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Nike’s new cushioning system favours active recovery

Nike Joyride

US – Nike Joyride is the latest proprietary innovation in the company’s diverse range of cushioning platforms.

The Joyride system, which made its debut with the release of the Nike Joyride Run Flyknit, uses thousands of tiny beads to absorb impact and create a dynamic footbed that moulds to the wearer’s foot. Made from a co-polymer of plastic and rubber, the beads are placed in four pods that align with the foot’s natural pressure points. According to Nike, this allows the beads to expand in all directions, providing a unique sensation comparable to ‘running on bubbles’.

‘We’ve proven that we can make runners faster with some of our other models, like the Nike React, but we also know that not every runner is looking to break their personal record or to run a marathon,’ says Kylee Barton, senior director of Nike Running Footwear. ‘We also know that recovery runs are important for elite runners on days off, and they need something to make that a little easier on their body.’

To learn how recovery is an increasingly essential part of exercise regimens, read our Active Recovery microtrend.

An eSports restaurant for eatertainment

Fairwood eSports by Kowloon EStadium and Fairwood, Hong Kong

Hong Kong – Fast-casual food chain Fairwood has opened a space that combines eSports, live-streaming and dining.

Fairwood eSports is touted as the first large-scale collaborative project between the food and gaming industries. The space, which is located at E-Max – a mall that supports the development of eSports – provides more than 100 seats for casual dining and includes a main stage with professional equipment to support gaming events.

The gaming area allows patrons to battle one another while enjoying food and drink, which they can order online or through self-service kiosks. The late-night KE Bar also offers alcoholic drinks such as craft beer, transforming the space into a night-time venue.

As e-tourism becomes more popular, spaces that offer immersive gaming and dining are opening around the world. For more, read our interview with Brent Bushnell from Two Bit Circus.

CircularID gives clothing a traceable, digital identity

New York – Connect Fashion, a new global initiative powering the future of circular supply chains, is developing the technology to give fashion and apparel products digital identities.

Launched by EON, a leading digital identity company for fashion, Connect Fashion’s CircularID will enable individual products to be systematically identified throughout their lifecycles. The innovation will provide a global standard and digital system for intelligently and sustainably managing products within a circular economy.

At present, it is difficult to access the information and data needed to sustainably manage a garment’s lifecycle. CircularID addresses this by giving physical products a digital identity that communicates product details such as material content, authenticity and origin. Being able to access this data will make it easier and more profitable to create regenerative supply chains driven by re-use, repair, resale, rental and recycling.

In a similar vein, we explore how brands are looking to blockchain to safeguard resale in our Blockchain Fashion microtrend.

Photography David Werbrouck

DYSTOPIA987 creates an experimental tech utopia

Skepta DYSTOPIA987, Manchester International Festival

Manchester – During Manchester International Festival (MIF) grime artist Skepta immersed the audience in an immersive interactive rave.

The performance, DYSTOPIA987, harks back to the early days of acid house raves whilst offering commentary on the current state of social and political narratives. Upon arrival, attendees phones were locked away while placards urged them to ‘Free Your Mind’, ‘Free Your Ego’ in an attempt to distance them from the weight of their digital identities.

Without the familiar interface of smartphones, the event took an innovative and experiemental approach to AR and MR by using new spatial computing techniques designed by creative studio TEM. The aim of the show was to combine performance and immersive theartre into deep, dark, radical and riveting space of creation. Ravers took part in an artificial economy of tokens, VR experiences, interactive projections, glowing e-ccessories, and afro-futurist makeup, which came together to create a multi-sensory theatre.

‘It’s a layered experience that brings virtual and physical spaces together, creating a dialogue between the two where our vision of the future of performance lives,' says TEM. The nature of nightlife is changing and the industry is being reimagined with new technology and political intent. For more read our Nightlife Market.

Stat: Online porn streaming produces as much CO2 as Belgium

Online videos are generating huge amounts of carbon dioxide emissions, according to think tank The Shift Project. On-demand streaming services such as Netflix account for a third of this number, while online pornographic videos generate another third. According to the study, the watching of pornographic videos generates as much CO2 as countries such as Belgium, Bangladesh and Nigeria.

In response to the push for higher-quality videos – reaching as high as 8K resolution – the authors of the study suggest limiting the emissions for online videos with measures such as: preventing videos from autoplaying and not transmitting videos in high definition when unnecessary.

Consumers are becoming more aware of the environmental implications of their streaming practices. To see how music streaming services are responding, read our microtrend.

Thought-starter: What’s next for suncare?

Growing interest in skincare and skin health is driving innovation in the suncare market, as consumers begin to look for holistically protective solutions.

Since their first commercial version in the 1930s, suncare products have remained relatively unchanged. Now, however, their integration into everyday beauty regimens is sparking innovation in the sector, driven primarily by inclusivity and sustainability demands.

While the conversation on inclusive suncare has been mounting, there has been a common misconception that those with darker skin tones are not susceptible to sun damage. Beyond the lack of education, another issue for inclusive suncare has been the formulations. In order to cater for different skin tones, brands like SkinCeuticals and Glossier are foregoing the traditional cream-based format and instead creating clear gels.

Beauty brands are also recognising the growing consumer interest in SPF and making it a staple part of their offering. For example, Supergoop! is now exploring the full potential of sun protection by introducing new product categories, such as eye and scalp care.

Challenging the category, innovators such as Skinergies are addressing concerns about how sun exposure affects our health by creating products that naturally stimulate the skin’s own defence system.

Read the full Suncare Market here.