Here’s Why Nike’s New “FlyLeather” Matters to the Future

It matters.

Nike’s new Flyleather is a super material. It is made with at least 50 percent recycled natural leather fiber. That matters, because it means Nike Flyleather deftly balances a much-loved tactile quality with an important reduction in the carbon footprint and water usage required to manufacture it.

It’s also cool because — if we’re thinking about the future — Nike Flyleather becomes the answer to retaining the qualities intrinsic to some of Nike’s greatest icons (think the Air Force 1 and Air Jordan 1) with an environmentally responsible process.

Nike Flyleather is good for more than replication too. It has properties — unique fiber characteristics, controllable modification and a less dense, uniform structure of leather-rich substrate — that create improved opportunities for laser and print embellishment and textural explorations through embossing and other machinations.

Nike goes into more details with a gallery explaining what Flyleather means for the future of Nike icons:

It can carry all types of feels

Think full grain and smooth leather and suede (which actually comes from the reverse side of a Nike Flyleather roll).

Also more overt textures

Both embossing and embossing effects can create strong texture plays on Nike Flyleather, seen on this custom AF1.

It lets prints sing

Sharp and smooth.

Laser embellishments too

Offering a fresh take on branding opportunities.