Nike Is Getting Into Sneaker Heels by Updating an Obscure 2000s Shoe

by · WWD

Amid the Shox era, Nike experimented with a women’s shoe featuring a suspended heel with negative space in between it and a full-length outsole. Dubbed the Ovolo, the oddball construction was utilized for both low-tops (with several material makeups) and boots and is now set for a revision amid the rekindling sneaker heel trend.

The Nike Ovolo 2.0 updates the archival silhouette with an outsole and heel stabilizer that appears to be made of sterner stuff. The heel remains suspended and hgugged by a sweeping overlay, and after a gap beneath it appear two plates with yet more negative space in between them that should act as a spring.

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For the upper, Nike goes with a metallic silver synthetic leather upper that connects both eras and features a Swoosh molded into its lateral side. Black suede is then utilized for the lining and a tongue with paneling that extends down the entire tongue.

A second colorway was also previewed through the Skrs Verified series in all-black.

The original Ovolo, designed by Richard Clarke for a 2004 launch, featured a solid, plush element for the lower portion of its heel system. It never formed a truly lasting legacy but occasionally pops up on social media for obscure throwback posts or from people who’ve come upon a pair and have no idea what they’re looking at.

Reviving aughts silhouettes for women has become a somewhat regular occurrence for Nike in recent years, as it’s also done so with the Superfly, originally a minimalist running shoe, and the Rejuven8 Run, a lifestyle and recovery model created for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The Nike Ovolo 2.0 will release during the holiday ’26 season, which is already going and will run through the end of the year. Pricing has not yet been confirmed.