See more objects with the color yellowgreen darkslategrey darkolivegreen dimgrey darkslategrey or see all the colors for this object.

Object Timeline

2009

  • Work on this object began.

2012

  • We acquired this object.

  • We photographed this object.

  • Work on this object ended.

2013

2018

2025

  • You found it!

Long-distance Running Shoes, Flyknit Racer

This is a Long-distance running shoes. It was designed by Ben Shaffer and manufactured by Nike. It is dated 2009–12 and we acquired it in 2012. Its medium is polyester, kevlar and its technique is knitted. It is a part of the Textiles department.

Nike’s high performance running shoe, the HTM Flyknit, uses only the most essential materials and state-of-the-art knitting technology. Yarns and fabric variations are precisely engineered only where they are needed for a light, sock-like upper shoe.
All of the structure and support for the shoe is knitted into the upper. The weight of the upper, including the tongue, is 1.2 ounces; the whole shoe weighs just 5.6 ounces. This is 19% lighter than the Nike shoe worn by athletes in the men’s marathon at the 2011 World Championships. Flyknit Racers will be worn by marathoners from Kenya, Great Britain, Russia, and the United States in the 2012 summer Olympics.
The innovative aspect of this shoe is its extreme precision fit, the result of years of engineering research. Nike embarked on a four-year mission of micro-engineering static properties into pliable materials. The project required teams of programmers, engineers, and designers to create the proprietary technology needed to create the knit upper. Every element has a purpose and a particular place in the shoe to provide support, flexibility, and breathability.

It is credited Gift of Nike, Inc..

  • Pair Of Slippers (USA)
  • label: leather sole and upper, linen lining, silk bows .
  • Gift of Mrs. Robert P. Brown.
  • 1960-81-18-a,b

Our curators have highlighted 16 objects that are related to this one. Here are three of them, selected at random:

Its dimensions are

H x W x D (each): 10.4 x 10.5 x 29 cm (4 1/8 x 4 1/8 x 11 7/16 in.)

Cite this object as

Long-distance Running Shoes, Flyknit Racer; Designed by Ben Shaffer (American, b. 1977); Manufactured by Nike (United States); USA; polyester, kevlar; H x W x D (each): 10.4 x 10.5 x 29 cm (4 1/8 x 4 1/8 x 11 7/16 in.); Gift of Nike, Inc.; 2012-4-1-a,b

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Saturated: The Allure and Science of Color.

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use page.

For higher resolution or commercial use contact ArtResource.

If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://www-4.collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18797479/ |title=Long-distance Running Shoes, Flyknit Racer |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=11 February 2025 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>