For Summer 2010, Nike continues to experiment and expand models that make up two of the brand’s unique categories of shoes, the Free and Lunar family of products. Nike is known to consistently introduce new technologies to see if they find an audience and if they do find a following, the technology is expanded into its own silo of products. Air Max was one of the better examples of this. First was the Air Max, then a whole slew of Air Max products that followed. The Free concept remains popular, but the line is somewhat limited in its appeal. The Lunar product has proven wildly successful and as a result, new models are being introduced in the Lunar line while the Free line receives updates to existing models and even loses a style in the process.
For the Lunar franchise, possibly the coolest is the new LunarFly+. Take a symmetrical LunarLite midsole and throw the upper from the 2008 Hayward on top and you have one hot shoe. At $80, this is gonna prove popular.
The next interesting concept is Breathe. This is a super breathable upper that Nike is offering on a few models for 3 months next summer. The LunarSwift+ Breathe ($85 MSRP) will be the lone Lunar model to get this treatment. They kinda look like the shoes worn by the Judge Smalls in Caddy Shack, but they are pretty neat. If you want breathability in a shoe, these definitely deliver.
The LunarRacer 2 ($100 MSRP) is carried over, but the men’s and women’s now sport different color uppers making it easier to spot the difference
Nike LunarRacer+ 2
The Free product models updated for Spring 2010 appear to be geared directly at runners versus the general sporting goods population that several of the Free models from previous seasons look like they were intended for. Last season gave us the Free Everyday in addition to the 5.0 and 3.0. For Summer ‘10 the Free 3.0 and 5.0 combine to become not the Free 4.0, but instead, the Free Run while the Free Everyday becomes the 7.0 V2.
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