The Nike Mayfly makes a welcome return today after initially being released in 2003.
Although the ultra-light silhouette may seem fairly simple on first glance, the Mayfly is one of Nike's most well considered conceptual running shoes to date.
The most obvious nod to its name-sake insect comes with the detailed print upper that resembles the wings of a Mayfly, however the really impressive details lie in the Tyvek ripstop that the pattern lies upon.
Building upon the life cycle of the Mayfly which lives, breeds and dies all in one day, the shoe was engineered to last for 100KM of running before it would start to fall apart.
Nike's innovative approach to design saw the Tyvek Ripstop material adorn the upper which is hard wearing yet paper thin allowing the shoe to deliver high performance up-to the 100km distance they were designed for, to quote Nike the Mayfly is "the ultimate lightweight racing shoe that will cushion you and support you 1 meter past the finish line"
The re-issue comes in a much more durable upper this time round but keeps the little details that really cover every base for a comfy summertime shoe, the one-piece phylon outsole features 11 cut outs which correspond with ventilation holes aligned in the insole for exceptional ventilation on those hot days.
A layer of tyvek is strategically placed above the outsole cut-outs to prevent any liquid from entering the shoe and due to the nature of the fabric any water vapour inside the shoe can escape, another genius touch that honours Bill Bowerman's performance orientated ethos he maintained from the early Nike days.
The silhouette is nicely finished off with a strip of nubuck covering the well-ventilated tongue and re-inforced toe box.
The Nike Mayfly is available in University Red/White and Racer Blue/White in-store and online now.
