Material Matters: Nike Shox

The world of sneaker tech is fast-paced and fickle. Some technology stays at the top for a while, some transition from athletic to casual – then there are Shox. Without the strange pillars of foam blazing the trail for energy return midsole systems, the sneaker market would be a distinctly different place. Still, it might be a bit too soon for a full-fledged retro revival.

With  recently adding Shox NZ and Turbo VI to the menu, it looks like the seminal spring is sticking around, holding its position as the granddaddy of today’s most popular running styles. It might be easy to dismiss it as awkward looking, out dated tech – the real reason we keep seeing it on the shelves, season after season, is that it changed the way the world thought about what a running shoe could do.