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The Nike Ultrafly is the first product from a new Nike and Vibram partnership, bringing Vibram’s leading technology and exclusive sole design to Nike’s trail footwear offering.

The Nike Ultrafly: Speed and Grip for Trail Racing — NIKE, Inc.

One of the major advantages many outdoor brands have had is the partnership with Vibram. The outsole company creates some of the most functional, grippy outsoles in the sneaker industry. It’s almost a guarantee that a sneaker featuring a Vibram outsole will perform when it has to. In the past Nike used a variety of compounds to make their trail and ACG products attempt to mimic the success of brands like Merrell and Keen. The result was Nike ACG was more known for its aesthetic and fashion style than for hitting the trail:

 

nike aqua boot on feet

While I utilize Merrell MTLs for running trails and I’m not as hardcore as ultra marathon types or serious runners, I love that the Vibram outsoles have kept me sure footed on uncertain surfaces. I use the shoes to workout with my daughter to run hills for track season. I would have traditionally overlooked Nike, but this latest addition of Vibram to the upcoming Ultrafly shows how Nike looks at the competition and attempts to seal off any cracks in the foundation aka shortcomings the brand has.

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It’s one of the reasons in a recent analysis I said that opposing brands had a small window of opportunity to attack Nike. I didn’t think the company had any serious innovation in the pipeline to offset slowness in sales. I still think that performance running, and trail running are difficult angles to attack, but a Vibram partnership changes things quickly. The company realizes they’ve allowed a lot of growth for brands like Brooks, Hoka and On Running so it’s imperative to begin sealing off those cracks.

I said that Nike had lost the key to the door and smart brands could open the door and enter their space. It seems Nike is calling on the locksmith and getting new keys fashioned. I don’t quite see diehards abandoning their go to trail running sneakers, but with a huge budget and the ability to seed influencers and push accounts to take on product, Nike aligning with Vibram is a solid first step in at least getting the keys into the grinder. There will have to be additional updates to performance running at the low end to get Home Depot to finish making the keys to lock the door again.

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Carbon Flyplate For the first time in Nike Trail, the Nike Ultrafly features a Carbon Flyplate layered between ZoomX foam and a fabric-wrapped midsole. A flat bottom and minimized cross rocker allow runners optimal stability on trail terrain while the heel-to-toe rocker promotes a smooth transition.

Vibram® Outsole For the first time in a Nike Running shoe, the new Ultrafly features a bespoke Vibram® Litebase outsole design, with Vibram® Traction Lugs made of Vibram® Megagrip rubber compound to offer athletes the extra grip they need on the trails. Together, the outsole construction offers pinnacle traction while maintaining the Ultrafly’s lightweight design.

Vaporweave A Vaporweave upper combined with classic collar construction, counter and fit system, ensures lightweight comfort and reliability for miles and miles of racing on the trails.

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