Next month, we have the French Open. All the tennis fans would have been waiting for this tournament for quite a while now. To gear up for the Grand Slam, Nike launched the Ultrafly on March 9, 2016. Nike Air Zoom Ultrafly is set to revolutionize tennis. Nike put in huge amounts of effort while making this wonderful tennis shoe.
This shoe takes inspiration from athletes, American football, and global football. Nike Air Zoom Ultrafly is the result of this picture-perfect amalgamation.
Coming to the design, this is not like your ordinary tennis shoe. We have never seen anything like this before. This shoe looks less like a traditional tennis shoe and more like a football cleat. Nike broke all the boundaries in the tennis world. Nike Air Zoom Ultrafly is a game changer.
According to Nike’s senior designer of tennis footwear, Michael Hui, the initial brief for the design was to build a rocket ship for the sport. He adds, “You think visually. Putting the two together – a tennis shoe and a track spike – was the ignition point for what the rocket ship was to become.”
If you would like to compare this to a running shoe, it resembles Nike’s LunarEpic. When it comes to football, it looks like a traditional Nike football boot with a Dynamic Fit Collar.
The tennis shoe is made of Flyknit material. This strong and lightweight material offers a very comfortable upper. Asymmetrical lacing system helps in dispersing lace tension. The fit is excellent. It feels like wearing football cleats with ‘a tennis finish.’ The breathability of this shoe is terrific, thanks to Flyknit upper.
We also see Dynamic Flywire cables that deliver unmatched lockdown. The ankle cuff in the shoe also helps in securing a lockdown. You can move fast in these shoes with ease. You would not even have to worry about stability. The Ultrafly does a fine job here. The material is soft and offers sock like comfort. It also helps in better on-court mobility.
Phylon foam in the midsole area offers better lightweight cushioning. We also see Nike’s revolutionary Zoom Air cushioning system in the Ultrafly. Nike has scientifically placed these ‘air pockets’ in the heel and the forefoot area. These units work seamlessly with the Pebax outsole and thereby maximizes the cushioning. The cushioning is very responsive too. Moreover, the impact protection offered by the Ultrafly is supreme. That is always a plus in tennis.
On the outsole, we see a modified herringbone pattern that delivers mind-blogging levels on traction on hard surfaces. Nike launched this shoe for both the hard court and the clay court.
This innovative tennis shoe should bring in a new dimension to the sport. It is on-target for the vigorous playmaker. This shoe is great for amateurs and beginners alike.
Nike Air Zoom Ultrafly retails at $220 i.e., around 15,000INR. Availability in India is TBA.
Bottom-line: Pickup your pace with the Ultrafly.
