Following quite literally in the footsteps of the incredibly popular small-sided specialist that is the Lunar Gato, Nike launch the Futsal-focused React Gato, which has a design that places a strong emphasis on ball control.
The new Nike React Gato has a good heritage – the Lunar Gato has, for years, been the solo specialist in Nike’s small-sided arsenal. But now its joined by a new iteration of Gato, which sees Nike React foam brought into the game for the first time. It’s joined by Nike Touch360 and Nike Flyknit, which together form a trio of innovations that promote fluid movement, durability and comfort.
The React Gato’s design is informed by studies in the Nike Sports Research Lab (NSRL) that recorded a library of futsal moves and gathered data on the directional forces at play while players control the ball. The research is all about enhancing touch and improving control in the fast-paced, tightly-spaced, small-sided game.
With the number of touches, shots on goal and meters covered per minute by each player in futsal far exceeding that of an 11-a-side player, the demands on the shoe are different. Combining this understanding with the NSRL data, Nike have provided the React Gato with the three innovative technologies that are incorporated in the new outsole tooling and resistant upper.
The first innovation, Nike Touch360, features flexible “touch pods” that function like pistons, allowing wearers to feel the ball. The touch pods are placed where pressure-mapping shows primary underfoot touch points and are designed to give players a better sense of where the ball is underfoot. This promotes a heads-up play mode that allows for faster reactions on the pitch, negating the need to look down at your feet.
The Nike React Gato’s upper features the second innovation, employing a Flyknit construction incorporating a new yarn proprietary to Nike. This material combines the soft feel associated with Flyknit with increased durability. And finally, underfoot, Nike React foam replaces Lunarlon foam as the boot’s third core technology, providing long-lasting comfort on all surfaces.
Looks like being Nike's small-sided specialist is no longer a solo gig.
Pick up the Nike React Gato at prodirectsoccer.com
