After waking up in San Fran last Saturday, the Nike Media Group (including myself & Joe Martinez), boarded a bus to Oakland’s The Zoo recording studio for a footwear briefing. The briefing was structured to cover Nike’s 2010 releases in the athletic training department which would expose the design decisions and technological advances that went into the creation of the Trainer SC 2010 (which I would later test drive), Edge TR, Trainer 1.2, Huarache TR, and finally Free TR (Joe spent the weekend in these).

The spectrum of Nike Training ranges from STRONG to SPEED, where designers choose to dial up or dial down certain tenets of cross-training such as 1)Multi-directional Flexibility & Traction 2)Forefoot Security 3)Lateral Stability 4)Support 5)Fit & Comfort 6)Protection. All of these decisions factor into the individual athelete’s needs. For instance, Larry Fitzgerald would definitely train in a different trainer than Albert Pujols.

These outsole pattern variations show the detailed thought that each designer puts into each trainer, before a 3D model is even created.

Here’s a preliminary sketch of the Trainer SC 2010. You may recall old-school versions of this trainer endorsed by Bo Jackson, who still sits on the advisory board for Nike Training.

The Huarache TR is no joke. Almost everyone in the media group was most excited about this model. It looks so similar to the old school Huarache that a sense of nostalgia overwhelms you. I’m holding the breast cancer awareness colorway, as designed by Larry Fitzgerald. It’s a cause that is close to him, as his mother passed away from breast cancer. I can’t wait to score a pair of these. They are set to release later this year.

More footwear sketches on display among the studio elements of The Zoo.

These Huaraches scream!