Nike Raketa (Greek for Racquet)
Badminton is an event where footwork is critical to an athlete’s performance. Played on a smaller court than tennis, it is a game of small bursts of speed, lunges, and quick directional changes.
Footwear that reduces weight while maintaining snug support is essential to raising a player’s game. The Nike Raketa does just that as the most high-tech innovation ever offered to badminton players. The Nike Raketa will debut on the feet of Southeast Asia’s top players in Beijing. This featherweight court shoe incorporates Nike’s patented Flywire technology into the upper, minimizing the amount of material necessary in construction while providing excellent support through a system of high-tensile Flywire threads. Working together like the cables in a suspension bridge, the resulting fabric is nearly transparent—a sheer look that belies its unsurpassed strength. These powerful threads are placed only where necessary for the demands of badminton and are anchored in place by a breathable laminate, creating the most efficient structure possible for the sport. With a premium emphasis on weight reduction, the Nike Raketa relies on a carbon fiber shank in the midsole and a more streamlined outsole for lightweight stability. High abrasion synthetic toe protection with minimal Drag-On ribbing provides the most durable forefoot construction Nike offers. The result is a badminton shoe that weighs just 8.8oz., 4oz. lighter than the market standard.
Nike designers also revised one of our most popular Badminton shoes—the Air Zoom—to create the Air Zoom Speed 8.0, a proven solution for the demands of one of China’s most popular sports. Using many of the same innovations as Nike’s tennis footwear, the new Air Zoom Speed 8.0 is a court shoe that incorporates a low-profile midsole for stability and an internal arch strap for midfoot support, yet it weighs a mere 11oz. thanks to exceptionally breathable upper materials. Taking queues from Zoom Air technology developed to absorb heel impact for fencing, additional heel cushioning has been integrated into the Beijing version of this court shoe, while still keeping the athlete closer to the ground than tennis shoes. Again, Nike’s patented Drag-On medial forefoot protection provides abrasion resistance against any playing surface, wood or synthetic.
Key Features:
Nike Raketa
-Flywire upper construction provides lightweight, breathable foot support
-3.5mm outsole is lighter and lower to the ground
-Outsole perforations provide additional breathability
-Carbon fiber shank for lightweight midsole support
-High abrasion synthetic toe protection and Drag-On for durability
-Weight= 8.8oz.
Air Zoom Speed 8.0
-Low profile midsole
-Internal arch strap for midfoot support
-Medial forefoot Drag-On for abrasion resistance
-Breathable, lightweight upper materials
-Weight= 11oz.