What is lunarlon cushioning

Featuring Lunar foam, a Flywire-based upper, a truly futuristic silhouette and a slick marketing campaign thanks to its Olympic debut , the version set a new performance bar and became a flagship shoe for the brand. The next iteration, in , ditched Luanr foam for Zoom cushioning and a Kobe V-like Skinwire upper, but also fell short in the performance specifically, durability, based on what I heard from other players as I played small-college basketball.

The evolution then, to this point, saw the Hyperdunk start as a groundbreaker, then remain at or near the top of Nike hoops hierarchy as it changed technologies and platforms. So where does it leave us with the then? Fit I was coming off hooping in the adidas Crazyquick and briefly, the KD V Elite so I was used to playing in shoes the fit like a glove. Frankly, the Hyperdunk is right up there with the Crazyquick in terms of fit. The Flywire really gives additional, targeted lockdown, but the upper hugs the foot nicely and the eight eyelets provide the wearer with great fit and flexibility from toe to ankle.

When laced up tight, the foot is locked onto the footbed — no slippage here. Perhaps the most striking visual detail is the way the midsole wraps up around the heel — rather than having an external counter like previous models. Heel-Toe Transition Transition was smooth thanks to the Lunarlon midsole, which molds well to the foot like usual. No complaints. The Hyperdunk Low that I reviewed was just fine in terms of all aspects of cushioning…until I got a month into it.

Then the Lunarlon, to me, begins to break down and become compacted. I noticed it in my knees immediately when it got to that point. In short, the cushioning is more than adequate now, but Lunarlon typically lets me down after I get weeks into it.

Another note, I would have loved to see a carbon fiber shank in the midsole. Carbon fiber is simply lighter and stronger than other shanks and provides top of the line support and strength. The TPU shank is fine but in a flagship shoe, give us the carbon fiber!

Traction This is one area where the model is leaps and bounds above the version. Simply tried and true, and it can be found from heel to toe on this shoe. To wrap up, I really enjoyed playing in this shoe. Traction is impeccable, and the shoe played quick, smooth and low to the ground. If you like the Lunarlon cushioning system, by all means purchase this shoe.

To me, that limits the long-term wearability of the shoe. I wholeheartedly recommend the Hyperdunk as a reliable, everyday, go-to shoe. Since , the Hyperdunk has been a flagship model for the Nike Basketball line.

The shoes have debuted the first basketball iterations of Flywire and Lunar foam, and have updated those key technologies through the years. The Dynamic Flywire seems to be more customizable than the setup, with each section of the strands directly tied in to the laces.

I believe that Dynamic Flywire is a much more legitimate technology than Flywire embedded in the upper from a performance standpoint, and I was pleased with the lockdown I got out of the Hyperdunk Low with the less-customizable utilization.

The old rule that a lot of cushioning always required a lot of shoe was overturned. With Lunarlon, runners, basketball players and athletes from a variety of sports can choose to have both soft cushioning and bouncy responsiveness.

In August , Kenyan distance runner Edna Kiplagat crossed the finish line in Moscow, Russia, to win her second world championship in the marathon. On her feet were custom-designed Nike shoes with Lunarlon foam. From everyday workouts to the most pinnacle sport moments, athletes around the world have a little more spring in their step with Nike Lunarlon.

Read more. Nike LunarGlide 5 running : The Nike Lunarlon system features a soft, light yet resilient foam core within a supportive foam carrier for plush cushioning, springy response and needed support. It was the perfect mix of foam and air. They called it Lunarlon. The team experimented with many techniques to transform the substance into something functional, a long and arduous process that led to the creation of the prototype in Lunarlon technology debuted in two new shoes in time for the summer of in Beijing, the Nike Lunaracer for the marathon and Nike Hyperdunk for basketball.

Athletes loved the way Lunarlon minimized impact while providing both spring and support. Back at Nike World Headquarters, designers began exploring how the wonder technology could benefit athletes in other sports by adapting it for sport-specific needs. Today, the Nike SB P-ROD 8 helps soften the impact from performing tricks with a lightweight, impact-protection outsole without dampening the board feel that skaters need.

For runners, the Nike LunarGlide6 is the most stable LunarGlide ever, delivering lightweight cushioning for the long run. Everyday runners to elite level athletes, such as Shalane Flanagan — a 10,m Bronze medalist and marathoner — love the lighter Lunarlon foam and the soft and responsive ride it delivers.

Was it really based on astronauts? Below, Nike put the minds at rest, telling the story of how the technology transformed from an idea to innovative inspiration. Almost a decade ago, Nike designers Kevin Hoffer and Eric Avar put their heads together to confront a challenge of creating lightweight technology that provided both soft cushioning and bouncy responsiveness. From everyday athltes to elite athletes such as Kenyan distance runner Edna Kiplagat, and from everyday workouts to the high-stakes sport moments, athletes love the feeling of Nike Lunarlon cushioning.

Kiplagat crossed the finish line in Moscow, Russia wearing custom-designed Nike shoes with Nike Lunarlon foam to win her second world championship in the marathon. Marathon runners typically take around 40, steps from start to finish — they need a shoe to withstand the relentless impact and to put a spring in their stride.

Meanwhile, elite basketball players need a shoe to cushion high-impact jumping and provide quick push-off for explosive changes of direction. Hoffer and Avar had a mission: to create a cushioning technology that would give distance runners and basketball players alike lightweight, responsive cushioning.

Hoffer and Avar began the search for the right material, an ultra-lightweight foam that was both pillowy-soft and rubber-ball bouncy.