Nike’s Most Intriguing Trail Innovation in Years Isn’t Actually a Shoe

Conversations about an athlete’s equipment risk diminishing the effort required to run, say, a four-minute mile or 100-mile foot race.

But when Caleb Olson crossed the finish line at Western States, one of trail running’s most prestigious ultramarathons, all anyone wanted to know was, What on earth is he wearing?

Days later, the answer is still a little unclear, even if the mystery has reached a fever pitch on social media.

What we do know, of course, is that Olson is a Nike-sponsored athlete, so pretty much the bulk of his kit comes out of Beaverton, Oregon, a place the company famously calls home.

And for the most part, that kit followed a familiar template: super shoes, ankle socks, half tights, unstructured hat.

But instead of donning a singlet-and-jacket combo to tackle the drastic changes in temperature that plague the Western States course —  where it can routinely go from snowing to well past 100 degrees Fahrenheit — Olson instead wore what can only be described as a sweater.

Even more puzzling is the fact that the top carried ACG sub-branding, with the words “All Conditions Racing Dept” on the back.

Clear the air

To be clear, this isn’t Olson’s first dance with Nike’s historic outdoorsy label that, while rooted in trail running with early models Air Pegasus ACG, has largely leaned lifestyle in recent years.

Earlier this year, Olson won Spain’s Transgrancanaria Classic in a prototype of the Utrafly that featured ACG motifs in place of the Nike Trail logo that traditionally accompanies its off-road shoes and apparel.

Photo by Brian Galdamez for Gear Patrol

But if that detail was easy to miss on course, his apparel at Western States was anything but.

The loose white top, resembling a type of mesh, was full of large holes, with exposed areas underneath Olson’s armpits and his forearm.

Detail shots from the course also reveal that the yarns are synthetic, likely designed to retain moisture and cool the body as it evaporates.

A cut above

Nike has yet to comment on the innovation, and it’s still anyone’s guess if it will even come out for public release.

Olson’s specific pair of tights, for example, appear to be a non-retail version of the AeroSwift, outfitted with pockets on the side and the Nike Trail logo on the right thigh.

Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

That said, with both Hardrock and UTMB on the horizon, it seems unlikely that this will be the last we see of the airy sweater, considering it only seemed to help Olson in his pursuit of victory at Western States.

The runner, seemingly unfazed by the heat, finished the 100.2-mile course in a time of 14 hours,  11 minutes,  25 seconds — the second-fastest time in the event’s history.

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