ACG FEATURE - PART TWO

Let’s talk about the Ashiko? Sounds Japanese...
Yeah, the Ashiko is a Ninja climbing tool/weapon. There is this whole culture about Ninjas. We’re trying to keep the names fun.

Can you explain why hiking boots are made the way they are? 
A parallel would be vehicle tires. You need certain things for different driving conditions.... mud tires or slicks for example that fit the landscape you’re travelling in.
The step at the heel on the Ashiko is sized so that as you’re going downhill, the heel serves as a brake to catch on things, but it’s not too clumsy. There’s a plastic shank that’s got a lot of extra fiberglass reinforcement in it to really stiffen the midfoot, so that as you’re wedging into things, you’re not worried about the torsion giving way on you. There’s also a Nike airbag underneath –Zoom Air in the forefoot and two film encapsulated airbags in the heel.

Tell me about the Flywire aspect? 
Not all Nike innovations make sense in an outdoor product. It’s unlikely we’ll end up doing a Shox boot for example, but Flywire does seem to be a natural because it’s so lightweight and strong.