ReactX: the Foam

Nike ReactX foam is a brand new midsole material developed by Nike after 5 years of test and research – with the aim to find a balance between performance and sustainability.

According to Nike, ReactX reduces carbon footprint by 43% thanks to reduced energy usage in the manufacturing process and increases energy return by 13%.

It will be interesting to see in which shoes Nike will put their new foam going forward; is it a React replacement, or a premium version?

For now, it is releasing in a brand new running shoe:

Nike InfinityRN4

Here’s the couple of pictures we have of the shoes.

If you want to see more of the Infinity RN4, it launches globally today (July 13th) on Nike.com and at select retailers.

The Tech Bit

Want to know how this new foam happens to reduce carbon footprint so dramatically? Here’s explained by Nike directly:

The industry has two traditional methods of making foam, which can be summarized as either injection or compression molding. The overall process for injection is simpler, and thus carries a lower carbon footprint — but it also tends to have lower energy return, and a lower performance benefit. On the other hand, compression molding delivers more responsive foams with higher energy return, but also creates more waste and uses more energy to make it.

ReactX foam was researched, developed and tested over five years to craft a formulation that hits the sweet spot between performance and environmental impact. In putting the material through an injection process, rather than through compression molding, the new foam delivers a higher energy return without creating a higher carbon footprint.