Nike Running Recognizes Japan’s Ekiden Season With New Zoom Family Of Footwear

Michael Le January 2nd, 2020 (updated)

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A country always on the move — and sometimes at the speed of a bullet — Japan often takes its passions to a whole new level with sports being one of the many to consume their interest. With anime even spawning in honor of all walks of life or specific niche, such as basketball, soccer, sumo, it’s quite a welcome sight to see running get the appreciation it deserves. Series like “Run with the Wind” have toiled with the high-pressure environment of the sport itself and even the daunting Ekiden race, the current focus of Nike Running as they walk up to the starting line with their “Ekiden Zoom Pack.”

From High School to University and all the way up to the pro level, the intranational relay is one of the most-watched events of the year, leading up to the titular run with many a small-scale race from October onward. Garnering a fandom of its own and team favorites, it has inspired its own pack of silhouettes inclusive of the Pegasus 36, Pegasus Turbo 2, Rival Fly 2, Zoom Next, and Zoom Fly 3. A core palette of vibrant blues and orange run amok on all of the above with scales imprinting onto the uppers in small nod to the country’s main method of transport.

Grab a detailed look at everything mentioned right here, and if you’re looking to pick up any of these, they’ll be available first in Japan on December 3rd. A release globally will then follow on January 2nd.