The upper is made up of a series of smooth suede panels that have been coated with a special water-repellent finish. The tongue and ankle sections have been beefed up with extra padding for added comfort and support, while chunky ‘University Gold’ rope laces tie everything together—just like what you’d find on a pair of trail shoes from the likes of Nike’s ACG line.
Nike
But the thing that really sets the Cygnal apart is the midsole underneath. This hefty unit looks like it’s at least an inch and a half thick. It’s full of sharp geometric lines, and it’s made from a special foam that the Beaverton-based brand calls ‘All Terrain Compound.’ This is the same stuff Nike uses for some of its greatest track runners, so even though you shouldn’t run your next 10k in these, that doesn’t mean you couldn’t.
The Nike Cygnal ‘Desert Ore’ is set to release within the coming weeks at Nike, the Snkrs app, and select stockists globally for $180.
This story originally appeared on British GQ.
