NIKE JAPAN CHALLENGE INTERVIEW 1st

The King Gear editorial board boarded Nike Japan headquarters and interviewed the person in charge. Nike is one of the world's leading sports manufacturers in Sneakerboom, and now promotes the football spike business. A thorough interview about the current situation, future prospects, and even unknown unknowns!

- First of all, I'd like to ask about the current model development of Nike。

Mr. A in charge　"We have four seasons a year and are springs, summers, falls and holidays." Every season, new color rings will appear, and in some seasons two colors may come out. It is the basic year, and it will be about four times to replace it. "

Mr. A in charge“Yes. This is just a coloring story. There are four types of spikes we have now,“ Hyper Venom ”for goal getters with excellent agility for players who want the speed of“ Mercurial ”. "Magica" for aggressive playmakers like Iniesta, and finally "Tiempo" for a delicate ball touch. "

Mr. A in charge“Already announced,“ Mercurial ”was renewed in June this year. Announced in March this year, I ’m showing the whole picture, but there are 6 products coming out. Since Mercurial is aimed at speed players, it focuses on the traction while pursuing lightness.It has a structure that captures the turf and supports vertical driving force. It is possible to run fast. ''

“This time, we are focusing on the trunk with the theme of vertical propulsion. I think that the thumb will be used as a starting point, so I can separate the place where I bite the thumb of the outsole. The big feature is that it can bite the ground, and there are many studs only on the thumb. "

Mr. A in charge“Yes, it ’s one of the themes of Mercurial that the first step is important, so it ’s a structure that bites the grass by arranging three.”

Mr. A in charge“We are targeting high school students who are most serious about football. The top models are equipped with the latest technology from Nike, so it ’s expensive, but it ’s a lineup that can handle any surface. I think you can choose the spike that suits you. "

Mr. A in charge“We want the top model to be equipped with the latest technology from Nike to maximize performance.”

Mr. A in charge"I think it's tough because the top model is made for turf. It's fragile on the ground, so only Japan has changed it to a standard hard ground stud."

Mr. A in charge“The Japanese market is still overwhelmingly soiled, so there is a hard ground spike called HG as Nike.”

Mr. A in charge“I tried it for turf, but it breaks in the Japanese soil ground, so I tested it many times in the Japanese soil ground and completed the current HG outsole.”

Mr. A in charge“I think it was the beginning of 2000. We probably entered the soccer spike around 1996, so I think it was in early 2000 that the product was made to reflect that.”

Mr. A in charge“As you said, when it comes to spikes at the time of the American World Cup, I think there was much room for improvement in the spikes that Mardini and Romanio were wearing as football spikes. Spike has evolved so much that I think that the four silos made to match the play style were able to mature into the market in a tough time and faced seriously with football. ”

Mr. A in charge“It's hard to imagine when it comes to the opportunity, but I think that the quality of artificial leather has always improved and that it is always giving out innovative spikes.”

Mr. A in charge“There are still players who prefer kangaroo leather, but some players now prefer artificial leather that does n’t lose shape.”

Mr. A in charge“I think that the direction has changed, and for young players, the part where artificial leather is mainstream is big. I think that the evolved part is good for us. "

　
Nike's football spike has evolved dramatically in the past two decades, set four silos (pillars), and brought a new breeze into the spike world.
　
Next time, we will send you the best spikes for high school students, the new outsole technology announced this year, and so on!
　
Photo / Tomori Shimizu

(Continued on Part 2)