Ever Wonder How Nike Came Up With Lunar?

The story of how Nike came up with its Lunarlon technology.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Nike's Lunarlon technology is an integral part of its footwear catalog. The soft cushioning system has quickly been adopted by a wide range of styles from runners like the LunarGlide 6 and Lunar90 to hoops-centric kicks like the Hyperdunk and Kobe 9 Elite.

If you've ever wondered how this popular technology came about, we're about to drop some knowledge on you.

Nike designers Kevin Hoffer and Eric Avar wanted to create a cushioning system that had the versatility to provide support for both distance runners and basketball players. After some research, the pair realized it was the exact movements of weightless astronauts walking on the moon that they wanted to capture and allow athletes to mimic with their cushioning technology. "Soft" and "springy" movements are what Hoffer and Avar imagined.

After enlisting the help of an all-star cast of engineers, designers, and technicians (along with a healthy dose of trial and error), the team finally had a prototype of a Lunar-equipped sneaker in 2005. From there, Lunarlon officially made its debut in 2008 with the Lunaracer and Hyperdunk, and the rest is history.

Now, anytime you're rocking sneakers with a Lunar bottom, just know that's probably the closest you'll get to feeling like an astronaut.

[via Nike]