London, summer 2012. At the Olympic Games, a running shoe debuts with an upper that is not stitched, but knitted. Just over fourteen years later, Nike is picking up that thread again. The Nike Flyknit Runner is expected to arrive in spring 2027. The question is: will the Nike Flyknit Runner mark the start of a new Flyknit era?
From knitting machine to podium
To understand why this shoe stands out, you have to go back to the beginning. Flyknit broke with a habit that was decades old.
A traditional upper was made of dozens of separate pieces, cut out and stitched together. Nike knitted the top of the shoe from yarn instead, in a single piece. Tighter in some areas for support, more open in others for ventilation.
The Flyknit Racer and Flyknit Trainer were the first models to use the technique in 2012. The Racer made its debut at the London Games. Within a few years both shoes became staples, first on the track and then on the street.
Five years later: Flyknit chasing records
Flyknit did not stay limited to lightweight trainers. In 2017 Nike worked on Breaking2, the project to run a marathon in under two hours. The shoe developed for it, the Zoom Vaporfly Elite, paired ZoomX foam and a carbon plate with a lightweight Flyknit upper that kept the foot in place.
Early 2018 brought the Epic React Flyknit. It sat on Nike React, a new foam at the time, and got a one-piece knitted bootie. According to Nike, that bootie took its cues directly from the Flyknit Racer. Six years after its introduction, the original design was already serving as a reference point.
The sketch shows how much the design revolves around that bootie. The finished shoe stuck to that line, with hardly any extra layers on top of the knit.
Flyknit 360 and the move to recycled yarn
In March 2018 Nike took the next technical step. Until then, Flyknit was knitted flat and then attached to a sole. With Flyknit 360, the upper was knitted as a closed form around the entire foot, like an anatomical sock.
According to Nike, that precision produced around 60 percent less waste than traditional cut-and-sew construction. The argument came back more and more often. On the Interact Run from 2023, for example, the Flyknit upper was made from yarn with 85 percent recycled polyester.
Still, Flyknit did not become the standard everywhere. In 2019 the Vaporfly Next% swapped the knit for Vaporweave, a material that is lighter and absorbs less moisture over a marathon. Meanwhile, Flyknit appeared on models such as the Air Force 1, the Air VaporMax, the Air Max 270 and several Air Jordans, often as an extra layer on an existing silhouette rather than the heart of the design.
What the Runner does differently
That is exactly what the Nike Flyknit Runner sets out to change. It is not a retro reissue, but a new silhouette that puts the knit back at the centre.
The knitted upper wraps the whole shoe, with no extra overlays. Only the Swoosh and the laces sit on top of the knit. That keeps the line sleek and low, with a silhouette that recalls the Racer and the Roshe Run.
The biggest difference is underneath. Where the classics sat on a thin, low sole, the Runner gets a generous foam stack with a slightly curved rocker shape. Which foam Nike uses exactly has not been announced yet.
Three colourways to start
Three versions are known for the launch. The Midnight Navy/White-Thunder Blue/Black (IV5703-401) pairs a dark blue knit with white two-tone accents.
The University Red/Black (IV5703-600) goes for bright red knit with black details, making it the one that stands out most. The Black/White-Black (IV5703-003) is monochrome black, with white only on the Swoosh and midsole, which makes it the calmest of the three.
Notably, all three get their contrast mainly from the sole and the Swoosh. The knit itself stays calm in colour. More colourful combinations are said to follow later, but none have been shown yet.
What we don't know yet
The shoe comes in unisex sizing and is set to release through Nike and selected retailers, online and in stores.
Worth knowing: the release window comes from media reports so far, not from an official Nike announcement. There is no exact European release date yet, and the retail price in euros has not been confirmed either.
Don't want to miss the Nike Flyknit Runner? Keep an eye on the Nike launch page as spring gets closer.
Check our release calendar.
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