Published on July 16, 2021

Model: Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% 

Brand: Nike x Off-White ^TX.

Release Date: July 23

Retail Price: $260 

With the nearing start of the Tokyo Olympics 2020, Nike has found a perfect time to release one of its best running shoes that will grace the tracks. Probably, it will also prove to the world that it is the epitome of shoe innovation that encompasses comfort, reliability, speed, and consistency. Hence, July 23 is the date set for Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT%  x Off-White ^TX. 

The Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% is one of Nike's top innovative running shoes with aesthetic signatures. Nike states that the Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% is a product of insightful input from the world's fastest runners like Eliud Kipchoge.

The world knows Kipchoge as the world's fastest marathoner in the history of athletics. He established this record in INEOS 1:59 Challenge, running in Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT%, but came short of such success in the 2020 London Marathon.

Though the Off-White^TX  x Air Zoom Tempo Next% looks like an iteration of the Alphafly NEXT%, Nike asserts that this is a creation of learning and analyzing the performance of the Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT%.

Many runners will assume the close similarities between Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% and Tempo NEXT%. However, Nike considers the latter to be an improved version of the former. It is more than a training shoe. "It is for speed training," Says Elliot Health, Nike's Product Manager.

Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT comes with two Zoom Air pods underfoot for responsiveness and efficient energy return with each foot strike. The stand-alone pods (disjointed) from the surrounding foam, and positioned at the toe-off area enable runners to get the best energy return for propulsion. 

Another adjustment expected from the  Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT is a full-length plate running through the midsole. It stabilizes the midsole while enhancing propulsion. Feedback from runners indicates that the Alphafly NEXT% was quite firm. Therefore, in the Nike Air Zoom Tempo, expect a less rigid carbon plate, and the intention is to enable a runner to build speed strength during training.

Well, as expected, the Zoom X, one of the most responsive cushioning foam in the running shoe industry, was bound to feature in the Nike Air Zoom Tempo. The Zoom X foam is strategically placed on the forefoot while the React foam sits on the heel. You can tell that Nike is going full-throat to give a runner the utmost return energy and cushioning at one go.

Efficiency is the epitome of Off-White ^TX x Zoom Air pods Tempo NEXT%. Nike did envision not just speed and comfort but also eased wearing to help athletes manage training time. The Tempo NEXT% comes with a collapsible heel for easy and quick hand-free entry or what Nike refers to as step-in entry. The design is known as FlyEase. It also has a runner's knot-free upper with a one-hand tightening and loosening mechanism. Time is of the essence, and Nike wants to help an athlete must manage it well.

The Flyknit material has dominated all Nike's premium shoes. The seamless construction has always stood out, and just like in the Vaporfly NEXT%, Nike included it in the Nike Air Zoom Tempo NEXT%. The difference is that this one has a handcrafted feel and is conspicuously graphical. It oozes Off White ^TX classic style. You won't stop noticing the bold texts and detailed graphic overlays stamped on the medial sides. For sure, Nike wants to stand out during the Olympics 2020.

Nike has been preparing for a showdown. With the secure upper and responsive midsole, Nike is hoping to break records at the Tokyo Olympics. Hopefully, the spiked outsole will leave a mark of success for any athlete who will wear Nike Air ZoomTempo NEXT.

Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% x Off-White^TX  comes in two colors: Pink Glow and Black.

 Written by Stephen Otieno.