Nike reveals Rio 2016 Olympics products

Nike’s eye-catching colour palette — For the Rio 2016 Olympics, Nike’s colour design team devised an eye-catching colour palette that draws from the host city’s natural surroundings and effervescent flora and fauna (Image credit: TBC)

With the Rio 2016 Olympics looming on the horizon, Nike is getting a jump on the sporting spirit by revealing the tricks and treats it has up its sleeves for sponsored teams.

To match the vibrant, fun loving spirit of the summer games, Nike’s colour design team devised an equally eye-catching palette that draws from the host city’s natural surroundings and effervescent flora and fauna. Inspired by close-ups of birds in flight and the iridescent wings of insects, the design team created a bright mix of neon pink and bright yellow, punctuated with shots of silver, purple and blue, that will adorn an array of its signature trainers.

The eye-catching colours continue on to the medal stand outfits for the United States Olympic Committee and Comitê Olímpico do Brasil, in their respective colours. The fitted NikeLab Dynamic Reveal team jacket boasts ribbed knit sleeves for mobility and breathability, and a woven front panel protects against the wind, while engineered mesh panels in the back offer added ventilation. Similarly, vertical ribbed zones on the team pants provide the same flexibility of motion and a feeling of airiness.

For track and field events, Nike has also unveiled a new spiked shoe for Jamaican runner Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce: the Nike Zoom Superfly Elite, that uses fixed pins to increase traction. The eye-catching, geometric structure of the pins was developed using a computational design inspired by ocean organisms, and also brings the foot closer to the track and enables it to project faster off it.

Performances on the track are further enhanced by the company’s latest speed system: the Aeroswift Tape Kit, elastic therapeutic tape that help to eliminate drag. Each knitted adhesive patch features nodes called AeroBlades that direct air around the athlete to help reduce resistance. Anatomically shaped, these patches aim to shave fractions off athletes’ run times, which could make all the difference.

The eye-catching colours continue on to the medal stand outfits for the United States Olympic Committee (pictured)

The fitted NikeLab Dynamic Reveal team jacket (also made for the Comitê Olímpico do Brasil, pictured) boasts ribbed knit sleeves for mobility and breathability and engineered mesh panels for added ventilation

Performances on the track are further enhanced by the company’s latest speed system: the Aeroswift Tape Kit, elastic therapeutic tape that help to eliminate drag

Nike has also unveiled a new spiked shoe for Jamaican runner Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the Nike Zoom Superfly Elite (pictured)

The eye-catching, geometric structure of the shoe's fixed pins was developed using a computational design inspired by ocean organisms

INFORMATION

A selection of Rio 2016 products will be available to purchase from 28 July. For more information, visit Nike's website

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Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.