New Nike Mind Footwear Has One Goal: Use Science to Help You Lock In

Decades before Nike, Inc. became the world's biggest sportswear brand, its founders had a simple goal: develop the best footwear for runners. Sixty-one years later, the Oregon-based institution remains committed to crafting product that'll help athletes of all levels achieve the "impossible," but it's expanded its scope of work to include not only all kinds of sports, but also different stages of performance.

Today, the brand announces the latest example of its continued dedication to innovation on athletes' behalves with the neuroscience-backed Nike Mind footwear line.

The franchise is more than a decade in the making and has been made possible by research conducted through the Nike Mind Science Department, a branch of the famed Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL). The dedicated team is unlocking new product categories to improve service to help athletes, from training, competition, and recover. Findings in neuroscience-related research and athlete studies have resulted in a series of footwear that taps into the mind-body connection with the aim of helping wearers feel calm, focused, and present.

"Nike Mind is a new sensory-footwear concept that helps reawaken the foot, the body and the mind," says Eric Avar, Vice President, Creative Director, Innovation. "It represents a new paradigm of performance and how we can potentially make athletes better in the future."

Erling Haaland, a world-renowned striker for the Norway National Football Team and England's Manchester City, was one of hundreds of athletes tasked with testing Nike Mind footwear over the last five years.

The all-new series kicks off with the Nike Mind 001 and Nike Mind 002, a slip-on mule and more conventional sneaker, respectively. Both designs feature 22 independent foam nodes per shoe (left and right), activating sensory receptors in the feet. Nodes are bonded to a flexible, water-resistant material that allows them to adapt to wearers' movement, acting as pistons and gimbals to deliver ground-feel. This interaction is at the center of all Mind footwear as it heightens sensory awareness, centering concentration and helping clear distractions.

Each detail found on the Mind 001 and Mind 002 has been carefully considered as to not nullify the complex technology engineered and implemented across the sole unit. The result is a footwear proposal that delivers a premium experience that connects mind, body, and environment.

The inaugural Nike Mind collection arrives in Men's and Women's sizing throughout January 2026. "Light Smoke Grey" and "Solar Red" color schemes kick things off. Pairs will be available via Nike.com and select shops for either $85 (Mind 001) or $140 (Mind 002).

To learn more about the project, head over to Nike.com/Mind.

For more footwear news from the Swoosh, check out the ultra-cushioned Vomero Premium running shoe.