Special shoes for yoga and dance

Footwear giant launches groundbreaking design that leave the toes uncovered, enabling easy movement

Nike has designed the optimal footwear for dancing and yoga classes in a feminine style: the toes are left uncovered, enabling ease of movement and offering wearers the coveted barefoot feeling, but the sole is covered enough so as not to leave sweat marks on the mat. Dubbed Nike Studio Wrap, the new footwear will be available for $110 on Nike.com from February 2013.

The shoe blends neoprene with silicone in a design that guarantees shock absorption, comfort, breathability and stability. The main concerns when designing the shoe were traction and hygiene, according to the brand.
More than 30 prototypes were tested and fine-tuned in order to come up with the final design. The groundbreaking design that Nike ended up with is a modular shoe made of three parts — wrap, ribbon and flat (slipper) — allowing various combinations.