Sneak Peak at upcoming Nike Training Product! Vol. Good News WallyHopp!

[b1lly hoyle]

Had the chance to take some pics of some upcoming shoes from Nike's Training line for both spring and fall of this year. While it seems we're prettylocked into a retro-laden lull across the board at times, it's pretty refreshing to see Nike Training coming up with some real intuitive performanceproduct over the next few seasons. You'll notice a lower cut at the ankle for a wider range of motion along with more sculpted outsoles for coverage aswell as flexibility. They've also gone away from the midfoot strap that was identifiable in the Free Trainer line up to now, and are relying on a lateralmolded overlay for support and a larger mesh allowance atop the toe for great comfort.

What'd you guys think of the previous Free Trainer stuff? I really liked the Trainer 5.0, and it's nice to see the cushioning has definitely improvedin the line as well.

There's also shoes aimed for use in Nike's SPARQ Training system, which are even lower to the ground for explosive movements. One thing to note in thenew SPARQ Test Pro is the forefoot spring plate, which traces some cues from a track spike.

Spring --

Zoom SPARQ TR Elite:
(Love the Carbon Fiber look)




SPARQ Test Pro (2):
(Combine/Competition Rating Day Shoe)




Air SPARQ TR


Free Dynamic TR:
(Notice the lacing setup aimed to take pressure away from the top of the foot. They immediately reminded me of the Air Lambaste and the great Air Money, whichhad similar approaches.)


Fall --

Edge Essential TR:
(GREAT shoe.

)







And lastly...here's a look at the white based colorway of the Zoom SPARQ TR Elite alongside a sample Trainer 1...which is being discussed as a true-to-formRetro in the very near future. (

)

 

[shoes604]

With the intro of the Sparq shoes, does this mean that the Free Trainer 7.0 is finished (I hope not). And Eastbay has some of the Sparq trainers for pre-order.http://www.eastbay.com/catalog/adva...d--sparq/prod_tp--Footwear/gender_age--Men's/

 

[rip city12]

The sparq trainer elite looks pretty dope. There a definate cop, B1LLY whats the release date for those bad boys at footlocker, champs, finishline, etc etc?

 

[iamsoysauce3]

I LOVE those shoes. I'm big on trainers. You think SPARQ will hook-up SPARQ certified trainers with those kicks, like myself?

 

[welcometothetonezone]

These trainers look serious. Any word on the price range?

 

[jdrone]

B1LLY- I couldn't agree more. I'm extremely pleased that Nike let their designers loosen up a bit, and relieved them of their mundane task of tyingnearly everything back into something retro-based.

I'm not very well-versed in track & sprinter related silhouettes--is there any particular performance gain for how the shoe sits? I've neverseen a shoe "lay" like that, and it looks rather peculiar. I'm really worried about how that that full-length Phylon midsole will hold up afterseveral strenuous wearings. I'm always a big fan of "cactus" related colorways, so I'm looking foward to these...


Has Nike revamped or restructured the Free segments? Several running companies have worked to help alleviate pressure on the top and outer parts of the shoebuy creating wider lacing vamps. Frees have been involuntarily narrow along my toes in the past, so it's nice to see a change.

I've been incessantly loyal to the Edge line since the first volume. I typically hate Zoom Air, but the standard full-length Air is great for casualwalking comfort.

 

[wallyhopp]

thanks for the info. id love some higher profile shoes. its a helluva challenge when i want to play some basketball. the only shoe that does it for me now isthe zoom trainer which i can do everything in. it seems like the training genre is no longer about cross training. but more so TRAINING for a specific area,almost like a running shoe is a training shoe for runners. these all appear like just running shoes. thats just me though. UA has three diff. trainers but eachfor a diff. genre... ok, that makes alot of sense lol

the last pair and the dynamics remind me of some zoom havens. nice low profile design. the lace system is quite complex with the havens as well.. How are thespikes expected to hold up on pavement and just over time?

the essentials arent to my liking. i like the normal edge trainer 08s alittle better. they both have the same outsoles i dont think id miss not having theessentials.

Good stuff non the less. i havent bought any edge or performance trainers since 04 so 4 years later, the technology improvements is intriqing. and if they wanta true to form retro, they have a tough task at hand. Take the 2000 retros and you still have improvements to make. With the 2008, its even a tougher model togo back on.

 

[mheftman]

looks like a golf shoe

my ankles are tearing up just thinking of any lateral movements in these.

i like these (a very little bit)
it would cool to see the EDGE line of trainers make a resurgence.

somehow these loke like golf shoes even more than the black base (didnt think that was possible.)

 

[tjshorty15]

I'm actually quite impressed with the styling of some of Nike's newer shoes coming out this year, with these and some of the new running shoes comingout in '08 I will finally break away from the retro runners (sine Nike is giving us nothing in comparison to the UK). Thanks for the B1lly!

 

[biglefty23]

I wonder also how the "spike bottom" will hold up on pavement. I need a shoe w/ some grip for the crummy winters at school.

 

[macgyver35]

i was gonna say they look like golf shoes, or bike shoes to me

 

[kash55]

Very Nice

 

[hmack007]

Yes. Yes. Yes.

I guess these are Nikes answer to The New Prototype crap that Under Armour is putting out. Fan frickin tastic.

Now just make a kickass commercial to put UA in a coffin

 

[Sinner]

The Edge Essential TR are pretty nice, but I'm really feelin the white colorway of the Zoom SPARQ TR Elite... with the spikes, is it supposed to be more ofa turf shoe?

Thanks for the news...

 

[wallyhopp]

whats up sinnerp. This should answer some questions: via eastbay

It looks like eastbay as well as a few other places has a few of them on their websites for preorder. ETA is 3/12/08.

The word SPARQ seems to relate to Nike's training accersories branding. From parachutes to ladders to weighted balls, all these SPARQ edition trainers seemto be spiked for a reason. FOOTBALL training.

Nike has some great colors coming out. Nothing overly fancy. two-three color blocking. Just great execution. great execution on the colors but not so muchdesign. I can't wear these. I train in a gym, not on grass or turf. these do nothing for me. anyways:

Sparq Trainer Elite
The Nike Zoom SPARQ TR Elite is designed for football athlete looking for the ultimate training shoe for SPARQ and Dynamic Training. Speed never felt sogood. Lightweight breathable mesh upper with No Sew synthetic overlays. Aerodynamic and form fitting. Full-length Phylon[emoji]8482[/emoji] midsole with Zoom Air[emoji]8482[/emoji] unit inthe heel offers a fast, responsive ride. Non-marking solid rubber outsole with unique outsole design adds increased flexiblity and multi-directional traction.TPU shank provides torsional rigidity. Wt. 8.6 oz.

They dont seem like the regular joe shoe instead something to sway the UA football fanbase away from the UA "training" stuff to nike.

this one is sick imo:

The confusing element is that they also have a female version which doesn't mention football at all. Id hate to buy a shoe specified for one thing and itjust not work out. so id love for someone to give confirmation on the exact abilities of the shoe.

womens colorways of the elite:

-----------------------
Here's a SPARQ TRAINER (non elite in the title):

The Nike Air SPARQ TR training shoe was designed with the physical demands of SPARQ and Dynamic Training in mind. Unique breathable upper with streamlinedsynthetic overlays offers great fit. Visible Max-Air[emoji]174[/emoji] unit encapsulated in Phylon[emoji]8482[/emoji] adds the perfect blend of cushioning. Non-marking solid rubber outsole withmulit-directional tread. TPU midfoot shank provides torsional rigidity. Wt. 7.3 oz.

Womens colors:

--------------------------------
heres the originial SPARQ test pro:

and this years subsequent releases:
[table][tr][td]Nike Men's Sparq Test Pro[/td] [/tr][tr][td] [/td] [/tr][tr][td]The legal advantage for SPARQ ratings and combines just got faster. The Nike SPARQ Test Pro training shoe features a light and breathable mesh upper reinforced with No Sew synthetic overlays for multi-directional support. Full-length Phylon[emoji]8482[/emoji] midsole provides great cushioning and a responsive ride. Aggressive Full-length solid rubber outsole with TPU shank offers multi-directional traction. Wt. 7.8 oz.
[/td] [/tr][tr][td] [/td] [/tr][/table]
[table][tr][td]
Price: $69.99
[/td] [/tr][/table]

BY THE WAY, this colorway of the EDGE TRAINERS is on eastbay with a ETA of 3-1-08:

 

[ooiron manoo]

I currently have a pair of the Edge Trainers (White/Blue),

. Verycomfortable and perfect for the gym.

 

[Sinner]

'sup wally...

ahh, football... that makes more sense... the sole reminded me of Barry's Zoom Turf...

 

[kingcrux31]

Adidas?

 

[thejester03]

i'm curious to see the complete outsole of the non-elite SPARQ trainers, specifically to see if the heels have spikes like the forefoot.... either way, theelites look nice for on-the-field training... i hope they can preform well laterally like the free trainers.



-jester

 

[hmack007]

I use my free trainers for squats and leg workouts. Are any of these going to have that flat type of sole?

 

[xlebroniv23]

I hope these are nice the zooms were just so so

 

[menoforegon]

The Speed Power AgilityReaction Quickness is a training system used for most of the major sports, suchas football, basketball, soccer(mens & womens), baseball, softball, and track & field. The SPARQ shoes pictured above are obviouslymade for the turf or outdoor grass, hence the "spikey, nubby outsole" pattern. Training specifically on the concrete pavement over time with theseshoes will eventually wear down the traction pattern.

Keep in mind that the name SPARQ only refers to the training system and its tools, and not exclusively the name of the shoe. It's onlyadded to the name to show that it can be used in conjunction with the system.

 

[corporatejp]

I liked the TR Elite since I first laid eyes on it.

 

[putting in work]

They're alright.

I don't like all of the colorways though.

 

[b1lly hoyle]

^ Which colorways would you prefer?

I'm a sucker for black/neon, black/silver/green, and white/black/blue so I like the colorways they went with on the stuff pictured.