NIKE HYPERDUNK

Today's basketball player expects different attributes from his shoes compared to even five years ago. Gone are the days of 20-ounce full-leather footwear. Modern basketball is all about speed, flexibility, and adaptability.

Nike recognized that the need for speed, support, flexibility, and cushioning had to merge in one sleek design — and it had to appeal to performance-driven players from grade school levels up to the pros. The culmination of research, testing, and innovation was the Hyperdunk line of basketball shoes.

On a research trip to China in 2008, Nike designers Shane Kohatsu and Fred Dojan saw kids playing street basketball in running shoes, hiking shoes, and sandals. They realized there was a demand for basketball shoes with durability and breathability that needed to be filled.

"The big shocker was when they were playing full-speed basketball, they were wearing running shoes," Kohatsu said in an interview. "It just seemed to make sense. These kids adopted what worked in order for them to play hoops."

Kohatsu and Dojan went on to create the Hyperfuse upper and had a hand in the original Hyperdunk, released in 2010. The mission behind Nike's top performance basketball shoe remains the same: To cater to every aspect of a player's game.

The 2012 edition of the Hyperdunk was upgraded from the 2011 model in a couple of important ways: It incorporated thicker, stronger Flywire for more durable support, and (taking a cue from running and training shoes) it included Lunarlon cushioning. It continued to address the primary needs of hoops players:

Lightweight durability. The combination of engineered foam and mesh is lightweight and conforms to the foot for an adaptive fit, but still locks down the foot and provides protection. An open mesh tongue and full inner sleeve offer ventilation and a snug fit.

Support. The newest generation of Hyperdunks features Flywire technology that locks the foot in place using thin high-performance nylon attached at the eyestays and the botton of the shoe. This provides strength, support, stability, and flexibility while reducing excess weight. An articulated collar provides flexibility and lateral stability for the heel and ankle.

"Flywire was originally developed for Hyperdunk," Kohatsu said. "It was the original process of using heat/pressure to melt materials together to essentially lock the cables in together."

Basketball-specific cushioning. Designed specifically with the basketball player's needs in mind, the Lunarlon cushioning system under the heel and forefoot features a soft foam core encased inside a lightweight Phylon midsole to offer comfort and shock absorption. Inspired by the image of astronauts bounding on the surface of the moon, Lunarlon allows impact forces to be more evenly distributed when landing after rebounds or jumpers. A 3-D shaped, fiberglass-reinforced, composite-midfoot shank adds rigidity and responsiveness.

Style. The 2012 edition of the Hyperdunks were offered in 25+ colors — team colors, "energy" colors, and special releases.

The 2012 edition of the Hyperdunk was introduced in late July at the London Olympics and was worn by LeBron James for the U.S. basketball team.

The Hyperdunk continues to sell well at various locations around the country, as you can see at the Foot Locker regional update.

Read more about the Hyperdunk here.