Nike Hyperdunk

About

The Nike Hyperdunk debuted in 2008 as Nike's lightest and strongest basketball shoe to date, weighing 13 ounces, about 18 percent lighter than the average Nike basketball shoe of the time. Designed by Nike's Eric Avar, the shoe paired Flywire, a system of high-tensile support cables adapted from suspension-bridge engineering that added strength only where needed, with Lunarlite foam cushioning in the forefoot and a Zoom Air unit in the heel. Nike co-launched the shoe publicly with Kobe Bryant on April 7, 2008, positioning it as built for the physical demands of his game, ahead of its US retail release in late July 2008. The Hyperdunk became closely tied to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, worn by Kobe Bryant and Team USA's Redeem Team during their run to the gold medal, including a dedicated red-white-and-blue United We Rise Team USA colorway. Nike CEO Mark Parker said at launch: Every gram counts in competition.