Hello to my fellow blog followers…if I have any yet 🙂 I hope you’ve enjoyed the last two posts and I hope you like this one as well.

In this post we are going to learn about the midsole, that layer between the outsole and the upper. This part of the shoe tends to be the most important part of the shoe. The reason it is so important because it provides stability, cushioning and shock absorption. This section will also talk about the various types of cushioning material that makes up a midsole. It will also talk about the various types of Nike cushioning technologies(ie. Nike Air).

Midsole Materials

Phylon: Phylon is produced when EVA foam pellets are compressed, heat expanded, and then cooled into a mold. This lightweight cushioning material offers a soft, smooth ride.

Phylite: Phylite is an injection-molded unit made of a combination of 60% Phylon and 40% solid rubber. This makes it durable enough to function as both a midsole and an outsole. By eliminating a separate midsole and outsole, the weight of a shoe is greatly reduced and flexibility is increased. Phylite is lighter than rubber but heavier than Phylon. So don’t let the name fool you.

Cushlon: Cushlon foam is similar to Phylon but it is made with a higher rubber content. Since there is a higher rubber content the foam is softer yet resilient.

Lunarlon(LunarLite): Lunarlon is a two-part cushioning system that is made up of a soft inner lunar core foam surrounded by a more dense carrier foam. Upon impact, the core foam is contained by the carrier foam which creates a trampoline effect. The trampoline effect provides both excellent shock adsorption and responsiveness.

Midsole Cushioning Technologies

Nike Air: The first type of Air technology created in 1979, Nike Air cushioning is durable, versatile and offers impact protection at an affordable price. Nike Air is created from a thinner film in which two sheets are joined together. Nike Air is usually found either in the midsole of the shoe or attached to a sockliner. Nike Air cushioning is more durable than foam based cushioning systems because it doesn’t break down as quickly as foam based cushioning. It’s extremely versatile, and it can be found in heel, forefoot and full-length shapes.

Zoom Air: Zoom Air cushioning is a flat, thin unit that provides responsive, resilient and low-profile cushioning. The Zoom Air technology made it’s debut  in 1995. Tensile fibers within the Nike Zoom pressurized unit react to impact forces from the ground up, increasing your awareness of the ground you are running or playing on. This type of cushioning is offered in heel, forefoot and full lengths shapes and is created in mulitple shapes, sizes and thicknesses to meet the varying needs of athletes across a wide range of sports, including running, soccer, basketball, training, tennis, dance and football. Zoom Air also has the highest energy return of all Nike Air units.

Max Air: Max Air technology is a form of Nike Air cushioning that contains maximum air volume for maximum impact protection(more air volume and visibility than encapsulated Nike Air). Max Air units reduce impact by absorbing energy during footstrike meaning more volume means more cushioning. Max Air units take different forms such as full-length, heel, forefoot, three-quarters length, dual-pressure, symmetrical and asym-metrical. All of the Max Air units are visible through windows in the midsole. Max Air units are best used in activities where there’s a lot of impact such as running and basketball.

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this posting. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at pdxyankees@gmail.com.

Disclaimer: This blog is in no way affiliated with Nike nor is it ran by Nike.