At the end of October, Nike announced that they were preparing to globally release a shoe called the Swoosh 1. A few weeks into November, it’s already sold out on Nike.com and has a 4.7 rating out of 5 based on reviews.
This is a children’s shoe.
Created for the tiniest athletes, the newest early walker shoe is covered in the popular Flyknit, which comes from recycled materials, providing pliable support for the entire foot. But the point of the shoe is to provide feet the ability to flex, grip and toes to splay in the ways they need to in order for a child’s foot to develop properly and allow kids to have the type of mobility that is most similar to them being barefoot. Sneakers that don’t bend and have especially hard soles can deter that. This is why the shoe, which has a light weight sole grippy for traction, has earned a Seal of Acceptance from the American Podiatric Medical Association. It’s Nike’s first kid’s shoe to receive that honor.
I had the chance to test the shoe. Well, not me of course. My 1-year-old that is. He recently started walking, taking his first few uncertain steps the night before his birthday, only to be walking through the house, digging through the recycle bag and cabinets two weeks later. While he is happy on his feet, when we put him in his cute kiddie shoes, he often moves as though he’s unsure again. He falls easily and sometimes, won’t even stand when you put him on the ground after lacing him up or strapping him in. So when I heard about the Swoosh 1 I thought it could be a great support to his new movement.
We recently tested them in the park, and yes, he fell a few times. We live in NYC where rubber mats cover most play areas, so the unevenness still left him prone to some tumbles. But in the shoes, he got up quickly, charging towards piles of leaves on the ground that he could crush in his hands (and slyly try to put in his mouth).
He stepped more confidently on the hard plastic surfaces that took him from the steering wheel doohicky to the baby slide. He moved about joyously after spending the first year of his life only really getting to be on the swings watching his older brother kick-push his scooter and launch himself down tall slides. His newfound freedom to play was bolstered in a positive way by having on the right, comfortable shoes. So I’d definitely recommend these.
The Swoosh 1 come in sizes 3C to 7C and retail for $62. While the red shade is already sold out, you can be notified about the release of upcoming grey and pink options over at Nike.com.