Nike is built off a history of strong runners, and Steve Prefontaine was one of the first. Before his all too sudden death, Prefontaine held the U.S. record in every long-distance track event starting with the 2,000 meter all the way up to the 10,000 meter. The Prefontaine Classic, held in Eugene, OR, is one of the top track and field competitions in the U.S. and is named in his honor. His legacy is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of Nike’s roster of athletes, but as one who was there from the beginning, it’s no wonder Nike chose to celebrate the late Prefontaine in its newest sneaker.
The EXP-X14 is an experiment by the sportswear designers at Nike’s headquarters. The X14 alludes to the internal codename for the Nike React technology — another pillar in the Nike running field. Along the side of the shoe, you can read N3546, which references Prefontaine’s fastest mile: 3 minutes and 54.6 seconds.
EXP-X14 pulls from the Nike Zoom Drive running sneaker as well as the Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%, which is the racing shoe you’ll see on every pro-athlete from Galen Rupp to Shalane Flanagan to Eliud Kipchoge — all running legends of our time. The exposed TPU plate is similar to the speedy shoes, so perhaps these new sneakers can help you speed through your day.
Look for the shoes at Nike.com starting June 28th in Europe, and July 5th in America.
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