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Like any other year, 2022 has been great for Nike, not just in terms of offering new colorways for the existing designs but also for adding newly modified silhouettes to its already substantial sneaker collection.
The Swoosh brand has dominated press coverage throughout 2022 thanks to the release of its eagerly awaited sneaker releases, especially LeBron 20 and Martine Rose's SHOX Mule MR4 shoes.
In case Nike fans just missed these popular releases, here’s a compilation of the top five releases that grabbed much of sneakerheads’ attention.
Five popular Nike launches of 2022 that are unmissable
1) Nike LeBron 20
The LeBron 20 is the earliest low-top athletic shoe in LeBron's eponymous selection. At first glance, LeBron's career highlights are referenced in the elaborate graphics on the shoe's lateral rails. LeBron claims that the LeBron 20 was created with the coming generations in mind, even if the shoe honors the legacy.
The forefoot and heel Zoom Air units, as well as the carbon fiber midfoot shank, are the shoe's key characteristics. The forefoot has a top-loaded Air Zoom Turbo unit for underfoot padding, and the heel has a bigger Zoom Air unit that is 13 mm thick to offer shock absorption.
The lateral guardrail is synthetically covered to help keep the foot over the midsole stable. An all-around outer sole unit design secures the footing. The smooth and airy designed collar lining ties back to LeBron's goal of creating the most luxurious basketball sneakers ever with the Zoom Generation.
This marks the first time since Zoom LeBron 5, a carbon fiber midfoot shank—which offers efficiency and structural rigidity for dynamic movements—returns to the trademark line. After being removed from the outsole of the LeBron 16 for a while, the Dunkman logo is back.
On September 29, LeBron 20 in the “Time Machine” palette was made available in both adult and youth sizes for $200. Colorways like “Trinity,” “Debut,” and more were also debuted by the Swoosh label recently.
2) Air Max Scorpion
Air Max Scorpion's airbag system as a whole raises the bar for sensory design by creating a piston-like action through carefully chosen, point-loaded touchpoints between the foot and the airbag. A ground-breaking Flyknit chenille upper with short fibers locked perpendicularly in place by two thick vertical core yarns to create a delicate pile appearance balances the revolutionary Air system.
Air Max Scorpion was put on the market on October 5. With a retail price tag of $250 per pair, these pairs were offered by Nike’s SNKRS and a few other retail partners.
3) Air Zoom GT Cut 2
In 2021, the Greater Than (G.T.) series debuted as Nike Basketball's newest arena for exploration. The goal was to create the most technologically advanced sneakers on the market while simultaneously catering for the future generation of skaters.
The updated Air Zoom G.T. Cut 2 is made for players who quickly open and close space to throw defenders off guard.
The shoe's key feature is a brand-new, cutting-edge traction system. It has a rubber mixture laid out in a striking wiper-blade arrangement with substantial tread channels.
A player can dig into the court to make swift cuts by applying force with each stride, causing the grooves to split and afterwards snap back upon relaxation. Up the forefoot, a second zone of nubbed adhesion is dispersed.
Other upgrades to the Air Zoom G.T. Cut 2 include a modified heel structure for a tighter fit, a scooped-out midsole to lower the rubber weight as well as the total weight of the footwear. A comprehensive outlined Zoom Air strobel and a drop-in React foam sockliner have been restored to the shoe from the original GT Cut style.
The Air Zoom GT Cut 2 silhouette officially debuted in two colorways, dubbed “Bred” and “Sabrina Ionescu.” While the former was released on September 16, the latter arrived on October 13, on Nike's website as well as on the Nike app. They are priced at $170 for each pair.
4) Nike x Martine Rose SHOX Mule MR4
The Swoosh label joined forces with renowned designer Martine Rose to introduce two fresh iterations of the SHOX Mule MR4 silhouette. The "Black" version of the two colorways was first seen strolling down the catwalk during Martine Rose’s SS23 show in Vauxhall, London. With this design, Rose makes a strong statement and entirely modifies the model's composition.
To achieve a sleeker, more streamlined esthetic, the toe box has been redesigned with a square-toe shape, and the outer walls have been compressed.
Branding accents also appear on different parts of the footwear, and her name has been emblazoned onto the insert of the right shoe in addition to the tongue tags. For added flair, reflective details can be seen on the lace sets and toe boxes, and the Shox pistons in the back have a striking red color.
The Nike x Martine Rose SHOX Mule MR4 shoes were released on July 7, via Martine Rose's website. Following this, they were also available on Nike’s SNKRS app on September 23, in black and white color options. They were offered with a retail price tag of $200.
5) Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% 2
The Alphafly NEXT% 2 has been modified with an emphasis on perfecting the shoe's design so that all runners could complete long distance runs with better stability and transitioning.
The Alphafly NEXT% 2 midsole, true to its roots, combines comprehensive ZoomX foam (Nike's lightweight and most robust foam), a full-length bent carbon plate, and dual Zoom Air pods to provide runners with a responsive, light, and comforting experience.
To increase energy returns and provide a seamless shift from the heel to the forefoot when runners take their stride, extra foam has been added underneath the Zoom Air pods in the forefoot. A somewhat broader heel aids in increasing stability and facilitating tempo changes.
Atomknit 2.0, which is now used in the upper, was designed to provide ease under the laces, ventilation above the toe tops, and encapsulation in the forefoot.
The “Prototype” colorway of the new Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% 2 silhouette was released in limited quantities on June 15, with a price label of $275 for each pair via the online stores of Nike and partnering retail vendors.
These were the five freshly designed silhouettes that were debuted by the Swoosh label in the recent months of 2022. More colorways of the aforementioned shoes are available on the brand’s official website.
