a denser structure around the breast.

The kit also includes the custom Nike Victory Elite FK racing spike, which features a goddess of victory and Kipyegon's initials on the soles.

"The integrative nature of this kit means everything with this attempt," said principal researcher in the Nike Sport Research Lab Brett Kirby. "Not any one thing will help her break it."

Kipyegon is set to attempt the record-breaking mile on 26 June.

Recently, Nike collaborated with Hyperice to create shoes and a vest with integrated massage technology to help athletes recover and Nike chief design officer Martin Lotti spoke to Dezeen about the brand's approach to sustainable materials.

The photography is courtesy of Nike

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