Introducing: The Nike SB Nyjah Free 2

Inspired by the Zoom Spiridon with its cross-foot lightness and its streamlined structure, pro-skater Nyjah Huston continues his reign with top-game contenders Nike SB to drop his sequel and highly sought-after Nyjah Free 2. A follow-up on its initial release back in late 2017, the Nike SB Nyjah Free 2 is designed with contoured comfort and premium practicality in mind, something that never strays far from the Californian skater's refined attitude and boisterous energy. Swapping the usual textured fabrics for quality rubberised overlays, the Nyjah Free is considered one of the most durable and wear-resistant skate shoes on the market.

Never one to back down from a challenge, socialite Nyjah Huston is a no-nonsense skater in a league of his own. Growing up skating West Coast hot-spots including their family-owned indoor skate park in Davis, California, and owing a lot of his early-career inspiration to skater turned reality TV star Rob Dyrdek, Nyjah was snapped up by powerhouse Element at the age of just 7 years old, with follow-on sponsorship arriving from the likes of Monster Energy and Diamond Supply Co. soon after. Carving a name for himself through countless competitions and championships, such as the X-Games, Dew Tour and Street League, Huston, now aged only 25, is considered one of, if not the, most influential next-gen skaters of all time. 82 champion titles and two ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance) Awards are decorated with his name, whilst numerous short-forms and full-length edits such as Thrasher’s ‘Double Rock’ from 2009, his own ‘Send Saturdays’ series and Nike SB’s post-signing ‘Til Death’ clip from 2018 clearly conceptualise Huston’s on-film energy for all to enjoy. Considered a new-age millennial with his huge social media following and his party lifestyle, Huston is also one half of the visionary team behind Let It Flow, a non-profit initiative he started in 2010 with his mum to help supply less-fortunate communities across the world with sustainable water filtration systems. A humble and honestly transparent skater with a formidable career both behind and infront of him, Nyjah Huston continues to epitomise understated raw talent at its finest.

Joining the Nike SB roster in 2016, joining the likes of Sean Malto, Kevin Bradley and Grant Taylor, Nyjah Huston is no stranger to the signature skate-shoe game. His initial Nyjah Free dropped in December 2017 and paid active homage to Nike’s barefoot-running inspired Free Shoes and the caged Air Presto from Nike’s 1990’s Alpha Project with their sleek shaping and their strong structure. After taking first-hand feedback into consideration, as discussed in the aptly titled ‘Nyjah II: Behind the Design’ clip from Huston’s homegrown YouTube channel, the proactive socialite come skater debuted the follow-up Nike SB Nyjah Free 2 in quick succession. Styled with the same balanced heel-to-toe pressure gradients for better multi-terrain contouring and grip, the second instalment of Nyjah Free Shoes welcomes a greater ratio of breathable mesh to the design, an upgrade that addressed a unanimous call for a more circulatory profile. Rubber upper overlays remain loyal to the OG ‘17 model, whilst the same carried-forward ghillie loop lacing system, well-cushioned foam sockliner, customised ‘Nyjah’ tongue tabs and the commemorative ‘II’ embroidery across the ever-practical heel tabs help put functionality at the forefront of creative design. Due to the changing texture of the uppers and the greater potential for customizability, Nyjah turns to more explorative colourways for the Free 2 Shoes, welcoming an upgraded version of the classic black-on-white, a smoke grey pair inspired by the neon-toned Air Max 95 and the collection debuting black and sport-red version that effectively mirrors the design’s muse, the classic Nike Air Zoom Spiridon from 1997, a silhouette aptly named after the first modern-age Olympic Marathon winner in the 1896 Summer Olympics, Spiridon ‘Spyros’ Louis.

With the Olympics at the core of its design, there’s no real surprise as to why Nyjah, now a member of the USA Skateboarding National Team, and his signature model were chosen to represent one third of Nike SB’s 2020 Tokyo Olympic Rawthentic footwear collection alongside the debuting Bruin React and a colour-matching pro-model collaboration with Aussie skater Shane O’Neill.

For more information on the Nike SB Tokyo Rawthentic collection see here.

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